Category:Model-Land

Toy Brands and Manufacturers

Model-Land

1963 -

1964: Model-Land in conjunction with Minic Motorways [image info]

1965:Triang Railways, Minic Motorways, Arkitex and Model-Land, together [image info]

1966: Model-Land and Minix, integrated layout [image info]

Model-Land Landscape Materials (sprinkles), Spring Green RML.62, Autumn Green RML.63 , Earth Brown RML.64 [image info]

Tri-ang Model-Land was the brand-name that Lines Brothers used for their revamped and extended range of 00-gauge compatible non-railway buildings, previously sold under the Tri-ang Real Estate name.

Plans for the projected Model-Land range quickly became wildly ambitious, including electric lighting, sounds (for the church), and even a passenger airliner.

In parallel with this planned range, the Minic Motorways range went though a similar projected expansion, with planned accessories that weren't obviously much to do with roads, including motorised fairground attractions.

The "Never-Was"-sers

The 1964 catalogue includes an ambitious range of extravagant Model-Land and Minic Motorways buildings and accessories that were slated to appear in Summer or Autumn 1964, including, wierdly, a DeHavilland battery-operated Trident passenger aircraft ... but which never appeared.

Around this time, Lines Brothers were negotiating to take over the failed Meccano Ltd., and with so many outside products to integrate into their ranges, some of the 1964 extensions to Model-Land and Minic Motorways seem to have been put on hold for future release ... which in some cases may never have happened.

1964 advertising text:

Three for the space of one! Tri-ang Railways, Minic Motorways and the Model-Land construction kits of beautifully coloured buildings. Simplicity of construction puts the most exciting layout within the capacity of every beginner and the Model-Land landscape materials provide endless opportunity for the imagination.
Lights appear in cottages and evening chimes from the tower of the church caress the surrounding countryside to complete a truly rural scene.

— , Lines Brothers, , Tri-ang Railways catalogue, , 1964

Listing (May 1964):

RML.1 – Village Inn
RML.2 – The Grange
RML.3 – Wood Shed
RML.4 – Marigold Cottage
RML.5 – Dove Cottage
RML.6 – Hardware Shop
RML.7 – Garage
RML.8 – Accessories Pack
RML.9 – Oak Tree Cottage
RML.10 – Hollywood Bungalow
RML.11 – San Fernando Bungalow
RML.12 – Bermuda Bungalow
RML.13 – Kent Bungalow
RML.14 – Post Office
RML.15 – Tea Shoppe
RML.16 – Villa Capri
RML.17 – Village Church—with Chimes
RML.18 – Heathview – Detached Two-Storey House
RML.19 – Parkview – Detached Two-Storey House

RML.20 – Wishing Well
RML.21 – Semi-Built Bermuda Bungalow
RML.22 – Lighting Unit
RML.23 – Koepe Pit Head Gear
RML.25 – Winding House
RML.26 – Winding Engine
RML.27 – Boiler House and Stack
RML.35 – Gas Holder – Non-Mechanical
RML.44 – Small Shop and Older Style Office Block
RML.45 – Medium Shop and Older Style Office Block
RML.46 – Multiple Store and Modern Office Block
RML.52 – DeHavilland Trident
RML.55 – Police Station
RML.56 – Town Hall
RML.57 – Georgian House
RML.58 – Village Church – without Chimes

RML.59 – Factory
RML.60 – Supermarket
RML.61 – Set of 3 Pylons
RML.62 – Landscape Material – Spring green
RML.63 – Landscape Material – Autumn green
RML.64 – Landscape Material – Earth brown
RML.70 – Pedestrian Figures Set
RML.71 – Workmen Figures Set
RML.72 – Children Figures Set
RML.73 – Urban Figures Set
RML.74 – Industrial Workers Set
RML.75 – Road Workmen Set
RML.80 – British Taxi
RML.81 – BR Van
RML.82 – GPO Van
RML.100 – Polystyrene Cement

Gallery

Houses

Other buildings

Coalmining

Figures

Vehicles

Misc

1965:

It's difficult to get an exact date for when the Model-Land kits disappeared from the Tri-ang range. The Model-Land section of the Tri-Ang Railways price list, which had taken up a quarter of the May 1964 pricelist, had disappeared completely from the January 1965 pricelist, and Model-Land didn't seem to appear in the 1965 Tri-ang Railways catalogue at all apart from on the back cover, which featured a layout composed of Tri-ang Railways, Minic Motorways, Arkitex and Model-Land items, and showing all four logos.

The Model-Land range might have been separated out into a separate pricelist. The December 1965 issue of Meccano Magazine has a review of two "new" additions to the Model-Land Range, the RML.44 Small Shop and Older Style Office Block, and the RML.45 Medium Shop and Older Style Office Block ... which were in the 1964 catalogue, supposedly scheduled for availability in the Summer 1964. So Model-Land was apparently still a current product line at the end of 1965.

... all Model-Land kits are made in high impact plastic, cleverly designed so that all parts locate easily and simply on to each other, with the minimum of unnecessary and annoying fiddling. The kits are assembled with a polystyrene cement (included), just like any other plastic kit, and much pleasure can be gained in their construction. The highly detailed parts are ready coloured, and it is therefore not essential to paint them, although if a large number of the same kit are to be used close together, slight differences in painting will give a more authentic effect, and the extra trouble is worth while. The kits lend themselves to this sort of treatment, and those enthusiasts interested in 'customising' to suit particular requirements will find the kits wonderful subjects for their art. ...
— , Mike Rickett, , 'MM' in Model-Land: These 'old style' buildings will be at home in any layout, , Meccano Magazine, , December 1965

The Model-Land ranger reappears in the main Tri-ang catalogues in ~1969, ~1970 and ~1971.