D is for Dive! Dive! Dive!

We looked at the Lone Star mini-sub/2-man torpedo with box a while ago, courtesy of Brian Berke, and at the time I mentioned the divers I had which were unfindable, well, I found them! And they weren't where I thought they might be, but that's collecting, as I'm sure some of you know only too well!

Mine is sans box (as is most of the large scale collection; too busy filling gaps to worry about packaging), but is otherwise all there, the only difference with Brian's in that his propeller was silver (polished steel!), while mine is gold (steam era bronze!). As you can see I need to find another rider - in either paint scheme - as mine don't match, one has an all-over silver suit, the other is mostly black with green straps on the helmet (matching Brains), but it doesn't end there . . .

. . . as I have a third, who doesn’t match either of them! He's not in the soft PVC-like material of some of the other Toyway re-issues, being polyethylene. Equally I don't think any of the marques who've been involved with the British re-issues have done the 'sub, so I guess a test shot of the mould-tool?

My propeller is a bit loose and keeps falling out so I keep it in its own little self-seal bag (with the equally loose counter-weight), but the hook is still there, so I could power it up if I wanted to. To be honest; I'm not sure the grommet hasn't been replaced with the end of a cheap, BIC-like biro?

Timpo's was a simpler affair with no motive power and an underside too narrow for one of those Hong Kong made, battery-operated - usually red/white - motor units you could by separately for such things, but which were also supplied with a lot of model vessels.

Mine is missing it's 'coat hanger' counter-weight, a thin [-shaped wire, similar to the Indian canoes, but a different length, which was designed to keep it upright while you pushed it about the bath! The propeller does turn, but you need a pencil or toothpick to make it so or make it go!

Timpo get a support-boat however, and there are other colours of scuba-tank (are there green ones?), the boat being used by other figures, and there is a four-man version but only with Brit's I think?

I see these on evilBay frequently, and recently missed-out on a  pearler which was bid to a reasonable sum! The divers are Britains copies I think, but the 'sub itself is relatively unique in design, but may be a copy of a toy I'm unaware of (Italian or Spanish maybe?).

From the nature of the graphics on the ad's I cropped these two out of, and the logotypes, I suspect Koon Yip were the manufacturer, while Mayfair some kind of middle-men - wholesalers or shippers? I also wonder if there is a motor nestled underneath, and whether it's B/O or wind-up?

All still on feebleBay yesterday, one (top left) a colour variation on a generic card, another (bottom right) described by the seller as Heinerle (which I doubt), the other two in Koon Yip-branded packaging and available - between the four - from the US, Canada and Germany!

The Britains one is the obvious absentee in this post, but first, I thought we'd seen it here already (but can't find the images) and second while I also thought I had one, I now can't find it . . . if I have, so 'another day' for that one!