I just came across this site and thought I would share it with you guys. It seems that Lionel trains are loved the world over. Unfortunately, there isn’t a word of English on the site. I tried using an online translator for the site, but it wouldn’t work. Anyway, there’s a lot of interesting pictures if you click around. Besides American toy trains, there’s a great deal of Japanese O gauge stuff like Sakai and KTM, which is very interesting. Certainly worth checking out.
Very very very interesting and colorful sight; didn’t know Japan made 3-rail stuff.
I had a Japanese tinplate MU passenger train when I lived in Japan in 1952. The track was a circle about 4-feet in diameter. The (three) rails were tubular, but with a distinctive triangular cross-section rather than round, and triangular brass track pins too. I still have the pantograph and some of the trucks. I put the pantograph on the Lionel 253, which I found in Prague, to replace the inferior one that some Czech had substituted for the original. I saw the identical pantograph for sale on Ebay one time. As for the trucks, the wheels and axles are turned from a solid piece of brass. The train was very noisy and ran rough.
Hello Sask! Thanks for the link to the website. Looks like a Japanese Train Club buy/sell board for American O Gauge Toy Trains. They have some very nice pictures though. Also, some interesting Japanese Toy Trains. Thanks Again. Take Care.
Note that there is a Yahoo egroup on Japanese Sakai trains. Check it out if interested in Japanese toy trains. Started by a collector in New Zealand so language is English.
Colin Duthie