Pénzverde, meaning State Mint, and abbreviated as PV or PéVé, was a Hungarian post war (1950s) manufacturer, producing 0 gauge trains in the classic tinplate or traditional line, rather than scale models. The locomotives used a 2 rail system, rather than the more usual 3 rail; some locomotives were AC, others DC powered.
Hugarian State Railways, Magyar Államvasutak Zrt, abbreviated as MÁV, is the Hungarian equivalent to, for example, SNCF in France, or British Rail in the UK.
PV also manufactured a modest range of goods (freight) wagons including a tank wagon, log car/timber wagon and an open wagon (gondola), the tank wagon being particularly hard to find in good condition. Were the wagons also part of a set or sets, or individual sale only?
Earlier Elöre sets used tinplate track (1953-55) replaced by plastic track from 1955 in Elöre and Pannónia sets, and Helikon sets from 1959.
My thanks to my online friends Laszlo, Leopold, Willem and particularly Sandor for most of the information within this page.
See also American Skyline (The Halsam Products Company and Elgo Plastics Inc) for a PV Helikon set imported to USA by Elgo of Chicago.
(a) The Elöre Set
The Elöre set shown below, 1953-55, consisted of a four wheeled overhead electric outline locomotive, three four-wheeled coaches (two passenger and one luggage or baggage) and an oval of two rail tinplate track. The passenger coaches are known in blue, green and red. The luggage van was always grey?
PéVé three 4 wheeled electric locos, Elöre PV1, showing different shades of green. Note also pantographs, handrails and area below buffers. The centre loco has shorter cab handrails |
PéVé 4 wheeled electric loco Elöre PV1 |
PéVé 4 wheeled electric loco Elöre PV1 |
PéVé 4 wheeled electric loco Elöre PV1 |
PéVé 4 wheeled electric loco Elöre PV1 |
PéVé >4 wheeled electric loco Elöre PV1 with two blue coaches, grey luggage van and controller |
PéVé 4 wheeled electric loco Elöre PV1 with two blue coaches, grey luggage van and controller |
PéVé 4 wheeled coach PV3, blue |
PéVé 4 wheeled coach PV3, blue |
PéVé 4 wheeled coach PV3, red |
PéVé 4 wheeled coach PV3, green |
PéVé 4 wheeled post coach PV2, grey |
Three quarter view of three 4 wheeled PéVé coaches |
PéVé Elöre set comprising locomotive, two coaches and post van, all four wheeled |
PéVé Elöre set showing the unusual two rail track, each sleeper (tie) being formed from two metal pressings separated by an insulating tab |
PéVé Elöre set showing the instructions within the box lid |
PéVé Elöre set showing the unusual two rail track, each sleeper (tie) being formed from two metal pressings separated by an insulating tab |
PéVé Elöre set showing the unusual two rail track. Are the accessories also by PéVé? |
PéVé Elöre set showing the unusual two rail track. Are the accessories also by PéVé? |
PéVé Elöre set of loco with three passenger coaches, green, blue and red |
PéVé Elöre set of loco with three passenger coaches, green, blue and red |
PéVé Elöre set of loco with three passenger coaches, green, blue and red |
PéVé Elöre set of loco with three passenger coaches, green, blue and red |
PéVé Elöre set of loco with three passenger coaches, green, blue and red |
PéVé Elöre set of loco with three passenger coaches, green, blue and red |
(b) The Pannónia Set
The Pannónia set came in a large wooden box (like the Russian Moskabel "Pionarskaya" sets) containing two switches (turnouts), an oval of track, plus an extra half circle of track, transformer, eight wheeled overhead electric outline locomotive and three 8-wheeled bogie passenger coaches, usually in different colours (red, green, and blue).
The Pannónia track system differed from the Elöre track, having plastic sleepers (ties). The two track systems are not interchangeable.
PéVé 8 wheeled Pannónia overhead electric loco, PV5, length 31cm, 24v DC dual motors green-gray colour, sprung pantographs, all-metal construction, automatic couplings |
PéVé 8 wheeled Pannónia overhead electric loco, PV5, length 31cm, 24v DC dual motors green-gray colour, sprung pantographs, all-metal construction, automatic couplings |
PéVé 8 wheeled Pannónia overhead electric loco, PV5, length 31cm, 24v DC dual motors green-gray colour, sprung pantographs, all-metal construction, automatic couplings |
PéVé 8 wheeled Pannónia overhead electric loco, PV5, length 31cm, 24v DC dual motors green-gray colour, sprung pantographs, all-metal construction, automatic couplings |
PéVé 8 wheeled Pannónia 8 wheeled passenger coach PV6, automatic couplings, length 32cm, blue livery |
PéVé 8 wheeled Pannónia 8 wheeled passenger coach PV6, automatic couplings, length 32cm, blue livery |
PéVé 8 wheeled Pannónia 8 wheeled passenger coach PV6, automatic couplings, length 32cm, lighter blue livery |
PéVé 8 wheeled Pannónia 8 wheeled passenger coach PV6, automatic couplings, length 32cm, lighter blue livery |
PéVé 8 wheeled Pannónia 8 wheeled passenger coach PV6, automatic couplings, length 32cm, green livery |
PéVé 8 wheeled Pannónia 8 wheeled passenger coach PV6, automatic couplings, length 32cm, green livery |
PéVé 8 wheeled Pannónia 8 wheeled passenger coach PV6, automatic couplings, length 32cm, red livery |
PéVé 8 wheeled Pannónia 8 wheeled passenger coach PV6, automatic couplings, length 32cm, red livery |
PéVé 8 wheeled Pannónia 8 wheeled passenger coach PV6, automatic couplings, length 32cm, set of three, blue livery |
(c) The Helikon Set
The third set, Helikon, is a diesel locomotive with matching 32cm eight wheeled coaches, the locomotive using the same body shell as the eight wheeled Pannónia loco. The coaches are those used in the Pannónia set, available in two liveries, grey with blue window stripe and (less common) white with gold window stripe. The Helikon set used the same track, with plastic sleepers, as the Pannónia set.
The Penzverde Helikon diesel set (grey and blue) |
The Penzverde Helikon diesel set (grey and blue) |
The Penzverde Helikon diesel set (grey and blue) |
The Penzverde Helikon diesel set (grey and blue) |
The Penzverde Helikon diesel set (grey and blue) |
The Penzverde Helikon diesel set (grey and blue) |
The Penzverde Helikon diesel set (grey and blue) |
The Penzverde Helikon diesel set (grey and blue) |
The Penzverde Helikon diesel set (grey and blue) |
The Penzverde Helikon diesel set (white and gold) |
The Penzverde Helikon diesel set (white and gold) |
The Penzverde Helikon diesel set (white and gold) |
The Penzverde Helikon diesel set (white and gold) |
The Penzverde Helikon diesel set (white and gold) |
The Penzverde Helikon diesel set (white and gold) |
The Penzverde Helikon diesel set (white and gold) |
The Penzverde Helikon diesel set (white and gold) |
The Penzverde Helikon diesel set (white and gold) |
The Penzverde Helikon diesel set (white and gold) |
PéVé 8 wheeled Pannónia 8 wheeled passenger coach, Helikon coaches, automatic couplings, length 32cm, white and gold livery |
8 wheeled Pannónia 8 wheeled passenger coach, Helikon coaches, automatic couplings, length 32cm, white and gold livery |
PéVé 4 wheeled open (gondola) wagon 4 wheeled freight/goods vehicles are part of the Elöre range |
PéVé 8 wheeled open (gondola) wagon 8 wheeled freight/goods vehicles are part of the Pannónia range |
PéVé 8 wheeled timber wagon 8 wheeled freight/goods vehicles are part of the Pannónia range |
PéVé 8 wheeled tank wagon 8 wheeled freight/goods vehicles are part of the Pannónia range. Tank cars lettered Áfor were made by PV. Those lettered Áfort (with a 't') were made by Tóth, the oil company having dropped the 't' from the end of the name. The PV tank car Áfor was available with both 4 and 8 wheels |
Finally, a set comprising the Elöre PV1 locomotive with PV2 and PV3 coaches, and an eight wheeled Pannónia silver tank car lettered Áfor (see above)
PéVé Mixed Set |
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