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New Zealand made toy trains
Post WW2 imports into New Zealand where restricted and a few companys started making toy trains to fill the void created. This is a few photos about the New Zealand made toy trains in my collection.
To read more about Cranko toy trains click here
My collection of Cranko trains is currently limited to three wagons and a locomotive that is missing its tender. I display the engine with a Hornby LNER tender usally as this fits the engine quite nicely. I brought the wagons as NOS and they are all missing the coulplings as the factory ran out and they where never fitted. The locomotive is live steam but looking at the condition of the boiler I'll never steam it.
I have five engines made here in Wellington by H Thomas these were sold in one or two shops locally and where reasonably relistic models. The chassis for the engine looks on most engines to be made by Leeds in England. The locomotives all came painted green from what I've been able to tell two of my engines have been repainted black and one has had the cab rebuilt at some time.
Now we've got rolling stock sorted we need accessories these came from Real Rail and are woodern with recycled cans for water tanks etc. They are quite crudely built but did sell well as most collectors here in New Zealand seem to have one or two items of Real Rail.
Track was also made in Wellington and sold under the name Lawrence Lines again most collectors have a bit of this in their collection even if they don't know it most boxes of Hornby track now have a few peices of Lawrence Lines track included.
Full size versions and more photos are in the photo archive under 'NZ Toy Trains'
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