[neil_s_wood]

I do remember discussing this a year or so ago and the swastika is banned in Germany and does not appear on any models (although there is a Liliput {Austrian owned by Chinese company} BR05 which has it).

I model Epoch II and I can live without it.

Hows your E95 by the way? I thought about getting one of those.

 

[neil_s_wood]

QUOTE (John @ 29 Sep 2008, 04:39) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I am surprised to hear this, as Austria also bans the swastika. Just Google for Austria and swastika and you will see numerous newspaper articles which say that both Germany and Austria ban the swastika. Some of these articles include other countries, but I am not sure if a definitive list of countries exists.
That's interesting. I did suspect this might have been the case. I wonder how this got under the radar? Could it have been an export only model?

 

[neil_s_wood]

QUOTE (simonj @ 29 Sep 2008, 09:47) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Hi, its a nice model although strange looking. Its articulated and has two motors. At low speeds there is a strange sound which I think is a disparity in speed between the two motors causing one set of driving wheels to go faster than the other. The 'noise' I think is the traction tyres skidding. The model is highly detailed and even the connecting rods which are very fine work at the H end. I can take a few photos if you want.
Hi Simon, thanks for the offer. I wouldn't mind seeing some photos as it's still on my to buy list. The Brawa photo looks good but it would be nice to see it from another angle.

cheers

Neil

 

[neil_s_wood]

QUOTE (simonj @ 29 Sep 2008, 10:24) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>It dark here and the light indoors is poor so I'll take a few photos tomorrow and put them up here.

I know what you mean about seeing 3rd party photos before deciding on a model, they can be very telling. What I've done in the past is searched ebay as some of the people on there take lots of shots of the models they are selling and they can make a good reference.
Agreed. That's a good idea about Ebay.

 

[neil_s_wood]

QUOTE (Doug @ 17 Oct 2008, 10:05) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>You have a point Clive about the issue of removing something that has historical importance. If it goes in France, out of textbooks and out of the public view, how will the kids of today learn what it meant when it was used by the Nazi party?

As some may know, it is actually a very old symbol used in Asia for thousands of years. The symbol can be found over the entrances of temples in India. Anti-clockwise (like the swastika) for feminine Gods and clockwise for masculine Gods. Some say that if the symbol used by the Nazis was reversed, it would have had more symbolic power.

A cathedral up the road from me in Amiens has swastika symbols in the black and white floor tiles. (see info here) Built in the 13th century - nothing sinister there.
I actually saw in a book, a British Indian Air Force Spitfire with a swastika in the squadron insignia. Not just outside the cockpit as recorded kills.

 

[neil_s_wood]

QUOTE (Nozomi @ 23 Oct 2008, 15:48) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I think that you will find that the original Austrian Liliput company is now owned by UK Bachmann and they produce most of the Liliput European range which includes a lot of Era ll models in China for the German market.
I don't think the red 05 is available with the swastikas or Olympic rings nowadays. It may not include the eagles either.
And aren't Bachmann owned by a Chinese company Kader?

The Br05 doesn't have the eagles either, or at least mine doesn't

 

[neil_s_wood]

QUOTE (Nozomi @ 24 Oct 2008, 03:18) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Kader was the manufacturer for going back to Aifix,GMR Mainline et al in Hong Kong.For example the Mainline GWR Collett 60' coaches were very good for the times.
They owned all the manufacturing tools/equipment.As you say I think they own Bachmann now and aren't they the largest "toy" manufacturers in the world?
They must be very close to the top if they aren't.

With the concentration camp model it's all about context. This layout was from the Imperial War museum and served a purpose to inform. So it's acceptable.

However if I went round to someone's house I had just met at the pub or something and they had a model like this in their loft or garage I would be a bit disturbed. Makes me think of the Father Ted episode where he invited all the Chinese people back from the pub after convincing them he wasn't a racist only to find Mrs Doyle had decorated the house in Nazi regalia he inherited from the dodgy priest who was hiding the war criminal. How do you explain that sort of interest?