Original (1972) Benkei

[chrisjo]

Is there anyone here that has the original front-switch, tall smokestack Benkei?

I need some good close-up pictures of the battery cover that goes on the tender.

These are about the best I've found online so far:

[Super]

I wish I had one to show you Dr Chris but I never came across one that was in good enough condition. I think that we have discussed this original in the past but can't remember if we discussed the Tenders top.

[chrisjo]

I wish I had one to show you Dr Chris but I never came across one that was in good enough condition.

Thanks Super.

Anyone wondering why this thread is in the "Show Us What You Bought" forum?

[Super]

Well...my guess is...you just got your hands on one of these rare originals and it either came with the wrong Tender Cover or no cover and you want to 3D print one 😃

[chrisjo]

Okay, let's have a look at what I got in this lot:

The star is obviously the original Benkei-go and two coaches. Benkei came with one of these coaches in the 1972 Benkei Set.

The locomotive needs a pair of the narrow black tyres, and the tender battery cover, but otherwise it's in pretty good condition; the motor and gearbox run nicely now that I've serviced them.



Since I also got all the track pieces from the Benkei Set, including two sets of the old-style (1972-75) U-turn rail, I guess this is where it came from.

 

Fully working front switch & solid rods D51 that could have come from a number of releases between 1970 and 1976, plus two wagons.



The first version of the 4-way 'Tentetsuki' Points, 1972, and a complete set of the 1973-75 Slope Curve Rail, plus three extra spare bits.

 

A nice grey 'Large Tunnel' and a solitary 'Large Bridge Rail' aka 'original slope rail', plus an assortment of small parts including signals with acetate lenses (probably from the Benkei Set), a pair of Telegraph Poles - a rarity in their own right that are colloquially known as 'Fly Swatters' in Japanese, and three Double-Track Bridge Girders.  Also a heap of rails of various kinds including a few with textured surfaces.

   

And a bit of a scrap-yard of incomplete trains:

Top row: 1970-76 Limited Express (trailing car only), and 1968-? Electric Super Express Hikari (engine shell and trailing car only).
2nd row: 1971-74 Rapid-service Train (revised mould, middle & trailing cars only).
3rd row: 1974-82 Panorama Limited Express (working engine missing its shell, & trailing car only).
Bottom row: 1974-76 Sleeper Limited Express (working, just missing the shell of the leading car).



Unbelievably, this lot was on ebay UK. Here's the picture that illustrated it. My offer was accepted.



I reached out to the seller (it's what you say these days - it means 'asked'), but all she could tell me is that it came out of her father-in-law's attic and that he was rather fond of attending live auctions, car-boots, and so on.

[Super]

Oh wow...that is a super score Dr Chris for outside of Japan. You are very lucky indeed to grab that. In addition to the original Benkei you have managed to pick up some very hard to find items even in Japan. Those risen curves are seldom seen even in Japan and usually demand quite the battle for when they show up in the auctions. I have been after those for a long time. The 4 way, lever controlled points is also quite desirable and not often listed. And the tight U-Turns are also much looked for. Great pick ups and I bet you got a good deal and since they were in the UK you must have saved on shipping too. 👍😍👌😃

[chrisjo]

Benkei battery cover ready for printing:

   

[Super]

Now I see the 3D Printer interest 😃

[chrisjo]

Well, that's turned out nice, I just had to file off a few little bumps remaining from the 3D printing supports and it fits pretty much perfectly.  I do seem to have made the half-moon shaped bits at the front a bit big, they'll need to be filed down to size, but apart from that I'm very happy. Let's see what it looks like with a bit more tidying up and a coat of grey primer.

BIG SHOUT OUT FOR NIGELS!!!  Top man.

[Super]

Looking good Dr Chris

Besides some filing & tidying up, is this the final print?

[Nigels]

Super,

That was just a standard 0.2mm layer/0.4mm nozzle print, which can be considered a 'draft' quality I guess. Printed at 0.1mm with a 0.2mm or 0.1mm nozzle you should get an even better quality print. But it's not too bad IMHO. I have offered to print a final one in black for Chris if he wants it, this was really more just to see if it was correct and fitted properly. Mind you to my mind I quite like it in red, I think it looks nice like that rather than all black - but there again I sometimes have dubious taste and like bright colours as people probably know lol!

Cheers, N.