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Here are some facts and figures about Playcraft Railways in general
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Catalogue numbers Although most of the products apart from the track pieces carried no serial numbers, the curved parapet track section has the number P674 on the base. Strangely the straight parapet track section does not, probably due to the fact that it is used for the parapet and the girder bridge bases. Couplings |
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When the couplings were changed, about 1964, from the original Tri-ang type (known as Lanal couplings), which were the then standard Jouef couplings, to the later Peco or Simplex type, a converter coupling was sold. This consisted of a solitary loop rather like a Tri-ang coupling but without the hook. This fitted to the screw mounting in place of the original on any vehicle to enable it to couple with the older type. There was also a conversion kit for Tri-ang couplings in the same vein. However some of the early vehicles had the original coupling as an integral moulding with the wagon chassis and these were not capable of being changed . |
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Similarly the early bogie vehicles had integral Tri-ang type couplings but later went to screw mounted Peco type couplings. The later Jouef couplings were also integral with the bogies, but some intermediate models circa 1970 had screw-mounted Jouef bogies. A number of ex-Playcraft models were issued with a more accurate bogie (modelled on the Y25C type) in place of the crude Playcraft version of the American plate-frame bogie. A recent glimpse of the French Tri-ang VB catalogue from the early 60's shows some very familiar bogies on the freight stock, which was proposed but never produced.. |
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Wheels & axles |
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There appear to have been three sorts of wheels on the Playcraft vehicles, all black plastic wheels and axle, which presumably were the original version, later black plastic wheels on steel pin point axles and later still silver-coloured metal wheels with steel pin point axles. These metal wheels had a peculiar rear face, due probably to their manufacturing process, with a plastic sleeve insert on one side for two-rail operation and were introduced around 1967. This became the Jouef standard too. |
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Buildings |
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The heading on the top of the back page of the early 2nd edition catalogue says 'PLAYCRAFT RAILWAYS + HIGHWAYS + AURORA KITS = OPERATING REALISM' and shows a layout which includes a number of buildings. These are not recognisable as the buildings in the 1967 catalogue which were understood to be manufactured by Pola and are part of the Aurora range of building construction kits which were of Canadian manufacture.However the picture in the same early catalogue shows the Lakeside Set with two of the later Pola buildings! A recent glimpse of the French Tri-ang Hornby catalogue from the early 60's shows some very familiar buildings in the associated range. |
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And afterwards |
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Some of the range of models continued to be made for several years after the demise of the Playcraft branding. Models can still be found with 'Made in France, Jouef for Playcraft' markings but in the red and black Jouef boxes and with Jouef couplings, much to the confusion of French Jouef collectors! Playcraft boxes can also be found with French writing describing the British models within. |
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