Issued 1949-50    Length 160mm

With the popularity of 'Cowboy & Western' films at the time, Morestone developed a new Stage Coach in 1949 on a smaller scale than the 'Galloping Horses' model and without the action mechanism. It was almost certainly made for Morris & Stone by the same manufacturer, F W Birch & Co., and much of the detail was similar including the casting of 'Wells Fargo & Co' over the side doors. 

The new model was a simple hollow-casting made in two halves with a clip-fit shaft, four metal horses, and a driver. To increase play-value, Morestone painted the Stage Coach in one of three bright colours, red, green, and blue (which varied in shade from light to quite dark blue). The horses, a smaller version than any previous Morestone horses, were dark- or mid-brown. The driver, who was held in place by a little lug on the left side of the driver's seat, was also brown with pink face trim.

The painted metal wheels were fixed directly onto the coach body with flat-head & crimped axles. They were always coloured yellow but only the outsides of the wheels were painted. The underside of the coach and the interior were left unpainted.

Clipped onto the coach beneath the driver's seat, the shaft was quite long and delicate. The horses were attached by rectangular pegs on each side but it was quite a fiddly connection. There were two versions of the shaft, the first being a jointed one with two sections linked together and half-painted, the rear section connecting to the coach coloured red but the front part and the join unpainted. The second type of shaft was a complete full-length casting as found on the green and blue models and was unpainted.

The Four Horse Stage Coach was issued in a Morestone Series end-flap card box with a slightly sombre coloured illustration on both faces. On each side the red lettering read 'Morestone Series Stage Coach' with 'Made in England' added in small font. The end-flaps, which were coloured green, carried the wording: 'This Carton contains a Morestone Series Stage Coach Horses & Cowboy'.

Finding good examples of this early Morestone Stage Coach is difficult because the model was given no identification but it was well made and when it does turn up is often in nice condition. The little driver, however, is usually missing. The box is very rare and extremely hard to find.