The trailers preparing themselves for the review...
Here is another model that seems to have very few interest, but in fact having a lot of variants, when looking closer... I will limit my review to the post war variants. Why ? Because I own only two or three pre-war models, not enough to write something very accurate on these early ones ! Anyway this trailer is one of the British DINKY models that had the longest production time, perhaps THE longest of all, as it was launched in 1935 and lasted until 1963 ! Did any other model last longer ? Not sure...
Then, let's look closer at this little trailer. It was designed before WWII to complete the trucks of the 25 series. It survived after those trucks, being towed by the LEYLAND FC LORRY, the DODGE, the AUSTIN and FORD THAMES trucks, and of course by the BEV ELECTRIC TRUCK.
THE FACTORY DRAWINGS
They were designed in 1934. These are the oldest drawings of the lot I bought in 2016. These are not "blueprints" (copies of the drawings using ammoniac) but these drawings are the originals, with nice ink-lines. The paper is not simply a tracing paper, but a kind of waxed linen.
Unlike the LEYLAND FC LORRY studied in a former post, I have been collecting these small trailers for numerous years, and the drawings provided me an additional help in setting the variants chronology.
Views and details of the main drawing. Alteration of the rear hook can be seen on the second and third pictures. The last two pictures show the baseplate wordings which are on the reverse side of the drawing.
The main drawing, called PLATFORM FOR TRAILER, is identified as JOB No.14857 - MEMO No. 7263, and was designed on 31.10.1934. The ssheet has a very special shape, the left part being a vertical rectangle bearing the changes list, the rear view at 4:1 scale and a lateral view at 1:1 scale, and the right part is a second rectangle in horizontal position, with all other views at the 4:1 scale. The both part are not assembled together, but it's a single sheet having an odd shape.
Brown marks are visible on the drawing, which are the result of a restoration on the back of the left part and of the top view following tears, made with adhesive tape probably in the 1950s, which badly aged and stained the whole plan.
When I bought the drawing, these adhesive tapes had been removed and replaced by invisible adhesive tape, that I didn't remove, one of the brown marks being visible on the reproduction in the GREAT BOOK OF DINKY TOYS written by M&S Richardson, who were one of the previous owners of the drawings.
It must also be noticed that the writings of the underside of the trailer are designed on the back of the drawing, and are visible by transparency through the paper (see pictures above).
List of changes on the drawing (C.O. meaning CHANGE ORDER)
N° | CHANGE DESCRIPTION | C.O. | DATE |
1 | ORIGINAL DRAWING | 31/10/34 | |
2 | HOLE .140" DIA WAS POSITION OF HOLLOW SPIGOT | 18/3/35 | |
3 | 2 HOLES .088 DIA: WERE .072 DIA: | 1529 | 1/5/45 |
4 | SPRAYING BOSS & ARRANGEMENT for HOOK ADDED | 2786 | 9/11/49 |
5 | SALES N°25G ADDED | 3414 | 11/6/52 |
6 | HOLE .140 DIA REPLACED BY SPIGOT | 3973 | 18/5/54 |
7 | SPIGOT DIMS 5/64 & .160 WERE 3/64 & .100 D RESP | 6631 | 27/4/62 |
View of the turntable drawing
The plan of the TURNTABLE FOR TRAILER has the reference JOB No. 7264, the reference MEMO No. 14858 having been erased. It was designed at the same date as the previous one. It also features a bizarre format, a main part in the portrait format with the top and side views, and a side flap on the right side with a 4:1 cut view and both top and side views reproduced at the 1:1 scale.
List of changes quoted on the drawing :
N° | CHANGE DESCRIPTION | C.O. | DATE |
1 | ORIGINAL DRAWING | 31/10/34 | |
2 | HOLE .140" DIA WAS POSITION OF HOLLOW SPIGOT | 18/3/35 | |
3 | 2 HOLES .088 DIA: WERE .072 DIA: | 1529 | 1/5/45 |
4 | 2 HOLES .062 WERE .093" | 2049 | 18/9/47 |
5 | .196 .200 HOLE WAS .140" DIA CSK .031 | 3973 | 18/5/54 |
THE DIFFERENT VARIANTS
The points to be examined on this model are as follows:
- The hubs and axles, as on all other models : before war smooth hubs on thin axles, after war ridged hubs on thick axles initially pinched then matted (black hubs but also colored ones).
- Front tow bar : most of the models studied are fitted with wire tow bar, but some models that were produced immediately after the war (notably those produced in gray, but not only) with a tinplate tow bar with a wide opening.
- The support for painting. As with many other models (34C loudspeaker van, 25A to 25F series trucks except tank truck, etc.) this feature was added in the late 1940s or early 1950s (change No.4 of the main drawing).
- The rear hook : cast with the body before the war and in the immediate after war, it is replaced by a in riveted tinplate hook on the last models. The change is very visible on the drawing.
- Whether or not the sales number 25G is under the trailer
- The axis of the front tiller visible or not
- Tyres : first average smooth tyres like trucks of series 25 type 3, then small smooth tyres apparently when the series 25 moves to 4th type, small treaded tyres at the end of production. Post-war models always have black tyres.
All these elements have been listed in chronological order, here are the details listed :
- Prewar models : pinched thin axles, black smooth hubs, chassis without painting support and without reference, cast rear hook, front drawbar axle visible (dark red model top left)
- Models of immediate postwar : as above, but pinched thick axles.
- Then, appearance of the ridged hubs, painted black on pinched axles.
- Then front towing hook made of thin wire, on this version and all the following ones (green model in the middle to the left). Change No.4 of drawing 7264.
- Latest version with cast hook (presumably contemporary models of type 4 trucks due to assorted colors) colored hubs on pinched axles (light blue model with light blue hubs bottom left).
- Replacement of the cast hook by a riveted tinplate hook. Black wheels on pinched axles (my copy is burnt orange color, identical to the early versions of FC LORRY). Appearance of the painting support, no reference (orange model top right). Modification 4 of the main plan.
- Added 25G sales No., the axes are now matted (dark green model with middle green hubs in the middle of the right). Modification No.5 of the main plan.
- Last version with axle of the drawbar not visible, and addition of a washer on the front axle riveting (red model in lower right). Only version seen with treaded tyres. Modification No.6 of the main plan.
Some of existing variants, viewed from underside and from upperside
No comments:
Post a Comment