This is a very under-rated set, and yet for the railway enthusiast it shows so many little facets of life on the railway, much of which has been swept away. So much so that if you are ever looking for an unusual present for a friend who collects railwayana, or model trains, this would be a great idea.
Many people will tell you that it was the last set issued by W.D. & H.O. Wills before cards stopped for the Second World War, but this is not true, in fact there were four after it, these being
- "Garden Flowers - New Varieties", Second Series, large size - issued in June 1939
- "Life in the Royal Navy" - issued in July 1939
- "Old Inns", Second Series, large size - issued in September 1939
- and -
- "Association Footballers", without framelines on the reverse, issued last of all in November 1939.
Our set first appears in our original Wills reference book part IV - or, more correctly, RB.16. The Cigarette Card Issues of W.D. & H.O. Wills Parts I, II, and III (revised) and Part IV - originally published in 1950, as :
- 305. RAILWAY EQUIPMENT. Fronts printed by letterpress in colour. Backs in grey, with descriptive text. Issued 1939.
A. Home Issue. With Album and I.T.C. Clauses
B. Channel Islands issue. Without Album and I.T.C. Clauses
This is slightly differently reported in our original World Tobacco Issues Index, issued in 1956. For one thing the two versions are no longer together, the home issue being in section 2.B, for "Issues with I.T.C. Clause, 1934-39", where it is recorded as :
- RAILWAY EQUIPMENT. Sm. Nd. (50). See W/305.A ... W62-170
As for what is formerly described as a "Channel Islands issue", that is moved to section 5.D, for "English Language Issues, 1925-39. Issued chiefly in Channel Islands and Malta." It is catalogued as :
- RAILWAY EQUIPMENT. Sm. Nd. (50). See W/305.B ... W62-500
These entries are identical in our updated World Tobacco Issues Index but the codes have changed, the home issue now being filed as W675-211, and the export issue as W675-715. In addition the export issue is now under section 6.D, some shuffling having taken place in order to fit in the Wills issues which were circulated after the original World Tobacco Issues Index had been published.