Playing at Farming: A Journey

This Primus Engineering tractor is the oldest farm toy in the collection. It it believed to date to the 1920s. 

This heavy metal tractor is not based on an actual full–sized tractor but was a constructional toy using wooden and metal parts. It was manufactured by W. Butcher & Sons Ltd. in London.

Clockwork tinplate, model number 6430, of ‘Happy Hayseed’ and his Bucking Tractor by Mettoy. 

The Mettoy Company name is a conflation of the words Metal and Toy. It was well known for its tinplate toys made from the mid-1930s to the late 1950s. These were manufactured from printed metal sheets and were usually fitted with clockwork motors. Mettoy stopped producing its tinplate range soon after it launched its diecast Corgi Toys in 1956.

The top row of toys are horse drawn implements manufactured by JoHillco. A metal horse and rotary plough, following a horse drawn plough and in front a horse with cattle float. These toys were all produced in the 1930s or 1940s. 

On the bottom row the metal horse and wagon was made by Charbens. The metal horse and disc cultivator by Olson Farminit Toys in the late 1940s. The red clockwork tractor is a Minneapolis-Moline tractor by Pure Rubber products for Benbros. This ‘real-life’ American tractor was assembled in the UK.

This toy is an example of recycling and repurposing. The metal horse is by Britains and the cart was made from a reused sardine tin by Sontaw. Sontaw toys were made by the firm of W.H. Watson, of Brighton, West Sussex. It was made in the 1930s, as the company does not appear after world war two. 

The centre tractor is a diecast metal Fordson Tractor, number 22e. This toy is the first tractor produced by Hornby/Meccano in 1933, under the brand name Modelled Miniatures. Modelled Miniatures were renamed Dinky Toys in 1934.  

Dinky toys, made by Meccano, were highly skilled in diecasting toys. In the 1950s Meccano launched tractors based on actual machines. The left is a diecast metal Dinky Massey-Harris Tractor, number 300. On the right a diecast metal Dinky Field Marshall Tractor, number 301/27N.

Wooden combine harvester, based on a Massey-Harris 726, by S.T. Ltd. The vehicle could be steered with the steering wheel. The company looks like it only made farm toys from late 1940s to early 1950s. This model was probably made in limited numbers before the company closed in early 1950s.

Diecast toys are made by pouring lead or zinc alloy into a mould. Britains were well known for quality cast farm vehicles. Plastic was used for wheels and parts. 

Diecast metal, Fordson Major tractor with driver, model number 127F, by Britains. The tractor has metal spudded wheels and was introduced in 1948.

These two tractors are models of the Massey Harris 745 tractor. Both were made in the mid 1950s. The blue one is plastic and made by Lipkin. The red one is metal and made by Lesney. The company went on to produce more successful range of Matchbox toys. 

Lesney launched its model at toy trade fairs in 1954. Lipkin’s farm tractor was first made in 1956. 

This model metal hayloader, number 1815, was made by Crescent. Made in the 1950s it was a realistic model of a Bamfords hayloader. This is an example of the variety of farming implements companies starting producing to complement tractors and horse-drawn machines.

Matchbox toys, made by Lesney, were packaged in a box designed to look like a matchbox. By the mid-1960s Lesney were producing 2,000 tons of zinc-alloy castings annually, 85 per cent of which were Matchbox vehicles. 

The range included crawler tractors with rubber tracks and models based on real-life tractors. Shown here are a Massey-Harris tractor, Fordsons tractor and a John Deere-Lanz 700 tractor. On the right is the larger scale model of a Massey-Ferguson ‘780’ combine harvester, produced in 1959-1966.

This box is for a David Brown Trackmaster 30 crawler tractor by Shackleton. The clockwork tractor is made of tinplate and diecast components, plastic parts and rubber tracks. Shackleton originally produced wooden tools but then turned to diecasting in metal. This toy was produced in 1951. David Brown tractors were reproduced by Meccano too. 

The images on toy boxes reveal a great deal about how machinery and the countryside was represented during the twentieth century.

Metal Massey Harris tractor and hay rake, number 82. The master models series of 00 scale railway accessories was manufactured by Kemlows Die Casting Products. This tractor set was made between 1958 to 1961. 

Plastic and diecast metal Ford 5000 Super Major tractor and livestock trailer, Model Gift Set number 1, by Corgi. First introduced in December 1966, this set, may also have been the first box with a window.

Vinyl tractor toy with a squeaker in the rear wheel. A Lone Star Eaglet Series model made by Die Cast Machine Tools Ltd. The company manufactured die cast toys for children, along with vinyl animals and vehicles. The brand name ‘Lone Star’ was chosen for its cowboy and western connotations.

Plastic horse and diecast tumbrel cart, catalogue number 9567, by Britains. Britains’ tumbrel cart was first produced in 1921. This plastic version of the cart dates from a nostalgic relaunch between 1970-73.

Wooden pull-along horse and cart by Escor. Escor made wooden children’s toys. This cart was made in the 1970s. The simple shaped figures were designed for young children.