Thursday, October 04, 2012

Collecting - and Collecting Information 6

Judging by the photo, these two Cragstan/Nomura trains
are virtually identical. In reality, though, there are
some important distinctions.

Although some things can be researched online, there's nothing like hands-on examination for learning. In this series, Collecting - and Collecting Information, I've been chronicling my adventures in accumulating knowledge about a topic that there seems to be little information about -- Japanese toy cars and trains. I'm doing the research for a talk my dad volunteered me to give, and it's a topic I know little about. But I'm learning more, teasing out information a little at a time.

In 2010, I posted The Straco Express and the Mystery Train(s). I didn't know much about the Japanese tinplate train I had as child, and was hoping someone online would. They didn't. But since that time, I've learned that the train I had was imported by Cragstan, and manufactured for them by Nomura, probably around 1961. (click on images to enlarge)

And recently I learned something else -- this particular model was made earlier, and underwent some design changes along the way. I found a similar set online and purchased it. The cars had different graphics, and I was thinking of making a longer train.

Placed together, it's easier to pick out the newer boxcar. Note the
difference in the style of the graphics.
When they arrived, I was surprised to discover that they had a different coupler arrangement. Instead of the simple eye and hook of my set, this one had a complex open box and ratchet setup. It's a little difficult to tell from the photographs, but these cars were older than the ones I already owned. In addition to the difference in patina, the lithography also has more of a 1950's rather than 1960's graphic design to them (actually, I think they more closely resemble 1940's commercial art).

A simple hook (left) vs. a complicated ratchet-and-box
coupler (right). No wonder Nomura made the change!
In all other ways the cars are identical, so this was probably a running change. And it makes sense. The newer couplers are simpler, so they're easier to make and they require less material. A definite cost savings.

So now I know a little more about this Santa Fe set. And the information wasn't readily apparent from the photos of the train. Only after I had the train in hand and could do some side-by-side comparisons was I able to see a little of Nomura's history.


1 comment:

  1. Anonymous9:33 PM

    FYI: The pre and post war Japanese toy industry was made up of factories and wholesalers. The factories customers were the wholesalers. The big names you see on a toy or box are mostly wholesalers like Masudaya, Bandai, Nomura, Alps, Marusan, Yonezawa, etc. The dispersed factories names were often not even shown.
    The US importers who bought these toys from the wholesalers would often have their name on the box. This would include Linemar (Marx Japan), Cragstan, AHI, Frankonia, Rosko, Shackman, Starco, etc. Many of them would ask for a special design variations from the wholesalers. Hope that is helpful in understanding Japan's dispersed production system

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