Toyo rails -- info needed for models D45, D45M, D45A, 45S

[rdeloe]

Old Toyo view cameras (D45, D45M, 45S) use a rail system that is quite different from their successors. The picture below is from a D45M that uses this rail. Notice the teeth for the gear are on the bottom of the rail.

It's a modular system. In the manual, the part on the right-hand side of the rail in the picture below is labelled the "cap", while the part on the left-hand side is labelled "Connector". What's not clear to me is how they connect together, and how fiddly they are to take apart and add or remove sections. Does anyone have an experience with these older rails, or a link to a manual or something that explains? I already have the one general manual that is on the Butkus site, but it doesn't go into details on the rails.

[Audii-Dudii]

Old Toyo view cameras (D45, D45M, 45S) use a rail system that is quite different from their successors. The picture below is from a D45M that uses this rail. Notice the teeth for the gear are on the bottom of the rail.

It's a modular system. In the manual, the part on the right-hand side of the rail in the picture below is labelled the "cap", while the part on the left-hand side is labelled "Connector". What's not clear to me is how they connect together, and how fiddly they are to take apart and add or remove sections. Does anyone have an experience with these older rails, or a link to a manual or something that explains? I already have the one general manual that is on the Butkus site, but it doesn't go into details on the rails.

The basic rail for this camera is a rail with cap at each end, so its length can be extended in either direction (or both at once) by adding extension rail sections (as your photo shows was done on the left side).

The cap on the right side is just a cap and it screws into the end of the basic rail to protect the exposed end when no extension rail is attached. The camera should also have come with a cap for the left side of the rail to be installed when no extension rail is being used.

The knob on the left side of the extension rail is attached to a threaded rod that extends through the extension rail and screws into the basic rail, connecting the two rail sections together.

IIRC, Toyo sold basic and extension rails in a few different lengths, so they can be setup in combination to achieve several different ultimate overall lengths.

Search eBay for "Toyo rail" and you should be able to find several versions of each rail for sale.

[rdeloe]

That's very helpful. Thanks! I've been searching eBay to find these rails but they're not very common at all. I think the cameras that used them are now old enough that people don't imagine there's a market for the bits and pieces. In contrast, later Toyo rails are plentiful and inexpensive.

[thornhill]

I have one of those older D45 models and I don't think you can extend those rails. You can purchase a longer rail. I saw a 17" rail for sale on ebay but didn't buy it (shipping costs) The seller was irispoint cameras I think.
The later rails for 45D and others are a different diameter as you've noticed. Look for those unusual end caps when checking ads. Sometimes the seller doesn't identify the camera model correctly.

[MikeH]

I have what I think is a D45M, beige, where one cap unscrews and a 6 inch (or so) extension rail can be attached into a fitting that is inside the tube.

However, on a second D45 that I bought for parts, the cap unscrews, but there is no fitting inside... the tube is hollow all the way through. I don't have the extension rail anymore,... it looks like you could attach the extension rail to this "second" rail, but I don't know how sturdy it would be.

[rdeloe]

The camera came with the basic rail and a short extension rail. It's simple to attach the two together. Just press them together and screw them down. You can store both standards with the standard bellows installed easily on the 6" rail, but it's too long to fit comfortably in my pack. The two standards and standard bellows also just barely fit on the short extension rail, which makes carrying the camera very easy.

In earlier threads while researching the camera I read a post that said it was 2.75 KG. Nope. My black D45M with the standard bellows, a lensboard but no lens, and the 6" rail plus short extension rail is around 3.45 KG. It's still relatively light and fits well in a small backpack.