Looking for information about this model, I actually found all the information in TMT. Peter Golden wrote excellent articles in TMT about all pumps of set 49 Petrol Pumps and the set itself, from which I quote some images. However, I did not find an answer to a particular question that came to mind and I am asking here.

1935. Motorcyclist with duo passenger with the wheels of his Ariel engine in the water, refuelling petrol at a Shell petrol pump, in a flooded village on the River Medway in southern England.

My postwar Shell pump 49d with white rubber hose

This model was prewar for sale in a complete set 49 Petrol Pumps, but according to MM and all catalogues also separately per piece. Richardson does not mention this and says it was sold in set. My question is: How was this 49d Shell pump sold individually by the retailer? From the box of the set or from a trade box of 6 or 12 pieces, such as for example prewar 42c and 42d policeman from set 42 out of a trade box of 12 pieces as pictured below? Postwar set 49 was only sold as complete set of 5.

Prewar Trade boxes of 12 pieces 42c and 42d

If a 49 model from the set were sold separately, the set with its beautiful box is no longer complete. It doesn't make sense to me that it were sold individually from a complete set. In the price guides, set 49 is referred to as a Gift set and has to be complete. That's why I started looking for photos of trade boxes from 49a through 49e and started mapping all the known boxes of set 49 I could find. The Shell pump is the best known of the 5 and still existing petrol pump of that brand. The other pumps are brands of the makers and are less known today.

On Toymart I found a French complete set no. 49 of 5 pieces and on Vectis French 49a and 49c trade boxes of 6 separate pieces, but no British 49 Petrol Pumps trade boxes. It seems logical to me that there are such British trade boxes too, but I could not find them. I hope members can help.

French Dinky Toys No 49 Petrol Pumps Set. Pre- or postwar?? Postwar as set only sold in 1949. (Photo Toymart)

French Dinky Toys 49a Pompe a Essence Colonne trade box of 6. Pre- or postwar? (Photo by courtesy of Vectis)

French Dinky Toys 49c Pompe a Essence Double Debit. Pre- or postwar? (Photo by courtesy of Vectis)

The British 49d Shell pump is part of the Petrol Pumps Set 49 consisting of 49a Bowser Pump, 49b Wayne Pump, 49c Theo Pump, 49d Shell pump and 49e Oil Bin (Pratts). For sale as a complete set, but also individually per piece. It was first announced in Meccano Magazine in June 1935.

1st announcement Dinky Toys 49 in MM June 1935

Set 49 Petrol Pumps in colour in The Book of Hornby Trains and Meccano Products 1935

It was sold in a cardboard lid box with inner packing piece showing a drawing of a Filling Station on the second prewar box. The location of each item in the box was identified by its name on the inner packaging and recessed into the package. It was issued prewar from June 1935 and postwar reissued in the UK as set 49 from September 1948 till in catalogue 1952. For postwar export to US and Canada as set 49 till 1953 and as 780 from 1954 till 1955. Set 49 was issued in the Netherlands until 1953 and for the last time as 780 in 1954.

Dinky Toys 49 Petrol Pumps Set boxes outside. The top two are prewar. The bottom one is postwar. Photo Peter Golden TMT.

Dinky Toys 49 Petrol Pumps Set boxes inside. The top two are prewar. The bottom one is postwar. Photo Peter Golden TMT

1952 International catalogue with set 49

I have a 1953 British export catalogue with a shop stamp of Frankfurt am Main. I was surprised to find a 49 set in this catalogue because in the UK it was only sold till 1952. It states on the front page: Prices within are current in Great Britain only. Export Sterling. 1st October 1953. It was probably intended for U.S. military personnel stationed in Germany.

1953 British Export catalogue with 49 Petrol Pumps Set in export Sterling with shop stamp Frankfurt am Main. So also exported to Germany.

1953 British Export catalogue with 49 Petrol Pumps Set in export Sterling with shop stamp Frankfurt am Main.

1954 USA catalogue back cover with set 780

1954 Dutch price list with set 780. So also exported to the Netherlands.

1955 USA catalogue with 780 Petrol Pumps Set

Dinky Toys 780 Petrol Pumps Set. Postwar only for export. Photo Peter Golden TMT

49d Shell Pump Peter Golden TMT. Left prewar one with white rubber hose– right postwar one with yellow plastic hose. Note the difference in length, possibly due to fatigue of the left one?

49d Shell Pump Peter Golden TMT. Left prewar base with circular wording  – right postwar base with square wording

49d prewar base with circular wording

Postwar base without number and square wording

Postwar base with number 49d and square wording

Shell logo of the Petrol Pumps over the years: Note the 1930 one.

Shell and the Dutch Connection:

Royal Dutch Shell PLC, commonly known as Shell, is a Dutch-British oil and gas company headquartered in the Netherlands and incorporated in England. It is one of the oil and gas  “supermajors”" and the third-largest company in the world measured by 2018 revenues (and the largest based in Europe).

I live in Rotterdam Hoogvliet about 7 kilometers from the Shell Rotterdam Pernis refinery. Hoogvliet was a small village near Rotterdam and has expanded since the 1950s through the establishment of personnel for the Shell factory. It still has a good relationship with Shell.

Note: As mentioned in the head of this contribution Peter Golden wrote an excellent article in TMT about all pumps of set 49 Petrol Pumps from which I quote some images. http://www.talkmodeltoys.com/discus/messages/27668/1089.html?1206213817

Jan Oldenhuis 15 juni 2020