Hornby Hobbies will be moving its offices back to Margate in January and will be creating new showrooms at the site in Ramsgate Road.

Hornby moved distribution to Hersden in 2014 and office functions to Discovery Park in 2015, ending more than 60 years of work in Margate.

Now the company is moving back to the site. Office area will be leased on the first and second floors and an area for the showroom – displaying the latest products on offer – is in the process of being dressed.

Hornby also runs its Visitor Centre from the site. Marketing director Simon Kohler, who began his career with firm in the early 70s at the Margate site, said it was a return to the true ‘home of Hornby.’

Simon commented: “We have already started moving furniture in and the showroom will be dressed in the next few days in time for a preview for the model press. We will start moving people in around the middle of January and the total move is expected to be complete by March. This is positive stuff, it is back to the future and we believe Margate is the home of Hornby. It oozes the creative juices of what Hornby is now and will be in the future.”

Hornby moves back alongside Locomotive Storage Limited, which bought the site for £2.25m after the model firm moved out.

Locomotive Storage provides storage for locomotives and rolling stock, such as the Bittern which arrived in June.

Simon added: “It is terrific. Visitors will be able to see the real thing and see how the models are designed and then buy their own.”