Swordcast Supplemental

A few images and references to tie in with my ramblings on the xmas Swordcast. 

The Horikawa robot, by first brush with tin toys from about 1967, a bit battered and not working anymore, he's a bit shaky and rusty inside and is missing a plastic cover over his chest. I had always maintained that i would put him on the workbench and get him moving again, but a couple of peeps inside his innards put me off!

From the Tri-ang Hornby fold, comes the great Battle Space series of trains. my dad was a bit against army and non-standard train toys, so he would never give these house room on the home layout, so it was many decades before I managed to lay hands on any! The Satellite launcher is a favourite of mine, as I always loved action features. A trackside trigger launched the little plastic satellite spinning into the air as the wagon rolled by.

 A couple of spreads from the catalogues I used to pore over, adding all these items to endless xmas lists, to be disappointed equally regularly.

Some shots from the York Railway Museum. If you like trains and are in the area, its a great afternoon out. Packed to the gills with full size locomotives, station furniture, models and displays.

Not being restricted to collecting a particular brand of train, I just cherry pick the odd model that appeals to me. This is the Dinky 784 Goods Train set, something of a departure from the more realistic vehicles and Gerry Anderson themed toys they produced in the 70's.

 The one which started it all. The Bandai Locomotive. The wagons have all had the bogeys replaced by standard plastic ones, to fit more securely on OO/HO track, so look a bit small by comparison, but its still a lovely looking toy.

 Below is an example of the other japanese set I found, which has a working headlight and came with the box car, caboose and gondola.