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The Bumper Book of Lone Star Diecast Models and Toys 1948-88
Quality
softback, 196
pages, well illustrated
Size: 248mm (H) x 185mm (W)
£18 plus UK
P&P £5
ISBN 978-0-9539058-0-5
Total weight: 590g
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Toys that Time Forgot
Quality softback, 160
pages, mostly COLOUR photos
Size: 210mm (H) x 147mm (W)
£15 plus UK P&P £5
ISBN 978-0-9539058-1-2
Total weight: 350g
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Special offer - buy
both books for £30 plus P&P.
To order or for further information, please e-mail Ian Dorrell
ian.dorrell@hotmail.co.uk
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“Toys
that time forgot”
This book details the
early
post-World War Two metal casting output of Die Casting Machine Tools
Ltd. (a.k.a. D.C.M.T.) formerly of ‘The River Works’, 152 Green Lanes,
Palmers Green, north London and, from 1956, also at Hatfield,
Hertfordshire. From 1945, D.C.M.T. produced steel moulds for various
toys on behalf of ‘The Crescent Toy Co. Ltd.’, then of Tottenham, north
London. Also zinc-alloy castings from four moulds which had
evidently come into D.C.M.T.’s possession, either from ‘Tootsietoy’
(U.S.A.) direct or had been built by D.C.M.T. from Tootsietoy’s own
drawings of at least two cars and two lorries, insofar as we can
establish.
In 1949, the collaborative partnership which D.C.M.T. had with ‘The
Crescent Toy Co. Ltd.’ ceased, probably due to the fact that ‘Crescent’
moved from Tottenham to their new factory at Cwmcarn in south Wales.
Why they didn’t take their moulds with them remains a mystery, however,
D.C.M.T. retained the dies and began to produce castings from them but,
before doing so, any mention of “Crescent” previously engraved on the
interior surfaces of the castings was promptly
erased. As time went by, D.C.M.T. marketed toys, tools, etc, made
from their own designs (and those formerly belonging to ‘Crescent Toy’)
under a nondescript brand-name “Slikka” Toys or Tools. It wasn’t until
1951 that the Directors wisely decided to change the brand-name yet
again, this time to the more appropriate - “Lone Star” - reminiscent of
Texas and of the ‘Wild West’ generally, as D.C.M.T.’s predominantly
Western-themed products became more and more popular.
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FREE TO
PARTICIPATE "E-GROUPS":
groups.yahoo.com/group/lonestar_playthings_fanzone
(For General Discussion on Lone Star)
groups.yahoo.com/group/Treble-0-Gauge
(Discussing Lone Star's model Trains)
ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION
For those interested in the
history of Lone Star Products Ltd. and Die Casting Machine Tools
Ltd.
(D.C.M.T.), an 'album' of photos has been assembled, dating
back to the late 1940s until
the company's (Hatfield factory) final
closure in June 1988. Please click on the following link:
http://www.photobucket.com/DCMTLonestar/
The 78 photos run to four web-pages, are presented as four columns
across the screen width.
The images can be 'scrolled down' in the
normal way or can be viewed as a 'slide show'.
Click the mouse on
any photo image to enlarge it.
MAGAZINE
ARTICLES ON LONE STAR
http://essexmodelsandminiatures.co.uk/blog/?cat=104
(Owner & Operator: Peter Wake, UK)
http://www.nicholscapguns.com/lonestar.htm
(Owner & Operator: Mike Nichols, Texas, U.S.A.)
http://www.irwinsjournal.com/a1g/a1glocos/TrebleO.html
(Owner & Operator: Doug Gosha, USA)
Keep up-to-date with Lone Star's
current news, views, Models Wanted/For Sale on the ever-popular E-Group
Forum (only Lone Star subject matter please). NO CHARGE.
The Whitewebbs Museum
WHITEWEBBS MUSEUM OF TRANSPORT, Whitewebbs
Road, Crews Hill, ENFIELD, Middlesex, EN2 9HW, (U.K.). Telephone:
020 8367 1898 Fax: 020 8363 1904
Website: http://www.whitewebbsmuseum.co.uk
A group of Lone
Star toy and model collectors meet annually for an exhibition of the
company's die-cast products at Whitewebbs
Museum of Transport,
Whitewebbs Road, Crews Hill, ENFIELD, Middlesex, EN2 9HW (U.K.).
This annual event usually takes place on the last Sunday in
September. Check with the museum's website for the most
up-to-date information. The museum's facilities include a gift and
souvenir shop - light refreshments and a licensed bar on the first
floor - ample free car parking.
Since
1988, when the Lone Star Toy company (latterly under German ownership)
closed, it is still remembered with great affection by former
staff. The company's history has, for a number of years, been
perpetuated by our annual exhibitions which continue to attract private
collectors from all over the world and today's generation of
youngsters. For full details of the annual 'Lone Star'
"one-day-only" special event, please visit the web-page as
follows: www.lone-star-diecast-bk.com/Whitewebbs.html
To see pictures of past Lone Star Special
Events, click below:
'Lone Star' Collectors'
exhibitions of past years
Mill Green Museum, Mill Green, Hatfield,
Hertfordshire AL9 5PD is the repository for
many "Lone Star" exhibits, artifacts and some of the Company's original
documents.
These include technical drawings, several books of 'Minutes' of
Director's Meetings from 1944,
and a reasonable number of "Lone Star" trade catalogues
(the earliest being for 1957). Photocopies of these can be inspected at
the museum
throughout the year subject to prior
arrangement with the curator, Jenny Oxley,
or members of the museum staff.
Tel: +44 (0)1707 357850
Email : museum@welhat.gov.uk
Website : http://www.welhat.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=722
Opening times : Tuesday to Friday 10.00 am -
5.00 pm.
Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays 2.00 - 5.00 pm.
