Post by highwayman97 on Mar 27, 2019 13:01:11 GMT -5
My particular interest is in combining slot cars with model trains for exhibitions. I started doing this many years ago with Tri-ang Railways and Minic Motorways, but then I found out about Playcraft Highways.
Over the years I learned more about Playcraft Highways and its inventor Derek Brand. I also discovered how Highways lacked initial success but then crossed the Atlantic and became very successful as Aurora Model Motoring.
From research conducted by myself and a chum, it appears that Derek Brand had originally envisaged Highways as being an add-on to Model Railroads and had probably intended it to be taken up by the US manufacturer Revell. Brand had worked a lot developing products for Revell and at the time Highways was being developed, they were selling an 'HO' scale model railroad system, which made use of Atlas 'Snap Track'. Snap Track features 18" radius curves and 9" long straights, I guess the latter length is rather familiar to us all?
Sadly Revell had ditched their model railroad system before Highways was ready, so Brand had to look elsewhere, before settling on Playcraft in the UK as his customer. Playcraft too would have a model railway system, but not until 1961 and this was around the time that Highways was being abandoned in the UK. A couple of catalogue illustrations exist, showing how Playcraft Railways and Highways could be used together, but the link between the two was never developed as it was with Tri-ang Railways and Minic Motorways.
Later of course Aurora Model Motoring produced a Level or Grade Crossing (as it is called in the US), which is entirely compatible with Highways and is a key ingredient to the display you will see below
An article about Highways in the Journal of the Train Collectors Society produced a response from Richard Lines, formerly of Rovex Ltd (who produced Tri-ang Railways). He related the story of how Tri-ang initially became aware that their competitor: Mettoy Playcraft, were developing an electric roadway system through a chance remark by a travelling rep! This led to the eventual development Minic Motorways, but of course Highways is the true ancestor of all HO slots cars!
As it is 60 years since Playcraft Highways reached the shops, we took this layout to the Train Collectors Society Spring Gathering and AGM at Leicester, England in March. The same layout is going to the 'National Festival of Toy Trains' in Alresford, Hampshire on Saturday 15th June 2019
The layout uses original Highways track and supports for 95% of the upper section, where we mainly ran original Highways vehicles, although these have all been re-engineered with Aurora T Jet chassis, (which was also designed by Brand), to make them operate like silk, rather than sounding like an angry buzzer. We have had to boost the height of the track supports, as although intended as an add-on for trains, the bridges Playcraft supplied were not high enough to clear a train!
The roadway track on the lower level is all Model Motoring, including the crossings, although here we are running many different makes, Aurora, Faller, Bauer,Auto-World and a few kit built models too, although the T Jet chassis predominates.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5FTEkrqRIQ
The trains, track and the buildings were all sold as part of the Playcraft Railways system. The train system all came from Jouef in France, with some models specially made for the UK. The non-railway buildings were from kits, mainly from Pola in what was then West Germany which are generally very European looking, although a couple of British houses were modelled too. Other buildings include a working windmill and watermill and two American looking buildings. An earlier and less colourful series of kits had been licensed from Aurora and were very American!
Over the years I learned more about Playcraft Highways and its inventor Derek Brand. I also discovered how Highways lacked initial success but then crossed the Atlantic and became very successful as Aurora Model Motoring.
From research conducted by myself and a chum, it appears that Derek Brand had originally envisaged Highways as being an add-on to Model Railroads and had probably intended it to be taken up by the US manufacturer Revell. Brand had worked a lot developing products for Revell and at the time Highways was being developed, they were selling an 'HO' scale model railroad system, which made use of Atlas 'Snap Track'. Snap Track features 18" radius curves and 9" long straights, I guess the latter length is rather familiar to us all?
Sadly Revell had ditched their model railroad system before Highways was ready, so Brand had to look elsewhere, before settling on Playcraft in the UK as his customer. Playcraft too would have a model railway system, but not until 1961 and this was around the time that Highways was being abandoned in the UK. A couple of catalogue illustrations exist, showing how Playcraft Railways and Highways could be used together, but the link between the two was never developed as it was with Tri-ang Railways and Minic Motorways.
Later of course Aurora Model Motoring produced a Level or Grade Crossing (as it is called in the US), which is entirely compatible with Highways and is a key ingredient to the display you will see below
An article about Highways in the Journal of the Train Collectors Society produced a response from Richard Lines, formerly of Rovex Ltd (who produced Tri-ang Railways). He related the story of how Tri-ang initially became aware that their competitor: Mettoy Playcraft, were developing an electric roadway system through a chance remark by a travelling rep! This led to the eventual development Minic Motorways, but of course Highways is the true ancestor of all HO slots cars!
As it is 60 years since Playcraft Highways reached the shops, we took this layout to the Train Collectors Society Spring Gathering and AGM at Leicester, England in March. The same layout is going to the 'National Festival of Toy Trains' in Alresford, Hampshire on Saturday 15th June 2019
The layout uses original Highways track and supports for 95% of the upper section, where we mainly ran original Highways vehicles, although these have all been re-engineered with Aurora T Jet chassis, (which was also designed by Brand), to make them operate like silk, rather than sounding like an angry buzzer. We have had to boost the height of the track supports, as although intended as an add-on for trains, the bridges Playcraft supplied were not high enough to clear a train!
The roadway track on the lower level is all Model Motoring, including the crossings, although here we are running many different makes, Aurora, Faller, Bauer,Auto-World and a few kit built models too, although the T Jet chassis predominates.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5FTEkrqRIQ
The trains, track and the buildings were all sold as part of the Playcraft Railways system. The train system all came from Jouef in France, with some models specially made for the UK. The non-railway buildings were from kits, mainly from Pola in what was then West Germany which are generally very European looking, although a couple of British houses were modelled too. Other buildings include a working windmill and watermill and two American looking buildings. An earlier and less colourful series of kits had been licensed from Aurora and were very American!
The control gear and automation is all our own, and the roadway has been modified to allow train activated switchable isolation on the approach sides of each level crossing.
James
