7a with silver milk crates

[SMS88]

Here are my 2 very late production 7as with braces on both sides showing masked crates and one driver with a painted hat and one, on a model that was mint on a railway layout until thrown in a box with load of other diecasts, clearly never having had a painted hat - this fact does imply that this toy left the factory without hat trim whereas the other example, both of which were sold new in Copenhagen and could come from the same shipment,has a hat so neat and thick compared to the crate it could easily be a dab from a brush..........
We know Lesney spray guns had the same angle to the mask, I see no evidence that the same mask was used for silver examples as for cream trimmed examples as silver covers much thicker neatly to the rim of each crate + driver. Still havent seen a photo of genuine factory silver example with paint on driver´s face - based upon quantities found and Nick´s £600 book value, there may only have been one short run made with silver trim and that TRIAL EXPERIMENTAL silver paint mask redesigned before the change to cream mask trim.

[Idris]

...TRIAL EXPERIMENTAL...

Why the capitals for something which is pure supposition?

Nice photograph showing very clearly the mask-sprayed nature of the crate trim and providing a handy direct comparison with hand-applied trim.
Could you please clarify what the model on the right is? Is it also a "post-silver trim" example? If so, it would appear that at least some of the very late 7a Milk Floats had hand-trimmed crates. Is the colour/shade difference as clear in the hand as it is in the photograph?

[SMS88]

All 3 7as shown in my photo have factory mask trimmed crates, no brush daubings for idris here..... The darkest orange shade is very noticeable in the hand (shame its so playworn but for 5kr/50p years ago I am very satisfied!) and features on all factory masked silver trim examples that I have seen including photos of them..........

[yellowfoden]

To my understanding after about 1960 all trim was done by mask spray and I would be interested to know of any factory hand applied trim on any 1-75 model after 1960.

Obvious exception being the milk float horse and driver (driver for at least some degree of time which is under discussion right now).
The milk float seems to be the last 1-75 model that received hand applied trim. The milk floats and the road roller were icons of the small model series for many years. The milk float must have been a good seller because it was in the range for a long time and they are easy to find, even today. Hand trim continued on in the YY series for many years.

Thanks Joe, I thought you might be eluding to other 1-75 being hand trimmed after 1960 other than the horse. Is there a possibility too that the horse was hand trimmed and stock piled for a year or more, keeping in mind the GPW versions don't appear to have socks painted.

[yellowfoden]

So, far, this discussion has few participants, but it has had quite a few views. Expanding the scope of discussion beyond the silver trim and into the final casting variation and return to white trim would be helpful and possibly expand the number of members with something to contribute.

I agree. I think the whole question of what happened to the milk float (but not the horse) trim from the moment it switched to silver promises to be fascinating.
Not only do we already have proof positive of a two-step trimming process, involving both mark- and hand-applied trim, we have also been promised photographs showing the existence of white mask-applied trim!
Did the model latterly revert to hand-applied white trim? Did the driver’s hat revert to hand-applied trim? Lots of questions to be answered!

From the gpw versions I have and have seen I do not think they went back to hand trimmed on the float.

As promised here are three photos to show the mask trim on one example.
Details
7a white mask spray trim to crates and driver hat
Gpw 8.00mm x 18 riveted axles
Braces both sides
Horse does not have any socks
Small amounts of overspray on driver arm and leg
Light orange
Signage on side is body colour

Regards Bert

[yellowfoden]

That's a subject I've never looked into (white mask sprayed trim on the 7a, after the silver trim). I don't recall any of the 7a trim discussions continuing on past the silver trim and the issue kind of died out without going on any further. IMHO, it's well worth examining the last issues of the model and coming up with some concrete answers about white trim. It's also possible Lesney experimented with more than one mask for the silver trim and that the driver was attempted to be included. It's possible examples of that might be out there and have eluded examination and discussion. We all know there are far more silver models out there in collections, owned by people who do not participate in discussions, forums or open sharing of information.

I remember making notes in my Stannard pages after seeing some good comparison shots of hand and mask crates from Greg and Jeff some time back. I think there was a request for some macro shots from another member but never materialised...hence the dying out. There is more to this model than has been documented and after some time has been spent on the mask trim I will add some other pics so as we do not get side tracked.

Bert

[Idris]

All 3 7as shown in my photo have factory mask trimmed crates, no brush daubings for idris here..... The darkest orange shade is very noticeable in the hand (shame its so playworn but for 5kr/50p years ago I am very satisfied!) and features on all factory masked silver trim examples that I have seen including photos of them..........

Very interesting, Mick. the reason I asked is because, in your photograph, there looks to be a significant difference in the quality of the white paint coverage between the model on the right and the other two. In addition, the trim on the model on the right does not appear to exhibit the fuzzy edges we associate with mask-applied trim.

[SMS88]

All 3 7as shown in my photo have factory mask trimmed crates, no brush daubings for idris here..... The darkest orange shade is very noticeable in the hand (shame its so playworn but for 5kr/50p years ago I am very satisfied!) and features on all factory masked silver trim examples that I have seen including photos of them..........

Very interesting, Mick. the reason I asked is because, in your photograph, there looks to be a significant difference in the quality of the white paint coverage between the model on the right and the other two. In addition, the trim on the model on the right does not appear to exhibit the fuzzy edges we associate with mask-applied trim.

Its very playworn, so much silver has gone from the bottle tops and driver´s hat which is consistent with having spent long periods gripped in a hot sweaty hand rather than tumbling in a toy box type damage. Also not a drop of silver that isnt either within the edges of the crates or on the driver´s body

[Idris]

All 3 7as shown in my photo have factory mask trimmed crates, no brush daubings for idris here..... The darkest orange shade is very noticeable in the hand (shame its so playworn but for 5kr/50p years ago I am very satisfied!) and features on all factory masked silver trim examples that I have seen including photos of them..........

Very interesting, Mick. the reason I asked is because, in your photograph, there looks to be a significant difference in the quality of the white paint coverage between the model on the right and the other two. In addition, the trim on the model on the right does not appear to exhibit the fuzzy edges we associate with mask-applied trim.

Its very playworn, so much silver has gone from the bottle tops and driver´s hat which is consistent with having spent long periods gripped in a hot sweaty hand rather than tumbling in a toy box type damage. Also not a drop of silver that isnt either within the edges of the crates or on the driver´s body

Ah, my mistake. (Unless I look very carefully, the silver trim looks white on this monitor.) Apologies for the confusion.

[SMS88]

The last Hackney issued version of 7a appears to be with just mask sprayed crates , zero detailing to drivers hat or body - it looks like this thread has proven that the final run of 7a were mask sprayed only thanks to yellowfoden , an unlisted variation in my collection!