WHY DID I PAY ATTENTION TO THIS LITTLE TRUCK ?
I didn't pay attention to this little truck until the beginning of this year 2016. After 30 years collecting, I did have three of four examples in my collection, but these were more here "by chance", often bought in lots, not for a personal choice of collecting them...
At the very beginning of 2016, I bought a lot of original Dinky Toys factory drawings, for the Bedford parts drawings contained in this lot. Amongst the drawings were the original drawing of the FORWARD CONTROL LORRY and of the tin baseplate BOGIE FOR FORWARD CONTROL LORRY. Starting here, the truck becomes interesting for me, and I decide to look forward for this truck. The data written on the drawings, and the changes dates, provide an interesting matter to set a chronology of the toy production, and I also searched in the Meccano Magazines of the period, and in the Dinky catalogues for the color schemes.
This little truck was sold at a very cheap price, as compared to other Dinky Toys of the same period, and it has certainly been produced in huge quantities. A lot of them have experienced "the sandbox", reflecting their present (often very poor) condition, and this truck is fairly difficult to buy in excellent or mint condition nowadays.
THE FACTORY DRAWINGS
Unlike all other factory drawings I own, the both factory drawing concerning the forward control lorry have not been entirely completed with ink, and are mainly drawn only with lead pencil. The measures are inked on the main drawing, but the baseplate drawing is entirely done with lead pencil.
Details from the factory drawing
Drawing N°12868 - FORWARD CONTROL LORRY
The drawing has been made on 20/6/1947 - format 72cm x 48,5cm
List of casting changes mentioned on the drawing (C.O. = CHANGE ORDER) :
N° | CHANGES DESCRIPTION | C.O. | DATE |
1 | (ORIGINAL DRAWING) | 20/06/47 | |
2 | 43/64 WAS 11/16 – 3 1/8 WAS 3 9/64 – STRAPS ON TAILBOARD ADDED TO TOP PLAN VIEW – SECTION D-D MODIFIED | 2019 | 20/08/47 |
3 | TRADE MARK LETTERING – NUMBER PLATE & REAR LIGHT ADDED | 2047 | 16/9/47 |
4 | 3/64 RAD IN MUDGUARD WAS 11/64 (FRONT VIEW) | 2063 | 01/10/47 |
5 | DIAMS OF SPIGOT for BOGIE INCREASED 7/32, 3/16 & .122 .125 WERE 3/16, 5/32 & .090 .093 RESPECT. | 2583 | 05/04/49 |
6 | SALES N° 25R ADDED | 3414 | 09/06/52 |
7 | SALES NUMBER WAS 25R | 4129 | 13/04/55 |
Drawing N°12869 - BOGIE FOR FORWARD CONTROL LORRY
The tin baseplate drawing was made on 7/7/1947 - Format 23,7cm x 30,5cm
List of the changes mentioned on the drawing :
N° | CHANGES DESCRIPTION | C.O. | DATE |
1 | (ORIGINAL DRAWING) | 07/07/47 | |
2 | WIDTH OF MATERIAL ADDED | 16/09/47 | |
3 | EMBOSSING ADDED TO CENTRE OF BOGIE | 2235 | 01/04/48 |
4 | HOLE .130/.133 WAS .094/.097 DIA | 2583 | 05/04/49 |
5 | 2 EMBOSSINGS 1/16 DIA X .015 HIGH ADDED | 2915 | 17/03/50 |
6 | WIDTH OF MATERIAL 1 7/8 WAS 1 3/4 | 3829 | 30/12/53 |
7 | BS 1449 EN2 VPN 120-140 ADDED | 4033 | 19/08/54 |
8 | HOLE .137 DIA WAS .130/.133 DIA | 4559 | 18/04/56 |
9 | FINISH DELETED. COATED GLOSSY BLACK BOTH SIDES ADDED | 5185 | 16/09/58 |
THE PRODUCTION
The truck was first launched in the may 1948 Meccano Magazine, priced at 2/6 (half the price of the #25P AVELING BARFORD ROLLER or the #25M BEDFORD TIPPER) and this price was reduced to 2/2 in november 1948 and even to 2/- in may 1949.
The 1958, 1959 and 1960 catalogues all show the truck in green with red hubs.
The truck is withdrawn in the 1961 catalogue.
The most obvious casting difference : without sales number, with 25R, with 420. Note also the small ridged tyres on the orange truck
THE CASTING VARIANTS
Three principal versions of this truck can be found, concerning the cast sales number under the chassis. The central dome on the baseplate was designed before the production of the model started, but models exist without it (noticed on orange or cream models, both with black hubs). The lateral embossings are usually made with the relief on the outer side (in order to avoid the tyre's rubbing ?) but on several trucks they are domed to the inner side (in this case, what function did they have ? I suppose these are in fact factory errors).
A row of first version FC Lorries (without reference number cast on the bottom) all with pinched axles but the green model with cream hubs
1 - The first models produced have no cast number. This version itself has four variants :
- pinched axles, no central embossing on the baseplate
- pinched axles, no embossings on lateral sides of the baseplate (#5 change of 12869 drawing)
- pinched axles, embossings on lateral sides of the baseplate
- domed axles (as all the following versions until end of production).
Known color schemes (see picture above) : cream with black hubs, cream with blue hubs, grey with blue hubs, brick red with green hubs, orange with black hubs, orange with green hubs, green with cream hubs (also seen on ebay sold in a double numbering box, which should be not genuine, the renumbering being made in 1954, and these first models being packed in dealers boxes of 6 !)
2 - Adding of the 25R lettering on the base (09/06/1952)
Known color schemes : red with cream hubs, red with green hubs, green with cream hubs.
Second version models (25R lettering) in front - Third version models (420 lettering) in back including one rare PKZ promotional model
3 - Replacement of the 25R by the 420 lettering (13/04/1955). One of the models I own has a slight casting difference on the left rear mudguard, the gap in front of the mudguard being filled ont this model.
Known color schemes : green with red hubs, red with green hubs, green with green hubs.
Two very distinct versions of the bottom of the back did exist during all the production of the truck, and thus two distinct dies should have existed :
- A version with the planks arranged as tiles
- A version with the planks separated with recessed lines.
The size of the rivetted rear tin hook was small at the beginning, as on other models, and this size increased over the production years.
THE TYRES
The very first examples have the little treaded tyres produced just after war, as on other models of the time (39 series, Streamlined Bus #29B, Jeep #25J). They are soon replaced by the common 15/8 smooth tyres, and the most recent examples have the small treaded tyres of the 50-60 period, also found on the #254Austin Taxi or on the #258 Police cars. This truck has always been fitted with black tyres.
THE BOXES
I am not a specialist of the boxes, but it is well known that this truck was at the beginning packed in 6-pieces dealers box, generally in rough grey card, then the yellow individual boxes appeared near the end of the 25R version, hence the dual number boxes, and finally there were boxes bearing the 420 sales number, these individual boxes generally having a round spot showing the color of the model inside.
Post initially published : Apr 27th, 2017
Version française ici.
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