Our ever-growing licensing programme continues to work with licensees who create innovative products. As one of the most recognisable brands with over 150 years of history, there are endless opportunities for partners to jump on board and work with us and our licensing agency to take their products to the next level.
🚇 One licensing partner has done just this. Eben Smith is the founder and owner of Trainyard where every toy has a story. The London Underground Train Set, which is also a 3D puzzle, was born from his own son’s fascination with the London Underground.
How it began
‘At age 5 he pointed out several things about the different rolling stock on each line which I had never noticed. Such as the warning sounds that the doors make, and the sound when the trains accelerate. I was impressed that he noticed so many things.’
With no Tube toys on the market that met his son’s standards, Eben set out to create one using his 3D printer. The end result was a toy that closely resembled a London Underground train. It slotted together like a puzzle, providing hours of fun and entertainment for his children. But it didn’t stop here…
I shared my idea with TSBA and TfL and they were incredibly positive about this becoming a commercially available product. This is when the real work began. Refining the design for mass production, finding a suitable production company, designing packaging and all the legal challenges of making a children’s toy along with one of the world’s most famous brands. Trainyard was born. 🎉
The train set comes in beautifully illustrated packaging, which resembles the iconic Leslie Green Underground Stations. Eben wanted to create packaging which would become part of the toy. So that is why the inside of the packaging can connect to the wooden tracks for extra play value.
I’m very proud work with TfL and have a chance to contribute to their rich design heritage. When designing products, we put a lot of effort and thought into product details and packaging to make sure that our brand lives up to TfL’s reputation for great design. đź‘Ś
London Transport Museum and Depot
Recently Eben and his family were taken on a tour of London Transport Museum’s Depot in Acton. Here they explored the wealth of design history that sits at the heart of TfL.
The Depot is home to the majority of the Museum’s collection including heritage vehicles, moquette fabric designs, signage and an extensive poster collection.
It’s an amazing resource that is open to all licensing partners by appointment and offers the opportunity to explore our varied 150+ year history, for inspiration across any product range.
It was a great privilege to visit and see such a vast collection of Transport for London history. The collection of historical signs and models of Underground stations were fantastic. đź‘€
The world-class collection at London Transport Museum’s Depot in Acton and award-winning Museum in Covent Garden, along with our core style guide and trend packs are some of the exciting and inspiring assets we can offer partners who work with us.
Find more information on our licensing programme and get in touch with the team.
Excellent! Now if TfL could just ask Bachmann to do another production run of the OO gauge S Stock, we’d have tube train collectibles for the whole family…..