Today's pick is the Wyandotte tin-ltiho 'Toytown Fire Dept'. The toy dates from at least 1951. I found references to it in the 1951 'Sears' and 'Motgomery Ward' Christmas wishbooks but nothing after wards. It didn't appear in the 1947 'Sears' catalog so it must have hit the scene in 1948-50. I do find it hard to believe it was only offered for one year. The toy itself is a nicely done little structure with a spring-loaded lever actuated front door. It originally came with what appears to be a small plastic fire engine but NOT the one which is shown in the pictures here. It's just the right size for a 3-rail O-gauge tinplate layout and looks great beside tin-litho buildings from Skyline and other companies. Enjoy!
