Posted by John Tremelling on October 9, 2009, 8:45 am, in reply to "Re: Tremo @ Welton"
195.93.21.37
A jolly good idea to bring some other old models for comparison John M.
Since being taken by this bug I myself am wondering how many other traders may have copied Tremo's since 1940, and indeed, how many Tremo's were copied from other manufacturers, Winklers previous contacts/employers. I have read that he took moulds from Germany, to Sweden, to UK, but never seen primary source evidence. I am also intrigued by the varying standard of Tremo's, some more detailed than others. For example I have 2 QE's, one with foredeck detail of cables, windlass etc painted on a flat foredeck, the other with such detail cast into the moulding. This may be explained by the date of the mould, as I suspect the 'Made in England' v 'British Made'. I also note a differing standard in the finishing, melting over of the turret mounts. Perhaps different skills of the workers, or perhaps whether they were done before or after lunch, when the workers had been to the pub? In one of his fascinating programmes Fred Dibnah used this as a hypothosis to explain the varying standard of riveting on a boiler repair. How big was the workforce, sksilled or unskilled, probably housewives assisting family budget in a generally poor Welsh Mining area?
I am equally intrigued as to what the market was? 3 shillings and 9 pennies for a capital ship was quite a lot of money for a 5" toy immediately before the War, yet more capital ships seem to have survived than the 6 penny Minesweepers of which I have to date never seen any. So small as to have been easily lost? I know that they were advertised in 'Janes', not generally available in the average home at that time.
As I have said before it is the story of the company as much as the models themselves which intrigues me. Many of these questions will never be answered, and are of no interest to many, but as an historian and ex Policeman they fascinate me.
John T
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