Maker record
Astra Pharos
Astra Pharos was a British maker of electrically illuminated toys and metal military models. Its range included working searchlights, railway signals and traffic lights, alongside cap-fired guns and military railway vehicles. The toys were made in London and were produced from the early 1930s until the tooling was sold in the mid-1950s. Battery-powered lights and operating mechanisms were distinctive features of the range.
- Founded
- 1929
- Final year
- 1956
- Countries
- Great Britain
- Locations
- London
- Founders
- Frank Weldon, Charles Freeman
The story of Astra Pharos
Astra Pharos Ltd. made toys in London from the early 1930s, alongside other products. Its electrically illuminated models used bulbs and batteries. The toy range included searchlights, railway signals and traffic lights, garages and harbours, as well as military weapons and railway vehicles. The company advertised its toys in Meccano Magazine, giving its address as Landor Works, Askew Road, Shepherd’s Bush, London W12.
The military range appeared in 1937 and included guns and searchlights mounted on railway wagons. Some guns fired projectiles using caps; the searchlights were battery-powered. Early military models were painted khaki, with dark green adopted by late 1938. Toy production continued until 1955, when the dies and stock-in-trade were sold to Wendall Toys, which made Astra models for a short time. Astra Pharos itself continued as a specialist diecaster until its liquidation in 1974, according to a 1981 account.