train RENARD story

One toy for a desert Island

TRAIN RENARD TOY TRAIN In 1903, popular interest in France was aroused by a curious road train invented by a french ingeneer named Colonel Charles Renard (1847-1905) for the use of military convoys. This train was the first to travel on roads along the France of « La Belle Epoque ». The very first appearance of a toy under the name of « le train automobile Renard » was on the front cover of the french store Xmas Catalogue « Grand Magasins du Louvre » Paris 1905. (see below) Exclusively made by the parisian toymaker FV.DS, this adorable floor train was sold from 1905 up to 1907. A patent was registered at the period. The toy used the same ingenious system of locomotion that the real road train : joined central shafts conveyed power to each trailer in the train, the rear wheels of each being driven, as in the Renard original. A set of interchangeable cams permitted various évolutions to be performed . A superb illustrated colored cardbox was added to the toy-train only available at Louvre Parisian Store. Two sizes were included in the toy range available for kids and also a cute pedal car for one or two Children as shown on the catalogue cover right below.

46,5 inch long the floor train works exactly the same way the real road train

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Above a display of period postcards depicting the train Renard in various towns of France. First invented for the military transport, the Renard road train rapidly served as a public transport vehicle from villages to villages in France. In 1911 the train Renard Company ceased. In 1909, an Australian firm « Union consolitated Copper Mine » used a Renard train to transport the cupper from the mine.

Above: the Train automobile RENARD .

We can clearly see the joined shafts under the trailers making the train move in multiple ways.

Floor trains catalogue from F.V Left a train by Tantet et Manon 1905

Above and left: a TRAIN RENARD floor train sold in a smaller and cheaper box.

The first patent concerning a mechanical floor train was registered by the Roussel and Dufrein company in 1899. The Faivre worshop associated with the Lefèvre Brothers took over the company in 1901 and issued the train Renard toy under the initials F.V. A toy game including wood blocks and a puzzle game illustrated with Renard train were was also added to the Renard Range in Louvre Catalogue.The toy trains and the pedal car using the same patent were exclusively available at Louvre store in Paris. (photos Bertoia auction )

« Le train plaisir », the pleasure train.

A gorgeous floor train, all painted tinplate , from the period made by the F.V. rival french toymaker Tantet et Manon circa 1900

The second toy train inspired by a real road train was made in 1924 by Victor Bonnet and Cie, successors of Séraphin Fernand Martin. The tin mechanical toy was sold under the name of LE TRAIN TORTILLARD.

Story by Pasky/ le village du jouet. Thanks to Paul Klein Shiphorst for the superb photographs used here, excerpted from his reference books in the field.

Email the author at paskytoy@orange.fr All the books written by Paul are available at BLURB.COM