GAIETY PANNIER TANK 1950

The Gaiety Pannier Tank 5700 locomotive (and the N2 46917) was part of a very short lived range produced by J.V.Murcott & Sons Ltd of  Tamworth, Birmingham. It was a diecast firm that built parts for the car industry and entered the toy car and model railway market only months before the outbreak of the war in Korea (1950-1953).

The result of the Korean War was that almost all toy production was stopped by the UK gouvernment witch included metals for the war industry. J.V.Murcott went back into full production of diecast parts for military vehicles and the Rover Car Company.

The short lived "Gaiety Models" of toy cars and locomotives was killed off, never to raise again. (Due to the Korean War, the firm "Trackmaster" also met the same fate). Hornby Dublo diverted part of their production to the war effort, but managed to survive until the restrictions on metals was lifted after 1953. Rovex-Triang was not affected too much due to working mostly in plastics. 

The Pannier Tank could be supplied with a Romford motor and chassis wired for 2 rail or 3 rail running

A view of the other side of this heavy diecast locomotive

It was also sold as just the diecast body, so it could be fitted onto an existing Triang or Hornby Dublo chassis

Difficult to read in this photo, but it says "J.V.M. B`HAM"

A view from underneath clearly shows it to be the 2 rail variant

The two halves of the chassis are held together by brass screws steel tabs, clearly a Gaiety design and not a Triang chassis, although the motor does liook like a Triang one until one gets up close.

Some parts of the motor are brass construction, whereas on Triang the same parts are steel.

The front showing the base for the fixing screw which goes down the chimney 

An unknown makers name for this part. It can clearly be seen that it is not a Triang chassis. Note TV surpressor

This picture and the next, You can see the line from the join in the two castings. Today that would be filled away and removed, probably acceptable in January 1950

Two years before Triang couplings were invented, this locomotive is fitted with Hornby Dublo style couplings.