What is this/Possible TOMY bootleg?

Saw this on Gumtree UK [basically British Craiglist] for £25 - It's apparently 'Jimson' brand, from the 70's or 80's, with a Made in Hong Kong label.

Of course, I don't think I need to point out that a lot of the components are clearly TOMY clones, including the standard station, TOMY trees, signals, etc. but I think most unusually, the railway track looks somewhat similar to the early Plaroad roadway system from TOMY; This stuff [pictured]?




No idea if this means they're an actual clone of Plaroad or not, but I thought it was interesting all the same, and I figured maybe you guys would know for sure if this was a clone of an entire TOMY set, or a unique set that uses a lot of cloned TOMY parts.

[Super]

Sorry P-Man...I don't see any of your pictures on my computer.

Possibly fixed now   

Hopefully anyway lol, would be great to get some input on this stuff as it certainly interested me 

[Super]

Yes, I can see them now. Interesting, I wonder if Sunhuntin or Chrisjo have ever seen something like this?

The plot may thicken slightly, although possibly not - On doing a bit of digging about the 'Jimson' name, the clockwork engine in particular appears to have been sold as an individual item since the 1960's, but any other information is scarce.




What is more curious though is that the design of clockwork engine appears to also be a clone - Several seem to have been listed on Ebay without the Jimson name, or any name at all attached for that matter, but with the stamped legend 'Patented in England, Made in Japan' - It makes me wonder if the engine is a TOMY design also, but then why would TOMY, a Japanese company, patent their design in England?




More info when I have it.

[Super]

Wonder how the whistling sounds on that.

Yes, I can see them now. Interesting, I wonder if Sunhuntin or Chrisjo have ever seen something like this?

Not me. That does look a lot like Pla Road.  Looking forward to seeing all the parts in detail.



Another box...

[Super]

Thanks Dr Chris

the plaroad i have not seen before, but it looks the same as that used in the flippty flyer set from around the same era. these are the u-turn tracks, i failed to take photos of the two straight tracks.

   

as to the loco, i thought i had seen one by tomy virtually the same mold-wise, but if i did, i didnt grab a copy of the photo. shall keep an eye out and come back if i spot anything. the La Loco has similar rods, but thats as far as it goes.

[Super]

Thanks Sun