G is for Guiterman

This toy was issued by Lucky as the Beford Fire Engine, but as with yesterday's - both the base-plate and the box, fail to match that antecedence! Around 1:48th scale it was also copied in smaller scale for the Fire Station (12 pieces) set we looked at back in April/May.

Hinged, extending ladder and chrome-plated parts, siren and 'fast friction motor' are the main selling points, but really; it's a bright-red, fire engine and cheaper than Dinky; that's what mattered on a damp, grey Saturday in September, back in the day!

The two little mounting holes at the back of the base-plate are a bit of a mystery, but may well be for another motor housing, they tended to be manufactured by third parties and do differ from batch-to-batch or brand-to-brand (or: branding-to-branding is more accurate!), even companies like Japan's Marusan apparently moving away from branded toys to the supply of sub-assemblies.

Box branded to Guiterman, another of the old-school importers ('well-old' in this case!) like Fairylite, like Clifford, while the base-plate is branded to NFIC, who are better known for smaller-scale copies of Dinky including the London Taxi, Daimler Ambulance, Quad tractor and a range of different bodied Humber 1-ton trucks.

You may have noticed (I forgot to mention!) the difference between Brian's Canadian and the earlier - posted - Telsalda buses motor-housings; the axles, wheels and tyres were the same, but the housings were quite different with the Ottawa one having rounded ends, the Telsalda more box-like, although both fitting the same tab-slots.

Previously seen, for the hell of it and with a couple of comparisons; these are the 'war games' size from NFIC and I cropped the Marx gun out as it would be its third outing here and I try to keep duplication to a minimum.

Don't forget - it's Potter's Sandown Park Toy Fair today!

M is for Mini-trucks, Part 7 - Other types/sizes/makes

Finally - how other people treated the mini-truck and some larger versions of the truck showing the Dinky inheritance;

NFIC seems to have used the Dinky truck straight, just giving it a full range of different body types. The London Taxi-cab is also theirs and I've seen a red London Routemaster, so they were aiming at the tourist trade buyers, when not turning out Army-lorrys!

This Argentinian manufacturer; Industria Argentina/RM has gone with a medium range Mercedes truck-cab (3000 series?), but uses all the usual plug-in weapon systems, along with a double-rocket launcher which is a first in this size.

Cane's little carded army contains a Humber, but barely recognisable as such, but the Saracen is a nice little model for it's size/pocket money budget.

The Sam Toys is a clean-lift from Dinky with added crew and has been seen before here and elsewhere.

That's it, for now, I dare say we'll return to the subject in a year or two, in the meantime if you find a new variant let me know!

T is For Trucks - Overview

A bit of a gratuitous post today, these are mostly old photographs I took about ten years ago with my old 35mm Zenit, and in the course of packing for a forthcoming move, I though I'd scan them into the PC, they seemed to scan OK so I collaged them, and am throwing them up here for the hell of it!

Top left to bottom right, clockwise; Airfix (both Types) double convoy of NFIC, the three Tudor*Rose trucks and some slightly smaller trucks from the Beeju stable, with a 'Home Farm' Blue Box type Bedford.

Hong Kong cheepies, modern style to the left of the older - but still available - rack-toy trucks. Below them a 'Mini-car' from VEB Plasticart on the left and some kits on the right, Matchbox, Airfix and Hasegawa in front; Esci behind.

Two scratch builds from Airfix, and an assortment of die-casts top, Matchbox and Dinky bottom left with various other bits bottom right - Corgi x2, HK, Montaplex and a Dime-store toy from the states by...can't remember! A birds name I think...Montana? I'll have to look when I get home! [Mohawk!]

The inset image is the other reason for this post, linking in with both the stuff I posted a few weeks ago, and the forthcoming article on these mini-copies of the old Lone*Star/Kleeware truck, a Kleeware is on the far end of the row, the very tiny one is from a resent Christmas Cracker.

Marx reissues and an original ambulance (copied from the Dinky Daimler of the 1950's), Roco-minitanks early pattern Unimog (correction; I think this is the Roskopf one?), one each from Jean (right) and Manurba (left) and three Blue Box.

B is for Back to Blue Box

So, I covered the Bedfords a while ago now, and took these shots at the same time, so lets 'av a loouk...

The US half-track is a very useful war gaming accessory with the proviso that you ignore the earth-mover arrangement of the tracks! Apart from the odd change in shade of colour and positioning of the stickers (real 1970's things on quite heavy vinyl and very sticky!), there was little variation in these and they do turn up fairly often, there are in addition at least two soft plastic versions from more anonymous HK producers, but they can wait for another day.

Bottom left is the DUKW, with a two-tone camouflage, this is ruined by having only two axles, however it is probably the least common of the Blue Box vehicles. The two crew figures are the equipment operators from the Bedfords, while the twin cannon cupola is taken from the Marx (and/or Airfix 'Attack Force') Landing Craft.

The helicopter is clearly based on the Sud Aviation Gazelle. Of real note is the fact that it is identical to the Hornby-Triang 'Battle Space' helicopter, and - so being - helps to further confirm my theory re. Hornby-Marx-Blue Box connections as laid out in One Inch Warrior magazine Vol. 11.

Austin Champ and American M-100 1/4 ton Jeep trailer. The Champ does not have a hitch, however the Jeep does, but has already been covered somewhere on the blog so I didn't photograph it this time. Early Champs have colour matched drivers the later ones have Mr luminous radioactive-man!

The trailer is well copied in soft plastic often pulled by piracies of the Lesney Matchbox Land Rover! The grey one comes from earlier sets which came with two 'armies' one in green, one in grey. Several vertions exist, some with the pre-war hollow-cast type accessory of a fold-down wire-stiffened cotton tent, or two!

The Blue Box Patton, a vague M47, not much to say about this one, there are a lot of copies around usually in soft ethylene plastic. Of note are the three different barrel ends pointing to a fair bit of work on the mould over the years.

Armoured cars; above are two versions of the Ferret, post-war British armoured scout/reconnaissance car, the soft plastic grey being by/supplied to Marx and possibly pre-dating the hard plastic version issued by Blue box, which was itself copied by N.F.I.C. of Hong Kong.

Below is the late Rado/Ri-Toys Daimler armoured car, taken from the Dulcop one, and so recent you can still find it on rack-toys about the place if you look hard enough. Larger scale and a nasty tinny plastic leaves it a quite undesirable piece!

T is for Triang Battle Space

Some more movements on the Triang rail network.

Here we have some regular wagons pressed into service to move some HQ elements up the coast from Alex, protection is provided by a 6lbr. travelling forward of the locomotive.

These trucks are on the early, non-military well-wagons, in grey, orange and blue, Triang would issue many variations of their rolling stock, with further variations coming from places like New-Zealand.

Khaki well-wagons with East-German armour moving up to their start positions for a race to the Fulda Gap!

The first incarnation of 'Battle Space' was in a British racing green NATO scheme, this is the helicopter launcher and the searchlight wagon, it's missing its little bits, but the light still works. The helicopter was a bit of fun, couldn't fly for toffee, no working tail rotor to keep it strait so it would spin off at a rakish angle and fly into the locomotive bringing the whole train to a catastrophic halt in the middle of the station, which is why the man with newspaper and bowler hat is always missing his feet, which were glued to the platform in the factory!

Khaki version of the helicopter launcher and 'plane launcher, I'm missing the 'plane, but most people are, unless you want to pay Monopoly money for a mint boxed version! I have the body as it was plastic, but the wings were card and have not passed the test of time.