P is for Pull Apart Steam Roller

There seems to have been a little war between the early practitioners of polyethylene toy production, when it came to clip-together steam-engine road rollers, with Kleeware, Tudor Rose, Bell, Merit and others all producing one (several in the case of T*R) in that intermediate size around 40-50mm as far as any compatible or accompanying figures, go, and while most of them didn't have accompanying figures, this is one that did, and also one of the 'others'.

We had one (a road roller in ethylene) when we were kids which I think I've decided was the Merit one by dint of its having pink, sky-blue and mint-green among its plastic parts, but when I see some of the others I question my memory sometimes, however, this one with its drive-belt, metal-pin axle and square-section canopy-supports is definitely not the one we had. Also there's nowhere to stow the chimney-pipe on top of the canopy; which ours had.

Made by Raphael Lipkin in two colours; presumably there would have been reverse color versions to cover a full mould-shot, although red wheels are traditional so maybe there were two tools and one colour-way?

But this one had a driver, and a driver who I think is in the 'Unknown - maybe Kleeware/Tudor Rose' section of the civilians in storage, so double bargain, as A) it helps me out and B) got an instant booking on the Blog!

It's also a much better sculpted driver that those in a Tudor Rose three-vehicle set we've seen on the blog passim. Indeed the Merit roller is here somewhere as well, and possibly a Kleeware in a long shot from Pam Taylor in Wales.

The packaging is in green and black, so no clue as to the contents, but back in those days (pretty much when I was born!) there would probably have been one in a wood & glass display cabinet, along with other toys, the boxes (individual or 'counter-stock') arranged in stacks nearby.

Looking at the exploded views and artwork, it seems the drive-belt is an owner addition, a rubber band in matching red, a thinner black one possibly being included, but it's not on the assembly drawing; only in the artist's rendition.

Thanks to Adrian Little of Mercator Trading for letting me shoot this back in September at the Sandown Park Toy Fair, where he will be stalling-out again this coming Saturday (3rd) weather permitting.

And while I'm taking talk of a 'snowmageddon' heading this way with a pinch of salt, my toes are saying "Don't be too cynical, something big's on the way", however hopefully I'll be there too, looking for a few bargains to throw on the blog! Nice stuff from the Charity shops today