Dave Angell Trains
Mobile: 07968 975 867
Please call 9.30AM – 9PM Mon – Fri
or 10AM – 8PM Sat – Sun
My Displays: Playcraft
Triang - Jump Jockey - Push Along Animals - Minic Motorway - Playcraft - Layouts - Nellies - Matchbox - Triang Toys

Please note; Display items are not for sale.

Playcraft Railways entered the toy train market in the early 1960s as a direct attempt to capture some of the market from Triang and Hornby Dublo. Part of the Mettoy Group, the trains were made by Jouef of France and sold cheaply in toy shops, especially F.W. Woolworths, a high street shop in most towns of the time. The aim was to produce cheap toys not scale models! The range only lasted until the late 60s due to a number of reasons, but including the fact that the chosen HO scale was not as per the usual British OO and the decision to produce French outline stock with British names. Some of the range continued into the 70s under the Jouef name and you could never be sure which box items will turn up in - some Playcraft items can be found in Jouef boxes, sometimes with Playcraft numbers, sometimes not! An interesting range to collect, it is still easily available at sensible prices, but you do get some strange looks when you admit to collecting it!

Please click on a photo to zoom in - opens in new tab/window

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Overview of a display at Ludlow, 2011Playcrafts version of the Wild West loco, so like the Triang one!A few 0-4-0s - note the brown North British shunter - I own a 12" to the foot version of one too!
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Rows of stock at TCS show, Leicester 2011.More tank locos.Again at Leicester and including a few Jouef interlopers.
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Overall view of TCS Leicester display.Welshpool 2012, a display of sets and accessories only.They made a vast range of accessories but not many survive.
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A few examples of the track range, which was quite extensive.Set artwork could be very attractive.Inside the same two sets - Passenger and Freight.
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Complete train sets were available with everything you needed including scenery and track mat.Hard to find Kangourou Road Rail set.A much sought after Cockerill Crane.