Nomura (Toys Nomura TN)

(Japan)

Nomura, also known as TN (Toys Nomura), was formed in 1923, and became one of the most prolific tin toy makers in early post war Japan, making a huge range of toys, perhaps the most well known being their robot figures. Nomura switched to die cast toys in the early/mid 1970s and, in 1992, became a part of Hasbro, at the time the largest toy maker in the world. Illustrated below are just a few of the range of tin toys of interest to the toy train enthusiast.

TN Nomura battery powered cable car set

TN Nomura clockwork powered overhead electric locomotive EF 501

TN Nomura (battery?) powered overhead electric Rocket locomotive EF 6087, approx. S gauge

TN Nomura steam loco, designed to follow a cable around the floor

TN Nomura Santa Fe California Zephyr, designed to follow a cable around the floor

The set below seems to be a copy of the German Biller-Bahn system, with several differences. The TN set is battery powered, the battery (D cell) being within the loco. Biller Bahn locos were clockwork, or battery with two AA cells in an attached wagon. The TN set is 0 gauge; the Biller Bahn sets were 0 scale, narrow gauge. Biller Bahn locos were numbered 013 not 573. The Biller Bahn diesels were not fitted with any form of steam loco valve gear or con rods.

TN Nomura Biller Train

TN Nomura clockwork Mystery Bank or Money Box haunted house building

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