Britains Lilliput Series L/7 Farm Set with Box for OO & HO Scale Model Railways

Description

Britains Lilliput Series L/7 Farm Set with Box for OO & HO Scale Model Railways
I can hardly remember my father's train set in the furnished basement.  They built the house in 1947.  I was born in 1956 and had two older brothers.  The trains were on a (8'x12'?) table about 4' off the floor.  The surface was painted green and had tracks and models attached.  He gave all it to a co-worker except for this set.  I remember the box in a cabinet in my bedroom where my father had his clothes closet for pants, shirts, jackets, shoes, etc.  I don't recall playing with this set.  My toys were in the basement.  When they moved in 1987, the box was packed with my "growing up" pictures.
This box is in excellent shape.  The figures in the lower half are still securely attached in as new condition.
This set is described at diecastvintagetoys.co.uk.  Compared to their set, in this box, all figures are present except a man in blue with a red shirt, one of the two dogs, and one of two lying down cows.  The salon cars and horse carts are different colors.  These vehicles also have different colors on other web pages.  This set is missing the fold-out one-sheet catalog.  This set has the cellophane tape while the others just have glue stains.  Using forceps, I can slip the figures out from under the intact cellophane.
In this box, unsecured, I found six more standing cows and five more adult people including one with a child.
These cows have mild paint chipping and one has a left hind leg partly missing.
These extra cows and people are included in this listing.
To be shipped priority mail, tracked and insured.  I pay for extra insurance above what is included with the Priority Mail Service.  O
r, interested buyers may contact me to examine the item and use the local pick-up option.
Thank you for looking.
Internet search:
diecastvintagetoys.co.uk
Issued 1955-1960    'OO/HO' scale
In the Lilliput range, Britains issued many of their models in themed sets, particularly figures, animals or farm accessories. L/7 was the only Farm Set to include vehicles and it replaced the earlier set LV/SA.
The vehicles in the Farm Set were
(the
diecastvintagetoys.co.uk
webpage has links to full descriptions of the vehicles):
LV/602 Saloon Car
LV/604 Fordson Tractor
LV/605 Milk Float & Horse
LV/606 Tumbrel Cart
The Farm Set is interesting because the vehicles were held in place by cut-outs on card backings instead of the usual string retainers, an unusual method for Britains. On the central panel, however, the animals were strung to the card as normal.
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Along the top of the set the various figures for the vehicles, milkman, carter, and tractor driver were included with other farm figures, animals and hurdles. There was also a copy of a Lilliput fold-out Catalogue inside the box and as always the production slip as part of the guarantee.
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The box was the standard green paper-covered lidded one, a style which Britains used for several sets, and it had the standard label on the lid. One characteristic of Britains was that they did not name their Sets on the label, but identified them by a white paper strip stuck to one end of the box lid.
L/7 Farm Display Set is a scarce item and rare in mint condition.
Britains is thought to be Europe's oldest toymaker. It was started by William Britain, a brass tap and clock-maker, in the 1860's when he started making clockwork toys including a mechanical dog and a working windmill. By 1880 he had an impressive catalogue but his great contribution to toymaking was the invention of hollow lead casting which enabled strong, light-weight toys to be produced with considerably less metal than had previously been used.
In around 1883 the first of his now legendary range of toy soldiers, farm animals and civilian figures appeared. In 1907 the firm was incorporated as Britains Ltd. but it was not until the 1920's that a wider range of vehicle models started being made, often as a part of Sets.
Almost all these toys were made to 1:32 scale but possibly as early as 1934 Britains began making figures on 1:76 scale. Certainly by 1937 a new range in 'OO' scale models was introduced for Trix Ltd. for their Trix-Twin model railways, these being made under licence by W.Horton (Toys & Games) Ltd, in Middlesborough. Sold in Sets, the boxes carried the names and trademarks of both Trix-Twin Railways and W Britain.
The first vehicles on 'OO' scale were produced in 1939. These were military models, No.1855 Balloon Barrage Unit and the accompanying No.1879 Gas Cylinder Lorry & Trailer. Whether any cars were produced at this time has been a topic of dispute but one can surmise from the design of the Open Sports Car (LV/601) and the Saloon Car (LV/602) that they were at least planned before World War 2.
Manufacture of toys was disrupted during the War but in 1950 the 'OO/HO' vehicles and figures were re-launched as 'Lilliput World Vehicle Series' with a range of civilian models either in Sets or individually boxed. The cars at last reached full production and the range included an Articulated Lorry (LV/603), which made use of the cab & chassis from the early Gas Cylinder model, a Fordson tractor (LV/604), and two horse-drawn models (LV/605 & LV/606).
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In 1956 Britains upgraded and expanded the Lilliput Vehicle Series with the introduction of several new models including military vehicles. New open fronted display boxes were brought in for all models and the 'OO' connection was emphasised by 'TrOOscale' being printed on the box. The models were secured to a pictorial diorama insert.
The early Lilliput car and truck models had been fitted with one of three types of wheel, solid metal, solid silver plastic, or solid grey plastic. In 1956 new-style wheels were introduced for all models. These had red plastic hubs and black tyres, and the tyres usually had 'Britains Ltd' and 'England' embossed of both sides.
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By 1960 the use of lead in toy-making was no longer possible and although by then Britains was using zinc alloy for its larger models and plastic parts on Lilliput ones, it was decided to discontinue the 1:76 Lilliput Series and production ended.