Hello Gentlemen (and Ladies):
It has been some time since posting. We (my good wife and I) have just returned to "the land down-under" from a two month driving holiday in Europe. While we were in Switzerland I went to the new Buco tinplate train factory in Bauma (a small town to the north-east of Zurich), and saw how they still manufacture tinplate wagons, passenger cars, and electric locomotives for 3 rail "O" gauge. (buco-gmbh.ch)
They had just released their latest passenger carriage - a replica of a 2 axle restaurant car that has been restored by volunteers and added to a small tourist railway (DVZO - Dampfbahn-Verein Zürcher Oberland) that operates in the same area.
I was fortunate enough to be allowed a tour of the Buco Spur O GmbH factory, and see how they still make tinplate trains using the original machines, presses, and dies from the old Buco/Bucherer company when they started making tinplate trains back in the late 1940's and up to the mid 1950's, when they went into receivership.
We also attended a model train exhibition called "The Platform Der Kleinserie" also at Bauma (a yearly event but cancelled for the past three years due to COVID), where Buco Spur O GmbH had a display of their products, and had a large double track set-up on tables, with two trains running continuously - one freight and one passenger.
Here are some photos of the new carriage on my layout back home. I just had to purchase two of them - they are all individually numbered, and I got #10 & #11.
Tinplate trains are still alive and well, and I just love my Buco!!!!!!
Peter - Buco Australia.
