OK Pie Cart

[radish1us 390]

Here's a 1/12th scale model of an ‘OK Pie Cart’,  these carts were made and used in and around Toowoomba, a provincial city in Queensland, Australia.

I found a photo on the web and became intrigued with it because of it’s unusual design, I found a bit more about them from the Toowoomba Chronicle ( Toowoomba newspaper ) and even managed to track down a daughter of one of the drivers of these vehicles, a Mrs Gloria Ciesiolka, a daughter of a driver by the name of Mr Bill Stuart, she gave me quite a bit of information about the everyday operations of these horse drawn vehicles.

 

There were only two of these Pie Carts ever built, looks like whoever built them, has used the springs from an old front end from a fancy carriage that had been tossed away. The wheels, axle and springs used,  look suspiciously like they came from very fine carriages.

That new fangled motor vehicle was starting to gain popularity about now, so the old horse drawn drawn stuff was just getting tossed away,  as nobody wanted it anymore.

 These two carts were  used in and around Toowoomba, Qld, they were made roughly about the early to middle  1930’s and in use right thru to the late 1950’s. Eventually the Toowoomba City Council’s Health Department, was responsible for stopping the sale of food items from these carts, think maybe a few shopkeepers might have complained once too often.
 They made and baked the pies on the household premises in Ruthvern St Toowoomba, out the back in the shed then loaded them onto these two carts and sold them all around town.

The pies would have been piping hot when loaded onto the carts at the shed, then to keep the pies hot, the oven on the carts was fired up. One side of the carts would have been loaded with wood for the oven, the other side would have had quite a few more spares pies loaded into it. So as the pies were sold direct from the oven, then the shelves in the oven would be replenished, from the extras being carried onboard.

Think of the old pub closing times here in Australia of 6.00PM, or 1800hrs, the whole country was kind of into the dark ages about the effects of booze, so they would sell them to the drunks who wouldn't get any meal when they got home. Then try and sell the last of the wares to those heading home from the pictures after they shut at about 8-30pm and after that, head for home, as nobody was out and about after that.

 

I had to make my own drawing for this cart before I could start to make the model. Had to get a bit of help from other more learned persons, as per dimensions of the vehicle, as I only had that one decent photo to work from, started to draw it on the computer and after quite a few adjustments later, it was ready.

 

Got stuck into it and a few months later, this eventually appeared on the workbench.

 

Took the finished model out to Oakey, Qld to let the lady by the name of Mrs Gloria Ciesiolka have a look at it, told her I would let her know when it was finished because of all the information that she supplied me, I even took along that first coloured photo of the OK Pie Carts as well. Showed her the coloured photo and she said, ——— ”where did you get that photo”, I replied ———  “off the web, why?”.
Could have knocked me down with a feather with her answer, ——— “it’s my brother Billy who got killed in the 2nd world war”.
Turns out not only Dad sold pies for the OK Pie’s, but her elder brother did for a short while as well.,

 

So a little bit more history for the cupboard, eh -----------------------

 

Usual/normal construction methods were used, same as for the decals, paint job and anything else that I can't think of now.

 

First photo is what I found on the web,  then managed to get a couple more photo’s from the Toowoomba Chronicle, followed by a simple drawing of the vehicle side on, then a series of different photos of the finished model.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If anybody has any questions, then please ask.

Edited November 29, 2020 by radish1us

[radish1us 390]

Forgot to add this photo ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

 

Edited November 28, 2020 by radish1us

[iang 918]

Fantastic looking model.

[roginoz 505]

That's totally brilliant bit of scratch building and a great backstory, a museum-ready build without doubt.

 

Yeah, Oz was a bit of a backwater in those days. The "6 o-clock swill" had just been abolished in Victoria before we emigrated in mid-69 - I used to jest that it was for my benefit ! - and our milk was still delivered by horse & cart.

 

The photos and press cuttings brought back a few memories of horse & cart deliveries in those days.

Top modelling !

Rog

[swralph 1,265]

Excellent modelling.

[MR2Don 315]

Damn it! I'm hungry!

That is one magnificent bit of modelling.

[Codger 2,691]

Beautiful - hard to believe Will Power started this way..............

[louiex2 343]

“And now for something completely different...”  Outstanding work- the model belongs in a museum.  I really enjoyed the history and backstory.  Thank you for sharing

 

Lou in California

[stevej60 37,314]

That's a superb build and finish and a great back story too.excellent!

[Natter 2,980]

_{Wow. Brilliant, brilliant model.}

[dnl42 2,574]

What a fabulous treat of a model! 

[Pete in Lincs 14,757]

What they all said! Quite lovely workmanship.

[stevehnz 10,431]

That is stunning, the sign writing & lining on the spokes & body move it to a whole different level, the very uppermost one.

Steve.

[Bandsaw Steve 6,200]

Great work on another colourful subject with a great back story and plenty of local interest.

[cngaero 1,579]

What a charming and beautifully made piece of history, which together with the very detailed back story, makes your model all the more interesting. It deserves to be shown in a local history museum as I'm sure that there will be countless others who may never have heard of these carts and who would find it as interesting as I have. 

Thank you for sharing it with us. 

Edited November 29, 2020 by cngaero

[Jonners 3,176]

Superb! The history, and especially the link to the coloured photo, really compliments the model. Very nice.

Jon

[fjaweijfopi4j48 38,532]

Fantastic, and such a great subject!

Cheers!

[Homer 769]

What a fantastic model, well done sir  

[RabRoberts 174]

Just an astonishing model, absolutely beautiful and building it from just a few photographs, only one of which is in colour is remarkable, and a wonderful story behind it too.

When I was a very young child in the late 70's there were still 2 people using horse drawn carts in my home town, one a coal merchant, the other a rag and bone man who once gave me a balloon on a stick in exchange for some old pillow cases, so not just Queensland that was bit late to the motorised revolution.

 

Cheers - Rab.

[Alan R 1,026]

Back in the sixties in Kent, when I was a lad, our rag-and-bone man still used a horse and cart (Like Steptoe and Son!). The principal thing I remember was the cry he used as he went up and down our road, and strange wailing sound!

Imagine my surprise when, a few years back, less than ten, to hear the same sound coming from the street. On the street, it was the rag-and-bone man (or his son, I expect) , only this time in a disreputable Transit drop-side plying his 'trade'.

 

Strange!

 

Cheers,

Alan.

 

Edited December 3, 2020 by Alan R

[kapam 1,635]

That is brilliant!  One beautiful replica for sure! 

As someone who grew up in a regional town in Queensland, Australia (but not Toowoomba) I am familiar with the pie wagon.

However I'm not so old that I recall the horse-drawn version!

Fantastic model.  I love it!