Lines Brothers, Triang 1930's Child's Milk Float

I'm not sure if anyone is interested in seeing this child's milk toy milk float but it was purchased new by my family around 1937/38 time period. It was made by Lines Brothers under the brand of Triang at a time when toys were made out of metal and wood and didn't come from China.

It has spent the last 50+ years stored in a shed but I recently got it out, cleaned it, treated the woodworm and then gave it a light wax polish before bringing it indoors. I kept the repairs to the minimum in order to preserve originality and just wood glued a few areas and replaced the wires to retain the milk bottles which were missing.

I like seeing stuff like this. You may want to do some investigating. Certain antiques may be restored while positively affecting value and others can't. This would fall into the pedal car/wagon category in the US and here if you have an original in good to great shape, it is best to leave it alone but if it is in poor shape, it is best to restore. I don't mean to be negative but your milk wagon is in pretty rough shape. Love the pictures from the past.

Value of course is subjective and I doubt you have any intention of selling. I think with this sort of thing is would the average housewife want it sitting on display in the entryway of the house or would she more likely set it out by the trash. I think at a minimum I'd try to find replacement rubber tires for it. A lot of companies make things like that here in the states.

In the old photos, it looks more like wooden dowels holding the milk bottles than wires. Are the chains attached to the posts at the front corners for holding the handle up when not stored upright?

I like old toys. My wife and I both wanted pedal cars when were kids but never got them - now they're still too expensive! - Bob

I actually had a pedal car when I was a kid and I have no idea how. We were dirt poor and most of my toys were hand me downs from my uncle who fortunately was six years older than me. By the time he was done with them, I was old enough. The pedal car however was a Christmas present from Santa (my parents) and was new. I loved that but somewhere along the line it was sold at a yard sale I suspect.

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Originally Posted by USGI

In the old photos, it looks more like wooden dowels holding the milk bottles than wires.

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Yes, I didn't have suitable wood doweling to hand and so I used wire for the time being but may replace it with wood doweling later.

I still have a 1960's Triang pedal car that I was given in the 1970's 2nd hand and also a Triang dog on wheels.

Triang use to be a big toy manufacturer in the UK, sadly now no more.

I got a Jeep pedal car when I was 4 (1951) but within a year I had grown too much and my legs were too long to pedal it. Off it went to some other kid. When I got older I lusted after the real thing but by then I was over 6 feet and I had to fold up like a safety pin to get behind the wheel, so I got bigger vehicles to play with (Dodges, Chev 1942 pickup, White M3A1 Scout Car, Saracen APC). Growing up doesn't you can't still play with cool toys!

lines brothers, a hallowed name........

In the world of guns........, especially sub-machine guns..... or more specifically, Sten guns, Lines Brothers are a hallowed name. There were TWO variants of LB relating to Sten guns. LONG BRANCH and LINES BROTHERS. The Director of Ordnance, said about Lines Brothers something like '.....they didn't know a lot about gun making but they know a lot about press tools and fabrication..... And they did. Didn't they make 3/4 million Mk3 Stens.

Lines Brothers...... TI, Tubes International Dinky Toys, Raleigh Bikes, Meccano and best of all, Sten Guns. Wouldn't we all like a Lines Brithers pedal car or one of those little three-wheeler bikes with a little opening boot to put your smaller toys........?

My daughter Sarah's friend is Michael LINES, the great grandson of Jacob, one of the founders. And he didn't even know about this part of their history. He does now and the family archive also possess an inert Mk3 Sten

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Originally Posted by Woodsy

I got a Jeep pedal car when I was 4 (1951) but within a year I had grown too much and my legs were too long to pedal it. Off it went to some other kid. When I got older I lusted after the real thing but by then I was over 6 feet and I had to fold up like a safety pin to get behind the wheel, so I got bigger vehicles to play with (Dodges, Chev 1942 pickup, White M3A1 Scout Car, Saracen APC). Growing up doesn't you can't still play with cool toys!

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We were such bad kids! Three boys and a girl, all 2 years apart. Can't recall how many pedal cars went "Smokey and the Bandit" off our two-story garage roof, at least 3 that I recall. Especially cool with a baggie full of gasoline and a firecracker on the seat. Not to mention "flame-throwering" sis's Barbie dolls to death with pint squeeze bottles of glo-plug aero fuel. Prolly killed 10 grand's worth of collector stuff...

Russ

A 50/50 mix of mineral spirits and BLO can be very good for restoring and protecting old faded paint.

IIRC Hornby-Triang was one of the companies featured on "The Trouble-Shooter" with Sir John Harvey-Jones. It was a sight to behold by then! :ugh:

The management more or less refused his advice as I recall and the end came not long after.