which contained more powerful motors with worm drive, and with the improved pickups mentioned above. The Minic Motorways system allowed the modeller to animate the roads as well as the railways in their townscapes. Some modellers used flexible track manufactured by Peco to enhance the level of realism. Minic, like Tri-ang railways, used 12-volt direct current with a two 'rail' system, which made reversing loops impossible without an insulated section. The competing German Faller system used alternating current, and had a compatible trolleybus system. Model pond yachts and boats Various model boats were made by Tri-ang companies, early yachts were made of steel under the name of Tri-ang. Tri-ang also sold a range of wooden hulled yachts and clockwork motor launches. They also produced early battery powered electric motor launches. Penguin was a name that they manufactured plastic yachts and clockwork boats and some battery powered electric boats. Over the years these toys/models were manufactured under the name Rovex, Scalex and Minimodels. Model racing cars Scalextric B Francis of Minimodels Ltd designed a range of metal model racing cars driven by clockwork in 1952 under the SCALEX brand. To this he later added an electric motor showing the product in 1957. Faced with a demand beyond his capacity to fulfill, Francis sold his company to Tri-ang in 1958. With their mass-manufacturing capability and know-how with plastic, the Rovex subsidiary of Tri-ang converted the metal cars to plastic and extended the range. Model cars When Meccano Ltd faced financial troubles and was acquired by Tri-ang, it also acquired the Dinky Toys range. Tri-ang's own range of model cars, Spot-on, had competed with the Dinky range but never had the success of Dinky and its designs were briefly subsumed into the Dinky range. Model Ships Minic Limited, a Lines Bros subsidiary, produced a range of 1:1200 scale waterline ship and harbour models between 1958 and 1965 which were marketed under the Tri-ang Minic Ships brand. After a reorganisation in the mid 1960s Minic Limited became a subsidiary of Rovex Industries Ltd (later Rovex-Tri-ang Ltd) which was acquired by Dunbee Combex Marx (DCM) as Rovex Limited after Lines Bros went into receivership in 1971. Rovex Limited reintroduced a limited range of the original waterline ship and harbour models in 1976 together with four new battleships under the name "Minic Ships and Harbours by Hornby" the "Tri-ang" trademark having been acquired by Barclay Securities