27M/341 trailers with ridged wheels
A trailer again ! Of course, but this one is closely bound to the LAND ROVER that I have studied in
previous posts. As its parent car, this trailer is part of the 27 series of agricultural vehicles.
History and description of the model
As far as I know, this trailer was never announced or listed in the Meccano Magazine, but it was probably launched near 1951 just after the car. It was listed in the DINKY catalogs between 1952 and 1969, then disappeared at the same time as the LAND ROVER, which was replaced by a new model in 1970. One can wonder why this trailer didn't receive the #27E (never used) following the #27D of the LAND ROVER. Can anyone bring informations to solve the mystery ?
This model is very fitted to suit the #27D/340 LAND ROVER, as the dimensions are exactly corresponding to this vehicle (same size of the body as the car, length of the towing bar allowing exactly a 90° angle with the car, assorted colors) although it can of course be towed with other vehicles.
Unlike the LAND ROVER, of which I own the factory drawings, I never saw the factory drawings of the trailer, and therefore this article is only reflecting the review of the models and the links between the trailer and the LAND ROVER itself. Those drawings are not even listed in the Mike & Sue Richardson's Great Book of Dinky Toys (or any other publication as far as I know).
At the beginning of its production, the trailer was fitted with painted ridged hubs, and big grey treaded tyres having a round profile. The evolution of the tyres and hubs follows exactly the LAND ROVER's one : squared profile treaded tyres, plastic hubs, etc. One can notice that unlike the LAND ROVER, the trailer was never equipped with the small washers as fitted on the car in order to separate the body and the wheels.
For the model description, one will notice the ring allowing the trailer to be towed. Although it seems quite fragile, it should not being so, as it is still complete on most of the surviving trailers. Under the towing bar is a steel sheet riveted on it, painted the same color as the trailer (I.e. riveted before the painting), and then unpainted (i.e. riveted after the painting). The same towing hook as on the LAND ROVER is riveted at the rear of the trailer, and it was deleted on the late versions. Here are also two distinct versions of the towing hook (see article on the LEYLAND FC LORRY 25R/420). The hook is made of black thick tin, an is never painted on this model.
The inner horizontal surface has stripes to represent the planks, as well as the outer face of the sides and from the rear. The inner faces or the vertical walls and the front face of the trailer have no detail. The metallic armature of the trailer and their rivets are visible on the sides and on the rear of the trailer, in a same way as on the BIG TRAILER (cf. the article on this model).
The "T" decal applied on the rear of the trailer at the beginning of the production was later deleted.
On the underside of the trailer is following wording visible : DINKY TOYS, MADE IN ENGLAND et MECCANO LTD respectively over, on the right and under the spraying support hole. On the left of the hole appears the 341 catalog number after 1954. The 25M catalog number has never been cast on this model.
The casting variants
The casting variants found on the trailer are far more numerous than those of its sister car. The colors are assorted to the colors of the LAND ROVER itself.
V0 : Initial casting of the trailer, no reference cast, ridged hubs, big rear hook with rounded extremity, big treaded grey or black tyres with rounded section, T decal on rear. Known colors : orange with cream hubs, green with green hubs, dark blue with mid blue hubs (rare).
Versions with ridged hubs, without reference and with 341
Detail of the underside of the trailer, without reference and with 341
Detail of the rear hook, small rounded on the left, bigger squared on the right
V1 : Catalog number 341 added (i.e. after 1954), ridged hubs, bit rear hook with squared extremity, big treaded grey or black tyres with rounded then squared section, T decal on rear then no decal. Known colors : orange with red hubs, green with green hubs.
Versions with plastic hubs
Details of the underside : rear hook deleted, spring on the front painted then unpainted
V2 : Catalog number 341 cast, plastic hubs, grey or black big treaded tyres with squared section, no decal, rear hook and fixation spigor deleted. On the most recent models, the steel blade riveted under the towing bar is not painted, i.e. riveted after the painting of the body. Known colors : orange with red or green hubs, red with yellow or red hubs, red with black hubs (rare).
THE BOXES
I must write it again, I am not a specialist of the boxes. Therefore, I will only give some words on this topic. As the LAND RPVER, the trailer was at the beginning packaged in yellow retailer cardboard boxes containing 4 pieces. After 1954 some individual boxes were produced, between them this illustrated one.
Later the illustration was deleted (perhaps in order to spare on production costs by reducing the colors to the sole red, and a colored dot was added to show the color of the model. This is by the way bizarre, because when the red versions were produced there was no other color available !
At the end of production, the trailer was sold (especially in the USA) in golden boxes having a big transparent window allowing to see the model. The boxes were sized to contain cars, and the trailer seemed very small in those boxes.
Post initially published : mar 24th, 2019
Version française ici.
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