According to Pat Hammod's book on Rovex, the Tri-ang Countryside Series, originated with a firm called Young and Fogg, who specialised in making rubber toys containing noise-makers. Tri-ang asked them to produce a range of rubber buildings. In the end, they were made by IMA Ltd, part of the Lines empire, who took over the firm.
My model is the R363 Forge. Manufaturered in 1960-62, price 2/11. Pat tells us that 1886 models were produced, all sold in plastic bags with a card header designed to hang on a hook in the shop.
Sadly, the rubber shrinks and dries out, leading to the mishapen appearance. These are rare, but those examples I have seen, are all affected this way.
I think I probably got a bargain here. Mainly, because so few people knew what they were looking at, and even fewer wanted to add the model to their Tri-ang collection as I do. It just shows, if you keep looking, there are jewels out there...
4 comments:
It's amazing that this has even survived, and also that you knew what you were looking at!
If there's a more unusual material to manufacture a modelbuilding from, I'd like to know what it is...
At least the 60's rubber is purer than the stuff we get today. Modern rubbers have been engineered to use all sorts of materials and break down extremely easily and quickly.
As an example last summer's UK heatwave destroyed the rubber surround of an ereader I bought in 2014. It just crumpled away under the weeks of dry heat. Apparently those in the USA with their air conditioned houses found this out years ago. Too little rubber, too much filler.
George
According to one on line source, these rubber buildings can be packed out with newspaper and will regain and hold their shape. It is not clear whether yours may already be too far gone.
The rubber mine is made of is very dry and hard, I suspect any attempt to rescue and reshape it would see the thing shatter. Pity, but it's still an interesting item.
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