Deliberately Old-Fashioned 0 Scale - Chapter 1

[rockershovel]

White socks? Really? 

[Northroader]

 

 

 

Is this any better?

 

Edited November 22, 2019 by Northroader

[Edwardian]

3 minutes ago, Northroader said:

 

If only!!

[Nearholmer]

Insufficiently old-fashioned, I’m afraid.

 

people really didn’t wear tee-shirts to play trains in 1952 (and, I don’t mean that they simply took them off, as in the previous image).

[Edwardian]

39 minutes ago, Nearholmer said:

Insufficiently old-fashioned, I’m afraid.

 

people really didn’t wear tee-shirts to play trains in 1952 (and, I don’t mean that they simply took them off, as in the previous image).

 

Collar, tie, tweeds, brogues, pipe!

 

Nothing less will do!!!

[Nearholmer]

I think we can probably let women off the pipe, and it seems reasonable to admit twin-set and pearls, and court shoes.

 

What do you think?

[Edwardian]

10 minutes ago, Nearholmer said:

I think we can probably let women off the pipe, and it seems reasonable to admit twin-set and pearls, and court shoes.

 

What do you think?

 

Oh no, you've got me thinking about Dame Celia Johnson again!

 

Nurse!

[Hroth]

29 minutes ago, Edwardian said:

 

Collar, tie, tweeds, brogues, pipe!

 

Nothing less will do!!!

 

Plus Mutant Hands...

 

 

Don't YOU operate your model railways in garb appropriate to the period being modelled?

 

[Nearholmer]

It’s Mrs Hornby-Dublo that we seek.

 

This is possibly her, but she seems to be so busy shopping, doing housework, and taking dogs out for walks that no pictures exist showing her playing trains.

 

 

 

 

Edited November 22, 2019 by Nearholmer

[rockershovel]

All rather Janet and John, isn’t it? All they need is an ambiguously-named tomboy chum, a small dog and possibly a marmalade-eating bear to complete the set.

 

Oddly enough, I don’t recall Tri-Ang having any such brand image? 

 

 

Edited November 22, 2019 by rockershovel

[rockershovel]

1 hour ago, Hroth said:

 

Plus Mutant Hands...

 

 

Don't YOU operate your model railways in garb appropriate to the period being modelled?

 

 

Is that Gomez Addams’ British cousin? 

Edited November 22, 2019 by rockershovel

[Hroth]

1 hour ago, Nearholmer said:

It’s Mrs Hornby-Dublo that we seek.

 

This is possibly her, but she seems to be so busy shopping, doing housework, and taking dogs out for walks that no pictures exist showing her playing trains.

 

 

 

 

That's Mrs Ladybird!

 

Note the product placement  in  the bottom-right of the lower picture, including self-reference....  The stuffed toys and the doll are worrying  too.

 

 

I would also suggest that the Ladybirds are some steps up the social scale from the Dublos...

[Nearholmer]

It is Mrs Ladybird and the little ladybirds.

 

I'm clearly not good enough at early-'fifties social distinction spotting, because I'd imagined The Hornby-Dublos and The Ladybirds to be pretty much interchangeable.

 

What are the clues?  

[Hroth]

22 minutes ago, Nearholmer said:

It is Mrs Ladybird and the little ladybirds.

 

I'm clearly not good enough at early-'fifties social distinction spotting, because I'd imagined The Hornby-Dublos and The Ladybirds to be pretty much interchangeable.

 

What are the clues?  

Well......

 

Considering the Hornby-Dublos, although Father is wearing a suit and tie, the suit looks pretty off the peg and his son is a rather scruffy urchin, his pullover and plain tie suggest the least expensive sort of fee-paying school. I'd put dad down as someone in the lower to middle part of the white-collar management chain and given the trainset, I would class the family as "aspirational".  Given that both he and his son appear to suffer from mutant hands, he might work in the scientific industries...

 

Now the Ladybirds. Mrs is wearing a tailored suit, a trendy hat and gloves.  The shopping basket is for small delicacies, rather than a substantial shop.  The small boy is wearing the sort of blazer and tie that would be associated with a more upmarket prep school (note the long trousers too, and the pen in his breast pocket) though I'm rather concerned that he isn't wearing the matching cap... The little girl is probably just too young to be in a school uniform too. I would say that Mr Ladybird would probably occupy a senior management/directorial position in his company.

 

 

 

[Nearholmer]

I'm not convinced that we have enough data on which to base a valid analysis.

 

Certainly The Ladybird's home and garden look immaculate, and seem to contain very up to date bits and pieces, and this in the early 'fifties, before prosperity spread very far, but it looks like a largish 3-bed semi in 'nice' area, rather than anything more. They are doing well, but I think you've overestimated Mr Ladybird's place at work .......... manager of a branch bank in a small country town or in a suburb, is my guess. And, does Mrs L buy or make those natty clothes? Home dress-making was, after all very popular. Master Ladybird is wearing shorts, BTW.

 

The trouble with The Hornby-Dublos is that we know so little about them, apart from the fact that they have a jolly good train-set. I concur that Mr H-D looks like a man in a technical profession, not sure why, but he does, and I have him down as a production designer/manager, or a head of department in a large concern. His son is a boy; they're all scruffy after five minutes, so you can't read much into that.

 

Maybe that's answered it .......... given the fine-cut distinctions of the time. If a bank manager ranks higher than a chap who oversees the design and production of specialist zinc castings, and I think he does, then you are right.

Edited November 22, 2019 by Nearholmer

[Hroth]

Not having read the Ladybird book for a very long time (it was my sisters anyway) I don't recall the other illustrations, merely going by the ones you provided.  A casual glance suggested the trousers, looking more closely I can see that the lower parts are long grey stockings.   As for Mrs Ladybirds outfit, though home dressmaking was a popular pastime "back then", its equally possible that she would patronise a small dressmaker for smart clothing.

 

I'm not convinced that Mr Dublo holds a position as high as a head of department in a concern, though he may well work for a company, managing the production of "specialist zinc castings". I just hope he keeps an eye on his workforce, and makes sure they don't throw any old metal scrap into the zinc melting pot....  Sir Frank would have his guts for garters if he found out!

 

[Annie]

3 hours ago, Nearholmer said:

I think we can probably let women off the pipe, and it seems reasonable to admit twin-set and pearls, and court shoes.

 

What do you think?

I've known the odd pipe smoking woman in my time.

[Hroth]

5 minutes ago, Annie said:

I've known the odd pipe smoking woman in my time.

Perhaps a comma between "odd" and "pipe"? 

[St Enodoc]

6 hours ago, Nearholmer said:

It’s Mrs Hornby-Dublo that we seek.

 

This is possibly her, but she seems to be so busy shopping, doing housework, and taking dogs out for walks that no pictures exist showing her playing trains.

 

 

 

 

It's worth mentioning that the Ladybird books are a good source for 1950s/1960s background/atmosphere information.

Edited November 22, 2019 by St Enodoc

[brianusa]

This is what a lot of older posters consider the good old days, the interim period between the hardships after the war and, "you've never had it so good"!   Dads were traditional still while Mothers were able to venture 'out West' to shop for a new hat or gloves and lunch at Lyons Corner House.  While both parents and children look prosperous and nicely dressed, the kids will soon become teens and listen to Top of the Pops instead of Uncle Mac.  The trains and dolls will give way to perhaps a new bike or the latest records.  All that's left of that era are the reminders in pictures like this or our fading memories.

     Brian.

[Nearholmer]

Thats a very interesting perspective Brian, because it seems to be a somewhat forgotten, and confusingly contradictory decade, c1945-55. Depending upon who you ask, it was either a golden moment, or continuingly tough-times. Someone on here described it as "the 1930s over again, but with rationing".

 

Not having been on this earth then, I like to use Meccano Magazine, Railway Modeller, the Ladybird Books (first series, before they were re-illustrated), film releases, and The Radio Times (all the listings, for every day, are available on-line), to get a bit of a selective feel for the period, and one thing I will say is that people, especially youngsters, must have been desperate to get hold of some more stimulating music ....... the "pop" charts were full of really incredibly bland stuff, and a surprising amount of folksy American material that must have been a long goodbye to what GIs bought over during the war, so its no wonder that R&R hit with such force.

 

The other thing, of course, is that it was the period when the schools, hospitals, and housing that everyone had voted for in 1945 actually began to materialise, which takes us back to Ladybird Books, because they give some interesting glimpses at all of those things, before the gloss wore off.

 

is this anything to do with old-fashioned 0 gauge? I think it is, in that it something like the very austere Bassett-Lowke 0-6-0 goods engine speaks a lot about the time when it was made.

[brianusa]

16 minutes ago, Nearholmer said:

Thats a very interesting perspective Brian, because it seems to be a somewhat forgotten, and confusingly contradictory decade, c1945-55. Depending upon who you ask, it was either a golden moment, or continuingly tough-times. Someone on here described it as "the 1930s over again, but with rationing".

 

Not having been on this earth then, I like to use Meccano Magazine, Railway Modeller, the Ladybird Books (first series, before they were re-illustrated), film releases, and The Radio Times (all the listings, for every day, are available on-line), to get a bit of a selective feel for the period, and one thing I will say is that people, especially youngsters, must have been desperate to get hold of some more stimulating music ....... the "pop" charts were full of really incredibly bland stuff, and a surprising amount of folksy American material that must have been a long goodbye to what GIs bought over during the war, so its no wonder that R&R hit with such force.

 

The other thing, of course, is that it was the period when the schools, hospitals, and housing that everyone had voted for in 1945 actually began to materialise, which takes us back to Ladybird Books, because they give some interesting glimpses at all of those things, before the gloss wore off.

 

is this anything to do with old-fashioned 0 gauge? I think it is, in that it something like the very austere Bassett-Lowke 0-6-0 goods engine speaks a lot about the time when it was made.

 

Nothing at all to do about old fashioned O gauge as by that time the trains had gone and the bike bought!  The pop charts were anything but bland to pre rock 'n roll teenagers of the time, only perhaps to those who weren't there.  It was cool to go to fairs where the latest hits were blasted at those of us standing around, checking out the girls and wondering if we had enough money to last the evening.  A lot of our wages went to record shops which was another spot to pick up girls.  This lasted until perhaps National Service or university came along, which led to the next era of our youth; the Sixties!

     Brian.

[Donw]

The boy is obviously one of those Smug little gits from the Blue Coat school, presumably couldn't pass the 11 plus to go to Reading school. The kids are eyeing the toys with a look more like anticipation than wistful longing. I don't know about the bear but the rabbit definitely looks cross eyed to me. The train set in the window looks to be Tri-ang with the Series 3 grey track and the Princess set. Not up market enough for Mother I think.

 

Don 

[Nearholmer]

Yes, I thought: Triang - don't buy it, the coaches will go banana shaped by 1960.

[Hroth]

19 minutes ago, Nearholmer said:

Yes, I thought: Triang - don't buy it, the coaches will go banana shaped by 1960.

 

So it'll be post 1952(ish) as prior to that the Rovex Princess train set was strictly Marks&Sparks and wouldn't have got into a toyshop window  before then.  As for the Banana Coaches, it seems to be horse-and-roundabout territory as my fairly early Triang R0 set still has straight coaches.  I've been tempted to pick up a couple of banana-ed ones to paint in Network Rail livery...

 

BTW sorry for hijacking the Deliberately Old-Fashioned 0 Scale thread with all this 4mm stuff, its all Mr Mutant Dublos fault!

 

Edited November 22, 2019 by Hroth
a fulsome apology (seems to be demanded nowadays)...