Maker record
Seki
Seki was a Japanese maker of model railway equipment, including electric trains in 0 gauge and railway accessories. Its models were exported under several names, including Stronlite for Britain and Markalin for Australia. The Seki name belongs to a prewar railway-toy maker; the similarly named Sakai brand was a distinct maker that later used some tooling associated with Seki.
- Founded
- 1960
- Countries
- Japan
- Locations
- Tokyo, Japan
- Founders
- Unknown
The story of Seki
Seki was a Japanese maker of electric model trains in 0 gauge by the mid-1930s. Its range also included railway accessories and other toys, including ships. The company exported products under different names for overseas buyers: Stronlite was used for Britain and Markalin for Australia. The Seki name continued to appear after the Second World War, and the maker later shifted to plastic products.
Seki and Sakai were separate makers, although Sakai later used some tooling associated with Seki. Seki’s 0-gauge trains included eight-wheeled passenger coaches, including examples in British liveries exported to Britain and the Netherlands in the late 1930s. Seki’s model-train production ended during the war period; Sakai’s postwar production was a distinct continuation by a separate maker.