Straco Express Layout Part 41 - Indian Head Mystery

An unusual vehicle came available for a modest price, and so the Straco Express layout now has another vehicle. It's a beautiful little car, with a number of unusual features. The sedan was offered at such a low price because it's actually part of a set, which included a travel trailer.

The set would have been a great addition to the layout display, but all the prices I"ve seen for it are about five times the amount I paid for just the sedan.

The sedan itself is something of a puzzle. There's an Indian head logo on it, and the trailer came with one, too. There's no name, which isn't uncommon for these Japanese penny toys. One company is noted for having an Indian head logo -- Ichimura & Co., Ltd.

The original set - sedan plus trailer.

The problem is, though, that their Indian head logo looks nothing like this one! I've found other examples from this company, too. This particular sedan was also available in blue, and there's a floor train (with every piece of rolling stock logo'd with the Indian head).

Whoever my Indian head logo manufacturer was, seem to have entered the market in the early 1950's, based on their designs. The rear wheels are thin rubber discs reinforced by tin hubcaps. My King car (see Part 39 - King Me) and tri-wheeled sedan (see Part 22 - Tri Something New) also have this early type wheel design.

The mystery logo doesn't look anything
like Ichimura's Indian head logos,
either the early or the later versions.

Indian Head logo sedan (top) and
mystery tri-wheel sedan (bottom)..
I'm not convinced they're made by
the same company.

And this sedan is also a tri-wheeled vehicle. Side by side, (at left) I can see that they were made around the same time -- but not necessarily by the same manufacturer.

Regardless, they Indian head mystery logo sedan is a good addition to the layout -- especially with the expanded roadway.

Total cost for the project:

Layout construction:

• Pegboard: $4.95
• Flathead Screws: $0.40
• Molding: $2.49
• SilClear: borrowed from a friend
• Green Paint: left over from another project
• Wood Screws: $3.60
• Felt Pads: $1.99

Power Pack: $5.90
Small Houses: $3.00
Testor's Gray Paint for road: $1.29

Bandai Areo Station: $8.99
2 tinplate signs: $1.00
4 tinplate signs (with train) $5.99

Vehicles:

• Two Japanese toy cars: $2.00
• A.W. Livestock truck: $4.99
• Taxi: $2.99
• Ambulance: $2.99
• Two Japanese patriotic cars: $6.99
• Haji three-wheel sedan $3.00
• 1950's sedan $2.99
• LineMar Pepco Truck $8.50
• LineMar Bond Bread Van $8.00
• LineMar Fire Engine $4.95
• LineMar Dump Truck $12.99
• LineMar GE Courier Car $10.98
• Nomura Red Sedan $5.00
• Nomura Police Car $2.52
• Nomura lumber truck $3.48
• 6 Namura vehicles $16.99
• Orange Sedan $10.99
• King Sedan $9.95
• Indian Head logo sedan $4.99

Total Project Cost: $155.89