Toy engine
Category
Toys
Date
Unknown
Materials
wood, metal and string
Measurements
110 mm (Height) x 95 mm (Width) ; 200 mm (Length); 323 mm (Length)
Collection
Sudbury Hall Museum of Childhood, Derbyshire
NT 672349.1
Summary
A hand made wooden train engine part of a pull along train set consisting of three goods wagons a guards van and forty two wooden blocks loaded inside the three wagons. The engine is coloured brown with four wooden wheels running on wooden axles. On the front of the engine is a metal hook also attached is a length of string with a wooden handle. On the rear is attached a loop of chain for connection to the wagons.
Provenance
Part of a large collection of handmade toys and puzzles donated to the Museum of Childhood in 2019 by Nigel Briggs. They were made by John Doble, father of the donor's wife Hanne. He had worked with Nancy Catford (of the Nursery Schools Association), the designer of the toys, during the Second World War. Together they produced paper patterns that people could use at home as templates for thin ply patterns which could in turn be used to make their own wooden toys. Other toys were made from dowels and empty cotton reels.