fall inside a hole
Child Guidance Double-O-Eight Runaway Loco (1968)
First written December 14, 2023
The Double-O-Eight Runaway Loco is a Guild Guidance Railway set that was imported to the U.K. by Mettoy Playcraft some time around 1968. The set uses an updated version of the double-o-eight track section from the American Double-O-Eight Runaway Train set from a few years before. This set uses the Joy Ride amusement park train locomotive that was produced by Tomy in collaboration with Child Guidance.
This is a British release Child Guidance set with the catalogue number 9520 distributed by Mettoy-Playcraft. The box specifically states it is for distribution in the Sterling area and European Free Trade Association countries. During this earlier era of British Child Guidance sets the box style was similar to the American equivalent although the pictures on boxes were often different. There was a similar sized American set as well as a larger version, similar to the earlier version of the Double-O-Eight set with the early export Hikari. Later, Mettoy produced their own battery powered range of sets that used the Child Guidance style track.
The British patent for the figure-of-eight style track was applied for in late 1968.
Set contents
| Quantity |
Item |
Photo |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Runaway Loco (Child Guidance Joy Ride locomotive) |
 |
| 2 | Straight Rail |
 |
| 8 |
Curve
Rail |
 |
| 2 |
Turnouts (all-concave red) |
 |
| 1 |
"Double-O-Eight" figure eight |
 |
| ~8 | "dogbone" connectors |
 |
The amusement park train is the only component of the set to not be made in Great Britian, having been produced by Tomy in Japan. These Child Guidance export "yuuenchi" trains use different gearboxes than the domestic Japanese Plarail equivalents. Literature and the individual box for the train (with three cars with figures) is the Joy Ride train, although it is the titular Runaway Loco in this set.
The trains seem somewhat fragile (particularly the red plastic the chassis is made from) and most examples I have seen need some kind of repair. Some information about how to repair these trains can be found here.
The track in this set is made in Great Britain. The switches have operating handles to switch direction. The levers are fairly stiff and trains can not reset a point set against them, usually causing a derailment. Interestingly, the turnouts used in this set have all concave connectors instead of the mix that Plarail and American Child Guidance sets used.
To facilitate making complete loops with the switches, several "dogbone" double-convex connectors are included. These can be used to connect two concave ends of track together back to back.
The main attraction of the set is the "double-o-eight" track section. When an engine enters, it will follow the rim of the figure eight section around and around the figure eight until the triangular section is pulled upwards to let the train head straight across the back wall and head out one of the track connectors. The earlier version of this piece had a liftout section, but this was somewhat difficult to relocate in the base. The new sliding design works better.
Stickers showing the engine and the driver inside his cab are added to the middles of the Os of the figure eight. Unlike the smooth rails, the bowl of the figure eight has a roughtop tread.
The single page instruction sheet includes a parts order form on the rear. It is interesting to note that in addition to the operating points with all concave connectors included in this set, it appears Mettoy also produced non-operating points. It appears that their half straight rails were also concave on both sides with included dogbone piece. The prices here are expressed in shillings and pence, as this set predated the U.K. decimalization in the early 1970s.
Also included is a notice about waxing the double-o-eight section's walls if the train drags too much on the side of the track piece.
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The pieces of this set are fairly similar to the earlier Double-O-Eight Runaway Train and most of the same layouts can be made. The operating points work nicely with the powered locomotive and the new sliding version of the double-o-eight piece is easier to use.
I like the double-o-eight piece and think it is an interesting concept that other train systems have not really done. It does restrict the train to just being the power car but I do not necessarily think that is the biggest deal in the world for a relatively small set like this. Although I do like the amusement park train it is relatively common in Child Guidance sets and I do not find it to be the most interesting locomotive.