'OO' was created in the 1920's,probably around 1926.At the time 'HO' was around having come in from mainly Germany and the USA,but the smaller loading gauge of British locos made it near impossible to make British 'HO' with the motors available at that time.I know of at least 2 suppl;iers of British 'HO' at this time,Reidpath(Essar) and Meredith(Merco) and Hamblings,but their were others.As track,chassis and wheels/axles were already available,a small group of modellers/suppliers decided to just make the bodies bigger by half a mill to the foot.These were small time manufacturers,modellers themselves who were helping other modellers to create small scale Britsh model railways some ten years before Meccano hit the market with mass production of Hornby-Dublo.I doubt if any of these supplers would have dreamed of the future of what they had created,and that it would become so popular.By the late 1930's standards had been created for 'OO' so Hornby-Dublo just follwed suit.Rovex probably could have produced 'HO' on the 1950's,but they were just making a cheap toy to compete with Hornby-Dublo,and very successfully as they are still going as the current Hornby.Yes Lima tried British 'HO',but quickly changed to 'OO'.Matt Ascough at Hove,the Fleischmann importer,was going to kill of 'OO' by getting British 'HO' through Fleischmann,but they only made the Bulleid coaches,and never got round to any locos.I think it is too late now for us to change,but one benefit is that it is easier on the eye to mix 'OO' and European/USA 'HO' togeteher,anyone who has seen an American 'HO' loco with a British 'OO' will know what I mean.
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