Straco Express Layout, Part 62 - Nomura Variations

Read all the installments of the Straco Express layout project here.

I recently added a new vehicle to the display layout, and it's one with some interesting features (at least, I think so).

There's something a little odd about this Nomura vehicle.
Note the side windows.

Made by Nomura

Nomura was pretty consistent about branding their pieces -- even those made for another company. In this case, their TN logo is easy to find on the side.

The design is readily recognizable as well. I already own a set of four Nomura service vehicles. The cars have the same chassis and their bodies are stamped in the same shape.

My original set included a taxi, a police car, and a fire chief's car. And this vehicle is also a working car. Note the uniformed driver in the front and the passengers in the back.  This is a chauffeured limousine.

Two passengers in the back, a uniformed driver at the wheel.
Home, James!

 A question of sequence

Here are the four Nomura cars together.
I believe the limousine was made sometime after the other three.

Setting the cars side-by-side it's easy to see that they are identical, save their lithography. But were they made at the same time? 

I don't think so. The limousine has a shiny plated chassis. It's actually a little thinner than the duller alloy chassis of the other three. 

I believe that the limousine was made in late 1962 or early 1963, at the end of the pure tinplate era. 

In 1963 the United States passed child safety regulations for toys. The stricture against sharp edges spelled the end for most tinplate toys. 

Molded plastic had no sharp edges, and Japanese toy companies quickly made the transition to plastic-bodied vehicles. 

End of an era?

Right from the beginning of the era in 1949, companies looked for ways to economize the manufacture of their toys -- particularly these inexpensive toys that were sold by jobbers to dime stores and drug stores. 

The metal shell and chassis of the limousine is much lighter (relatively speaking) to those of the set. That tells me that it's very late in the life cycle of this toy. 

An oddity

There's something else, too. These vehicles have the occupants projected onto all the windows. To indicate someone's sitting in the back, their head will be shown on the back window and the side window. This limousine has a design error. The driver is not shown in profile on the side window. Whoops.

Still an interesting piece

The Nomura limousine is still a welcome addition to the Straco display layout. It's especially good for use with the Shioji trucks. Proportionally, the larger Nomura cars look correct with the Shioji trucks. 

Layout construction:

• Pegboard: $4.95
• Flathead Screws: $0.40
• Molding: $2.49
• SilClear: borrowed from a friend
• Green Paint: leftover  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
Bandai Station: $10.00
2 tinplate signs: $1.00
4 tinplate signs (with train) $5.99
Cragstan HO Light Tower $20.49
4 nesting houses $4.99
Tinplate gas station: $5.00

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
• Haji three-wheel tanker $5.00
• 1950's sedan $2.99
• LineMar Police Car $9.00
• 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
• LineMar County School Bus $9.99
• Nomura Red Sedan $5.00
• Nomura Police Car $2.52
• Nomura lumber truck $3.48
• Nomura limousine $11.99
• 6 Nomura vehicles $16.99
• Shioji Express Truck $10.00
• Shioji Covered Truck $12.50
• Shioji Dump Truck $9.95
• Shioji Shell Tanker $10.50
• Shioji Tow Truck $25.00
• Orange Sedan $10.99
• King Sedan $9.95
• Indian Head logo sedan $4.99
• Indian Head (?) convertible $18.00
• Yellow/red Express truck $9.99
• Red limousine FREE
• Jeep $12.00

Total Project Cost: $324.29

Collecting -- and collecting information 4

I continue to gather information about Japanese tin toy cars of the 1950's-60's the hard way -- by direct research. All of this, of course, in preparation for a talk I've been volunteered to give (the purpose of the Collecting -- and collecting information series).

A recent purchase (see The Straco Layout, Part 26 - Maxing out the Motorway) provided me with some more information about this subject, and additional examples of ways one can learn more about a hobby.

The purchase had six vehicles -- three trucks and three cars -- that looked as if they were all part of set. They had the same brand, the same chassis, the same general build and -- most importantly -- the same patina. Because of the brand, I know they were made by the Japanese toy company Namura, but when? I can find no reference works on the subject. (click on images to enlarge)

Mobil retired the "Mobilgas" brand in 1962. Could that be
a clue as to this toy's age?

I know that these type of toy cars were made in Japan between the mid 1950's to early 1960's (when small toy cars were either made of plastic or diecast metal). One of the trucks is marked "Mobilgas." a brand name Mobil Oil used after WWII until it was discontinued in 1962. I'm guessing the truck was made around 1962-63. It wouldn't make sense to market a toy with an outdated logo on it (remember, these were for children to play with, not for adults to collect).

I have another reason for thinking this was made towards the end of the era. The lumber truck that's part of the set is newer than the one I already own (call it truck A).

I think truck B (top) is newer than truck A (bottom).
Note the lighter patina and brighter colors of B.

Truck B (left) and truck A (right).
Note the improved design of the
truck B chassis.

There are some minor differences, especially in the chassis. The newer model (truck B) has a reinforced and painted frame. Note the age of truck A's frame. If truck B were older, the white paint would be closer to yellow, and have accumulated more dirt.

Because the of all six of the Namura chassis are identical, I'm assuming the same age for the three cars as for the trucks. This, even though the body design suggests more of the automotive styles of the pre-fin 1950's than the 1960's. The police car (car B)in this set is far different than the one I picked up earlier (see The Straco Layout, Part 21 - The Flat Arm of the Law).

Both cars bear the "TN" trademark
of Japanese toy company Namura.

Both bear the Namura brand, but represent to different levels of quality. Again, the patinas suggest the flat police car (car A) is slightly earlier than car B, but not by much.

Car A uses small stamped wheels made from recycled tin; car B has more expensive rubber wheels. Car B has a friction motor, while car A has nothing. The frame of car A is unfinished tin, while car B has a painted white frame.  And car A is much flatter than car B, requiring less tin to make. Both sport colorful lithography, though.

Bottom line: car A was made to hit a much lower price point than car B. If nothing else, I now know that Namura built at least two different lines of small toy vehicles -- and probably more.

Car A (left) and car B (right). Although very different
in construction, there is a strong family
resemblance in the lithography design.

Of course, any of my assumptions could be wrong, which would change everything. But I don't think they are. Maybe when all this is said and done I should write the reference work I'm so desperately looking for!