F is for Follow-up - Earlier Today!

Not often we get a follow-up this fast which wasn't planned, but I've just found these in my in-box, courtesy of Brian B! I'm happy to admit I don't really follow metal, civil vehicles closely, although there are tons on the dongles, it was all downloaded from the internet back in the twenty-tens, or scanned in batches, and is really just sitting there waiting for me to sort out the A-Z pages!

 

So when I mentioned earlier that Autocraft were new to me, I meant I'd never seen or heard of them, but it turns out at least one Loyal Reader knows all about them, and has populated his layout with a few;

 

Open Tourer

 

Soft-top.

 

The red motorcycle is a Wizard Models from Australia by a British Expat, while the other two are both Autocraft kits, I love the Noddy-coloured one, which Brian reports is an Austin 7 - the Colleges at Mattingly, had an Austin 7 (hard top) and an Austin 10, both of which I remember being built from the shiny-black painted frames, up! Brian also pointed out "The nice thing about the models is where appropriate people were included wearing correct era clothing".

The pick-up in grey here is another Autocraft and, while I thought I recognised the Charbens Old Crocks, Bran had to point out to me, that the green one with red wheels, is a similar but Japanese-made model.

 

Other stuff in this shot is best left to Brian (my italics);

 

"The black car is a Triumph Mayflower by Oxford Models

On the right, the truck with a red barrel is a Keil Kraft kit.

To the far right is a black diecast Model T van by Lion?

The blue car in front of the Mayflower is a plastic Harburns kit of a Vauxall Taxi built by me. Also issued for Jet Petrol. [which we looked at here - https://smallscaleworld.blogspot.com/2019/03/f-is-for-follow-up-kit-cars.html - number 7]

The blue vintage car front right was a US metal HO kit of, I think, a Buick, built by me."

 

So it was only the other green one, which was Charbens! But nice how they all look together.

 

While the big vehicle is a Tower Model plastic kit of a Blackpool Coronation Tram converted to a travelling/mobile library trailer, with what looks like a Cooper Craft (or another Keil Craft) cab-unit? And more Old Crocks in a jam round the corner!

******************************************

 

This should have, and nearly did, publish several hours ago, but I had to go for a quick drive, then got into an eMail conversation, and then lost an hour watching A Grand Night In, the Story of Aardman, which is free on YouTube!

 

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcMexOinKhQ)

 

So what was aiming for a ten-post day will remain an eight-post day, as my eyes are going funny! But I'm cracking-on this month, and there's still a lot of seasonal stuff to clear, so more to come!

HMG is for Huge Mutha' of a Gun!

As flagged in the previous post, here's me'gun! Because I collect military railway stuff in HO/OO-compatible sizes, and because I knew they were out there, I just found myself a cheap one and got it, I didn't 'need' a blog post to tell me, although there had been plenty, mostly on the rail sites, but also here, prior to 2019!

Shot in the August heatwave of 2022, this is how the beast arrived, a large window box which puts the Duchess of Sutherland's box to shame, as a runt of a thing!

 

Gun depressed for travelling/loading

"I'm a useless gun, nobody likes me!"

(Wot? The oldies are the best!)

Full elevation, they would have fired from suitably angled lengths of track, with recoil partly taken-up by them running away for a few yards, and then being shunted back to their firing position, high spotters, maybe miles away, or even aircraft (?), would report on the fall of shots.

 

It's a strange mix of simplified model and fine detail.

I think this is a frame to cover with camouflage nets for the crew to operate under?

Non-working/non-firing, and both the footplates at the back-end were damaged by whoever shoved the model in its packaging, still, nothing a gentle bend didn't fix though, so all's good!

 

HMG Gladiator, which, if you followed the earlier link, you'll know was based at Martin Mill on the Dover/Deal line, and if I'd read it better I wouldn't have said they were never used in anger, as there was some limited use!

 

When you see the immense faff they went to with these guns, you realise how incredibly awesome battleships actually were, they had 6, 8, 12 or more of these and could fire them all at once, while a single one on a rail-carriage got land-lubbers so excited they gave them names!

The real disappointment with it, is the very obvious split-line down the centre of the barrel, and the lack of realistic breach-detail beyond the unlocking wheel, both of which give it a toy-like appearance, despite the finely detailed railings and cranes. And I think I'd rather have had the storage lockers (under the barrel) closed?

T is for Two - Show Reports - Oxford Die Cast Military Railways - 2019 and 2020!

When I posted the Timely Manner thing the other day, I was - of course - only throwing back at The Jabbering Fuck, that which he had thrown at me a few years ago, if only to highlight the hypocrisy of the turd. Obviously I don't really, and prior to his intervention, had never given cause for anyone to suppose I give a shit who posts what, when, or why, unless they are A) plagiarising me, B) competitively 'following' me or C) attacking me, then - of course - I take umbrage!

 

Although I notice he then stated "sorry for the slight delay in my report, but I had various other commitments that demanded my attention", what, like when I was saying goodbye to my ailing father, or a month or so later, burying him? Or more important than that, because he thought it was fine to attack me for not publishing 'in a timely manner' on that occasion, so whatever he was committed-to recently must have been really, really important for that excuse to be anything more than the pathetic whine of a self-justifying hypocrite!

 

No matter, I have the measure of the man, and to prove how little I give a shit about Timely Manners, here's two, part show-reports, from the London Toy fair from 2019, and 2020! Specifically the military train stuff, which I think we had already glanced at, and therefore flagged-up previously.

2019

The rail-gun which had previously been seen in a neutral greyish-green, was on display with a camouflage scheme and mock-up box, although we were told it might not get to the shops like that. In front was a military 0-6-0 saddle-tank locomotive in the colours of the Railway Operating Division (of the WWI-era Royal Engineers).

 

While the well-wagon with Sherman was back again, along with a weathered flat-wagon, suiable for stores or smaller/soft-skin vehicles. Both had only previously been seen as catalogue images.

 

2020

 

The final production version of the rail-gun, which - for a while - had looked like it might never happen was revealed, and while the same moulding as the WWI 'big push'14" howitzers, previously announced, was now going to be sold as a WWII-era, home-defence 13.5" gun, of which three were produced, and never [were] actually fired in anger!

The unweathered flat-wagon put in an appearance and I got to shoot the Sherman from different angles! And that was them, then, nothing time-sensitive about it, if you want the stuff, you go and buy it, if a Blogger doesn't cover it (and they can never, none of them, cover everything) you go to the company's website, I did, and we'll look at mine, shot in 2022, next!

 

It was pompous arseholery for TJF to bang-on about timely manners like a self-righteous, god-appointed guardian of the hobbies, in the way he did, when he did, and nobody cares (except apparently him) who posts what, when or why. Although other points have come to the light, so I shall be returning to his recent sojourn in the leafier suburbs of the post-industrial Ruhr, soon, but at a time of my choosing, which may or may not be timely!

H is for How They Come In - Charity Shop Backlog - 2021, 1 of 2

Continuing to clear the charity shop plunder shots, I seem to have kept more up to date in 2023, but there's more from '21 and '22 to come, then I'd better start clearing the shelfies, or the Toy Fair stuff, or . . . !

 

A nice haul sometime in April, with three DVD's (I don't do television, there's little of merit on there now, and what there is, gets reissued as boxed-sets, I've just caught-up on Black Books and Spaced!), a British Museum dinosaur from Invicta Plastics, I have four or five now, and not one paid at evilBay prices!

Two nice WWII British softskin's from Oxford I think, a similar plane, I can't remember the provenance, and it went to storage, with most of this, back then, along with a bag of mostly modern funimals and a couple of Mini Bogglins! And I almost missed the pair of Chinese lions or 'Dogs of Pho', which will mage excellent photo-backdrops/props in the future.

 

A week later and I added another Invicta, being a better version of one we've seen here previously, also as a charity-shop purchase, I think? It turned out they were different shades, so I kept the tatty one for now, too!

 

I left this Schleich skinny Dinosaur (Tawa, issued in 2018) in the bag for now, I assume a blind-bag duplicate, sent straight to charity without being opened! Like Invicta, Schleich and Papo hold their value, however, they can be found cheap in charity shops, but not if the staff use "The 'Bay" to price, then they're all five or eight-quid!

 

Another mixed lot, with more viewing pleasures, some Phidal or Phadal-like (Disney stores?) and a ceramic cat. A bag of small 'ornamental' teddy-bears and I can't even recall what's in the bag, bottom left, but it looks like a mole-penguin-troll!

 

 

A bit of a question-mark over these, I'm assuming some sort of board-game pieces, or even chess-set pawns, it's the snake from the Jungle Book, 'Kaa', and I don't think they have much age, there were both a restored re-issue of the original and a new version released in the last few years, and it will be tying-in with one of them? The 1, 3, 4 numbers are probably just cavity marks.

Finally, a catapult pencil-sharpener and another ceramic cat, probably a fairing, the catapult being a Hong Kong copy of the old Spanish Play Me one.

News, Views Etc . . . Vectis - Late September

Another month, and harking back to the similar August post, New Zealand and Singapore are now clear of Covid, while our stats go up and America tops the 200,000 mark with no real sign of a slow-down or effective management

This week's Vectis sales (missed one yesterday; mostly Matchbox die-casts) sale details are as follows

Lot 5756 (mostly Oxford Diecast)

 

Thursday 24th September 2020

Specialist Sale Featuring The Doug Osborn Matchbox & Dinky Collection

Sale starts 10:00am

"The Specialist sale to be held on the 24th of September features The Doug Osborn Matchbox Dinky collection, 477 lots of boxed and unboxed models. The collection includes pre-production Trial models, unreleased, unpainted and unusual variation models, plus, promotional variations, R&D Staff Signed models, colour trials and code 2 models. The collection also includes Gift Sets and pewter models, plus collection books, reissues, and Atlas Editions. The sale will also include 67 lots of Matchbox Yesteryears from the Matchbox Retailer Collection and further items from other vendors including Matchbox, Dinky, Corgi and others."

Online and Download of Catalogue

Lot 6344

Thursday 25th September 2020
Toy & Model Train & Railway Sale
Sale starts 10:00am

"The Model Train sale to be held on the 25th of September starts with almost 200 lots of OO Gauge British Outline from Hornby, Bachmann Lima and others, and includes a Single Owner Collection. The sale continues with HO American Continental Outline, N Gauge, Hoe, Hornby Dublo 2-, and 3-rail plus Xrail and Acho. The sale will also include Wrenn, Triang, Triang TT, OO Gauge Kit/Kitbuilt, Live Steam, and O Gauge from Hornby and others; the sale will conclude with Books, Magazines, Catalogues & Railwayana and our usual good selection of General Trains."

Online and Download of Catalogue

All -

"Please note the AUDIO and VIDEO on the VECTIS PLATFORM has now been restored.

You should be able to view and hear the auctions as normal. Please refresh your screen if you are unable to see the Auction. (Ctrl-F5). Many Thanks for your understanding while we resolved this issue."

Bids can be placed online, prior to, or live during the auction, via telephone or commission.

There are no additional charges for using the Vectis platform to bid. (Invaluable bidders incur an additional charge of 5% from Invaluable).

Due to the ongoing situation these dates may be subject to change.

COVID - 19 RESTRICTIONS

Please note there is still NO viewing, or attendance in person at these Auctions.

Absentee bids can be emailed to admin@vectis.co.uk, or placed via the Vectis or Invaluable website, up until 2 hrs prior to the auction commencing.

ON THE DAY OF THE SALE, LIVE BIDDING is available on www.vectis.co.uk or www.invaluable.com, or TELEPHONE BIDDING can be arranged.

For telephone bidding please contact Vectis prior to the day of the auction. We will arrange for you to be involved live via telephone on the day of the sale. We will call you two or three lots prior to the lot being offered for auction. There is no charge for telephone bidding.

SHIPPING

Please be aware there is still a slight delay with our current despatch times.

Our packing team have been working hard to catch up with the 5 weeks closure we experienced in March/April.

When we re-opened in April we did so with a skeleton staff, we are now back to full capacity and they have been working tirelessly to ensure your parcels are packed as quickly and professionally as possible; the team are now currently packing and despatching August Sales.

We thank you for your understanding and patience in these unprecedented times.

COLLECTION

If you wish to collect items, we would ask customers to first call and pay for their purchases. Ask for a collection appointment date and time. This will allow the packing team to prepare your items and have them ready for you, reducing waiting times.

PLEASE ENSURE YOU WEAR A MASK WHEN COLLECTING LOTS (UNLESS EXEMPT)

Thank you for your understanding.

Contacts

Vectis Auctions Ltd.
Fleck Way,
Teesside Industrial. Estate.
Thornaby,
Stockton on Tees,
TS17 9JZ

Tel: +44 (0) 1642 750616
Fax: +44 (0) 1642 769478

Unit 5A
West End Industrial Estate
Witney, Oxfordshire
OX28 1UB

Tel: +44 (0)1993 709 424

Email: admin@vectis.co.uk

BB is for Nonsense!

The big disappointment with Oxford's die-cast range is the fact that they seem to have decided to pander to the worst of the combat-wombat fantasists usually found at Beltring or Wheels and Tracks at What's-it Hop Farm by providing a totally fictional series of Berlin Brigade urban camouflage schemes for various models in their Land Rover family.

They. Did. Not. Get. Urban. Camouflage. Ever! Bit of a rant today!

Worse, I think all three of the ones I'm looking at here weren't even service-vehicles in the brigade, so they are doubly fictional.

It's a long time ago. But I don't remember 1-Ton's in Berlin, at all. The Wombat platoon had old stripped-down series threes with a false floor to stow the Wombat's ramps, while the mortar platoon had series threes (replaced by defenders in 1986, maybe '87) with trailers for the base-plates. There was a Milan platoon, but I seem to recall they man-packed everywhere, broken down to one tube per infantry company? They ('Milan') had had Forward Control's in Tidworth though . . . I think!

The other uses for One-ton FC's was as 105mm Gun-tractors - we didn't have 105's in Berlin - and as ambulances, but in Berlin we had the old 'camper-van' overhanging-bodied' 3-series (as modelled by Corgi!), or - uniquely in the British Army - Unimogs.

So this vehicle wasn't in Berlin, and if it had been, it wouldn't have got the urban camouflage, which was confined to the larger AFV's - The Chieftains had it (for summer 1986?), the FV432 and 432B (Raden turret)'s had it first (they were wearing it for the Royal Hampshire's 'trooping of the colours' as senior battalion on parade for the Queen's Birthday Parade (QBP), so '84'ish?) and the Armoured squadron's Chieftain ARV's, Ferrets and FV438RE's had it, but our Fox's (bigger than a Ferret and armoured) were green and black.

This example also has far too much grey and not enough chocolate and white for the BB urban camouflage scheme's ratios which were closer to 40/30/30, but that’s going to be the obvious trouble with an invented paint-job!

This is comical, not only were 'lightweights' not service vehicles in Berlin Brigade, the camouflage on this has been copied from a combat-wombat's own civilianised Q-plate vehicle (Q568 GFV) which can be found on the internet; his mate had the most ridiculous aerials on a series-3 LWB and they spent their time worrying sheep between petrol-head events like those mentioned at the start!

Lightweights were considered 'special' vehicles, and while I seem to recall one FFR per company-HQ in Tidworth, it just wasn't a vehicle that the Berlin Brigade ever qualified for, there being no air-portability requirement for units written-off the strength of NATO, due to their low survivability 'forecast' in the event of the shit really hitting the fan!

Again, Land Rovers didn't get urban scheme, again; too much grey, not enough of the other two colours, but also, the series-3 safari's we had tended to window bodies with heavy, full-length (over-hanging) roof-racks (the CO had one I think), and while we did take delivery of the new 110 Defenders while I was there (ahead of both UKLF and BAOR), they were all green and black, and the hard-tops were fibre-glass pull-on's, windowed and all-green. But time's a bitch; and of the three, this is the one I'm not so sure of - as a service vehicle - and it could have arrived in the brigade after I left, but it didn't have the camouflage.

Again there's a combat-wombat one (soft-top Series-3) wearing military plates at shows (85 KB 80), but he's got both colours wrong, the chocolate being instead a camel-shit orange and the dark-grey; a pale ducks-egg colour!

He uses the scheme on the original experimental vehicle (01 GF 98?)'s scheme (from 1982?) which was placed on an old series-3 long before my time in the city, and which was only cleared for use with colour modifications, on the larger AFV's.

The thing is, the AFV's had a war-function of providing fire-support as rolling or emplaced 'bunkers' for ad-hoc battle-groups carrying out whatever task/s they had been given, within (holding actions) or through (breakout-infiltration-harassment) what was to be assumed would be a shattered or damaged city - if they had survived whatever indicated the beginning of hostilities! As such, they were painted to effectively disappear into the rubble.

Minutes 2.18 and 3.10 - 432's only, 1984 or '85

The soft-skins (and Fox) were primarily tasked with normal, day-to-day, 'peace-time' transport, patrolling the wire (foxes) and regular exercising 'down the zone' and therefore carried the standard NATO/UKLF scheme of broad black regions over an mid-olive drab-green (called 'Deep Bronze Green). The Fox'es were eventually painted 'urban' as well, but not until '88 or later.

They were not expected to survive the opening of hostilities, or be much use in the confines of rubble-strewn city streets, and would have been unlikely to have had time to be covered in a non-existing series of schemes. There was supposed to be a secondary function of the schemes - which were 'identikit' for each vehicle type - that of confusing the Russians into the exact numbers of armoured vehicles we had.

1987 - Chieftains now done - minute 13.30 - Striped-down brand-new

Defenders still NATO standard. 

Foxes (briefly visible extreme right at one point)

still NATO too - I'm in there somewhere!

However - given that A) each vehicle had a unique number-plate clearly visible, B) 'Soxmis' (the Soviet Military Mission) were allowed to roam freely over our sector; looking and counting, and C) the Russians knew exactly how many of what AFV-types had gone up and down the 'corridor' rail-lines over the previous 30-odd years - it was an excuse for playing with paint; which only the ruperts at MOD could come-up with!

And why don't the model manufacturers produce Bedford's or other larger soft-skins in the BB scheme? It's lazy, easy, pandering to vicarious combat-wombats! And if you've bought one - give it to your 'Nottingham' space-marines, for that is where it belongs . . . La-la Land!

La-la Land Rover's!

T is for Toy Fair '18 Reports - Oxford Diecast - Military Vehicles

I really must try and get the last of the Toy Fair reports off the computer and on to the Blog!

Shouldn't be too much blurb today as the photo's will speak for themselves, second visit to Oxford Diecast's stand at the [not so] recent British Toy Fair at Kensington Olympia, and the various vehicles I shot there.

An assortment of 1:76th scaled vehicles including a nice group of steam traction engines and road-rollers, and some very nice Glenfrome (?) 6x6 Range Rovers in various liveries. I also like the AEC Armoured Command Vehicle in err . . . both liveries!

Further down the line-up sees nice soft-skins from World War Two and the Cold War and an intricate looking Bofors, along with a totally fictional 1-ton Land-Rover! In the background are some lovely showman's wagons and circus vehicles, which could help bring the lovely Preiser sets up to OO-compatibility for UK layouts.

AFV;'s in the guise of Churchill IV's (?) and both short-76mm and 'Firefly' Shermans, the fictional lanny again with another in what looks like 1:48th scale, both the 'rovers are fictional in two ways, but there'll be a post on them later!

Catalogue page with a plethora of AFV's, ancient and modern, the tele-porter 'Long Reach' is an interesting and different model; it would look good serving either a modern jet or an artillery piece/SPG in a little vignette? And we've seen the Post Office version of the BSA here on the Blog in the past.

I thought the RAF centenary set was a bit lame; three modern/late type 'rovers, a JCB and and WWII truck with the ubiquitous Spitfire? They could have done better from what they already list, with a bit of paint!

More Land Rovers, I'd love this set, but it's got another fictional one to be repainted! The three one-tons's are the best thing about this set, along with the little desert theatre paint-finished, series-one. In the background can be seen boxed-sets of thematic commercials, military and civil vehicles.

As well as the odd 1:48th scale vehicle or two, Oxford have a growing range of N-gauge vehicles and I'm rather taken by the trio of little tractors!

Knowing next to nothing of N-gauge (I had the non-powered Treble-O trains from Triang Lone Star as a kid) I can't be sure, but the Churchill looks too wide to make a useful flat-bed load, which would seem to be the main-point of making one at this size? Especially as I think they had to have the side-sponson engine/air-intake louvres removed for rail-trooping anyway? And - is the turret on backwards?

T is for Toy Fair '18 Reports - Oxford Diecast - Military Trains

Under their Oxford Rail sub-brand, Oxford Diecast had some interesting things on show and/or in their Catalogue, so they will get two Show Reports! This is the 'rail-report' and it's the Military stuff I'm concentrating on here.

A Class 2533 locomotive (0-6-0 Saddle Tank Loco - I think!) in World War One War Department scheme, this is the better-looking equivalent of the old Tri-Ang/Hornby 'Battle Space' loco we looked at ages ago and is a prerequisite for hauling your 'trooper', or getting your Flanders-bound defence-stores or supplies down to the South Coast!

Or

A Class 2533 locomotive (0-6-0 Saddle Tank Loco - I think!) in World War Two War Department scheme, this is the better-looking equivalent of the old Tri-Ang/Hornby 'Battle Space' loco we looked at ages ago and is a prerequisite for hauling your 'trooper', or getting your D-Day build-up supplies down to the South Coast!

It's not clear and - to be honest - the wars were close enough together for it to not matter much?

It has a choice of W↑D and civilian Warwell Wagons to tow.Which shows how out of touch with model railways I am, I used to call them 'Well Wagons'? Anyway, two of the military ones (with and without a mid-war, cast-turret, welded-hull, Sherman tank - short 76mm barrel), come with different rolling-stock numbers which is a nice touch.

A third military one has a steam engine road-roller with another set of wagon-markings and there's a three-pack of separately numbered W↑D Warwell's to boot! So a troop of three tanks on un-matching flats (wells?) is attainable for the modeller, or a full train with six wagons. Detail is far better than the old Triang ones I've been collecting over the years.

And then there are theses two behemoths to be towed-about the place!

I didn't ask the kind lady about the difference between the two examples (one having a six-sided barrel, the other - apparently - 12-facets), but I think the difference in barrels may be down to which type of 3D-printer you happen to have, as they were planned for the ready-to-run range, both the likely price pushed them to a download option mid-project - still ongoing!

A close-up reveals the tell-tale lines of 3D-Printing; but they can be mostly hidden with 'crack-filler' auto-primer, or careful applications of modelling-filler with scraps of plasticard, and then a decent paint-job.

I'm guessing the railings and ducted wiring-loom have to be 'provided by the modeller'? But most of the other small pieces should be part of the print?

The now dated catalogue entry, for more information on this Rail Gun thereis a site with few details. but it's supposed to be becoming a download , whether the train packs will still go ahead without the gun or not I don't know, but from the blurb, I'm guessing one would set the gun's scene in WWI the other; bring it forward to the WWII era?

Calibre seems to be pretty unique for an artillery-piece, being '24 Tommies'!

O is for Other Bikes

Really an exercise in clearing Picasa, actually a never-ending exercise! These have slowly accrued waiting for their chance to shine on the blog, and this is it . . . although most of them aren't very shiny!

The big black one is actually quite badly damaged, but on the other side! Came in a mixed-bag of odds and sods from someone (so I'll thank - alphabetically - Brain Carrick, Peter Evans, Gareth Morgan and Trevor Rudkin - to cover all the bases!) and is - I think - Cofalux, it certainly looks like others I've seen, but isn't quite the same so may not be? It'll be French though?

The other is also probably French as I don't think Wendal ever listed a fire-brigade motorcycle? Therefore it must be one of the 'alu's, but which? Cof, 'do, or Mign'! Seems to be Fire Service and photographed on Adrian's stall ages ago.

Oxford Diecast; yes I know one's not a motorbike, but this is an exercise in getting stuff off the laptop as much as it's about motorcycles!

As an aside, the tractor should be green and old Henry Marshall was a mate of Dad's and actually helped us source our Marshall's Thrashing Engine, now that's a day's hard work: thrashing corn the old way! And when you feed horse-beans into the drum, it sounds like someone's trying to open the gates of hell with a machine-gun!

This is the actual one, I painted it - so much for Rustoleum! We used to run it off a Fergie-135, but I'm afraid the salt-air got to it after a time and it was a landmark up on the cliffs for another decade or so, before the scrap-man got it - but he didn't get much!. When the tag-list says it was abandoned - it wasn't, it was used as a shelter by the eepydeeps, and I think that's Minnie or Tiddles in the background with their kids (no, they're not kids, they're lambs, goats have kids!), we specialise in black-sheep!

More, what's to say about it . . . OO-guage compatible, but a bit big for HO, reasonable detail, reasonable paint - for moulded metal - and current production . . . er, that's it!

Brilliant! I think this was a quid at Sandown Park toy fair sometime in the last few years? Seems to have just appeared in the collection! Probably Hong Kong, but unmarked, probably a copy of a better US dime-store toy of the 1950's; has similarities to the copies of the submarine bath toys and copies of Manurba mini-subs in the construction and the silver-grey plastic type . . . brilliant!