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.

V is for Volkseigener Betrieb (VEB) Part 1; Introduction

Years ago (1990) I went back to Berlin, where I had been stationed in the Cold War, to stay with friends and attend Roger Waters 'The Wall' concert, on what had - in my day - been the large dog-run infested minefield to the left of the Reichstag, down at Potsdammer Platz.

The day after the concert I was bumming around the flea-market that grew up in the shadow of the Brandenburger Tor (Brandenburg Gate), when I chanced upon some little Soviet era AFV's by a company calling itself MAB Mobile. I bought them!

When I returned to Britain I wrote to the company, asking them if they had an importer, and if not - could I be that man! They sent me one of everything gratis and I put in an order!!!

Since then - as my AVF collection has grown - I've linked the little die-casts to various plastics, both civil and military and these next 5 posts are that story, it's not complete, it's not totally accurate, but it (hopefully) gives a flavour of the thing!


My Advertisement for the civil trucks, carried in Model and Collectors Mart, until my modest investment was eaten up, and I wound-down the company, braking-even but with stock left (so a mental profit!). The Fire Engine sold so well I never ended up with one for myself...Doh!

P.S. Given that Roco Minitanks were charging between 6 and 12 quid for their models at the time, I think I was quite cheap!

A lot of East German toys have the VEB prefix on their box end labels and/or box graphics, it means; 'People-owned [ie; STATE-owned!] enterprise' and would often refer to a group of older independent companies, who - producing similar products - were lumped together. One of these was VEB Kombinat Plasticart Annaberg-Bucholz (Plasticart Berlin).

First selling as Mini Car, they then marketed under various guises, handed over to VEB Kombinat Metallaufberitung Halle (MAB Mobile) and were finally swallowed by Western concerns.

Other names which may or may not be/have been associated with Plasticart/MAB mobile;

VEB Kombinat Plasticart Annaberg-Bucholz (taken over by MAB in 1984)

Modell-Fahrzeuge/VEB Berlinplast (part of Plasticart? production ceased)

VEB Prefo Dresden (now Hruska-Permot)

Hruska-Permot (have MAB moulds)

MEG; Modell Eck Gäuer (made accessories for Espewe trailers)

Mini Car; (VEB Plastspielwaren, Predecessor of SES)

SES; Schmidt Electronic Systeme (had some of the Espewe moulds, now called...;)

Modelltec (ex SES since 2003)

IMU Motorsport GmbH/Interspeed Modellautos Ülsmann (supply SES/Modelltec)

Only useful link I can find on the web...and it's a good one;

Espewe.

V is for Volkseigener Betrieb (VEB) Part 2; History & Boxes

Various boxes illustrating the passage of the company/companies involved, after the heliotrope-pink Minicar graphics they switched to the pink and yellow Plasticart, although these boxes are far more common with the Espewemodelle trade name. Item 72, the BTR-50P actually has a metal superstructure and heralds the final E.German incarnation prior to sub-summation by the West. The Minicar boxes differentiate between contents with the aid of paper labels, while Plasticart boxes are dedicated to their contents, like Matchbox 1-75 series. The MK-modelle box is designed with multi-lingual product information for export to other Warsaw Pact states, while the pink & blue box of the Icarus 260 bus are less common. Variants of box-ends, with or without over-printing or paper labels, note how the BTR makes a feature of it's die-cast parts with the 'Zinkguss' moniker, translating literally as "good zink", this would continue with MAB Mobile. Model 82, an Icarus 31 omnibus, the only real difference between the un-doctored box and the doctored one is that the price is no longer on display, presumably this was the less than subtle way they put up state prices (which in a glorious 'Peoples Democracy' - that is of course a 'social' democracy!!!) weren't supposed to rise, inflation being a Western weakness! Russian and Czechoslovak wording on the export packaging, as we will see further down the page, the E.German stuff was far closer to Western qualities than Russian production, so these would probably have been quite sought after in the neighbouring states. The final incarnation; this packaging was in use in 1990/91 when I was the sole importer of these models to the UK for a short while. The same box was also used for three versions of the Opel Kaddet (Vauxhall Astra) in 1:43 scale, a clear attempt to tap into the West German market.

V is for Volkseigener Betrieb (VEB) Part 3; Civilian Plastics

A selection of bus models from VEB Plasticart, Espewemodelle and MK, they are all Icarus prototypes, although the company did manufacture other makes. Modernisation in the East consisted of new bolt-on features, a system that was easy to reproduce in braille-scale. Here a new radiator assembly is all that's required to update one model from the range. As economics improved prior to reunification, peoples diet also improved, this is reflected in the larger driver of the later issue!!! (This is a humorous aside and should not be taken as a serious social (or socialist!) opinion of anything). Also; in the East you either got a coupon to get your hair done, OR, your face made up, but not - apparently - both! And; Can someone tell me what Herr. Hitler is doing driving an East German bus?!! The little 1:120 scale model (TT gauge) Icarus 'Reisebus' (coach) from MK, halfway between 1:87 (HO gauge) and 1:160 (N gauge). The MAB Mobile Tatra 815 truck model, sold in three versions, this one with a plank load, as a flat-bed with no load, and with a canvas tarpaulin. The chassis was also used for a fire-engine. The plastic cab assembly was sourced in the West and actually supplied by Wiking, while VEB Kombinat Metallaubereitung Halle produced the die-cast body. A small sprue with the rear-view mirrors was included for home assembly to prevent damge in transit, a very Western practice, which shows how the East were trying to 'raise their game'. Tie-ins like this were quite common with West German companies like Herpa and Brekina supplying parts or whole re-packed models to their Eastern brothers. As E.Germany was a sealed economy there was no real competition and it was a useful way of getting a slice of a market they were otherwise unable to penetrate. As an aside; The West Germans did whatever they could within the Soviet structure to help their fellow Germans in the East, and the Berlin senate - as well as picking-up the tab for three occupation armies (Brit, French and American) - made regular 'donations' to E.Berlin, either financial or as more practical technical aid, as did Bonn to the wider E.Prussian 'Lander'.

V is for Volkseigener Betrieb (VEB) Part 4; Military Plastics

The Mini Car G5 Army Crane-wagon, one of the favourites from my collection, VEB Plasticart produced a really nice range of trucks - primarily for the model rail market - and military versions of many were turned-out. Given the neither Roco nor Roscopf made much Warsaw Pact stuff, it is worth tracking these down if you wish to war game the Cold War in 1:76 (not far-off HO).

Tracked stuff in Plasticart/Espewe packaging, the best - in my opinion - is the Soviet designated; ZSU 57-2, here called a Fla-SFL 57. Far more successful than Sgt. York (and pre-dating it by a decade or two!) and much cheaper than the Gepard family. The BTR 50P, as already mentioned is the first to carry a MAB die-cast body, while retaining Plasticart packaging.

A comparison shot (click on it for a better look, until I post it I won't know how good it is, as I've had to work on it in Picasa, and it's pixelation may have been degraded?). From left to right, rear of each pair first;

Roco Minitanks - plastic T34/76
Roco Minitanks - plastic T34/85 (same chassis)
Roco Minitanks - plastic T44
Roco Minitanks - plastic T54/55 (same chassis)
Unknown Russian - die-cast T34/44/54 (???)
Plasticart/Espewe - plastic T54/55
Roscopf - plastic PT76
MAB Mobile - die-cast & plastic PT 76

This image throws up some interesting stuff, not least of which is the Russian effort, these were sold right through the 1960's/'70's and '80's, yet have all the sophistication of the funny little semi-fictional slush-casts of 1930's/40's American companies like Barclay, Manoil, Grey Iron and Ideal. A lot of these simple Russian toys (which I will cover in greater detail another day) were produced 'ad-hock' during factory down-time, in facility's that were - in the normal scheme of events - supposed to be producing tractors or washing-machines!!

Roco claimed to produce in 1:87 scale and Roscopf claimed 1:90 as their preferred scale and this is born out in the photo, however, the plasticart T54/55 is a tad on the small side while the MAB Mobile PT76 is equally off the other end of the scale, being to big!. It's worth noting that the Roscopf range of 'warpac' stuff while not great, was considerably better than the Roco Range, as they were different scales, there is no 'not treading on each others toes' reason for this , and it made using them as recognition models in the forces problematical, as soldiers got the impression all Soviet stuff was smaller than the equivalent NATO vehicles!!!

Also - given the rarity of models of T44's in any scale, I will continue to believe the Russian one is supposed to be a '44, note the flat sides to the turret and post-war extended fuel tank positioning!!!! IT'S A FORTY-FOUR!!!

V is for Volkseigener Betrieb (VEB) Part 5; Tracked Metal

The complete range of MAB Mobile badged military vehicles, to which can be added the BTR 50P, which follows the same construction layout of die-cast main castings with plastic for the wheels, add-ons and more technical castings. Mild steel wire is used for axles and the elevation mechanism of the FROG 4 (Free [-flight] Rocket, Over [the] Ground, 4th identified variant. NATO designation).

This sheet of transfers comes in every box of late production, with various markings for Warsaw Pack forces. The problem being the roundels were usually only used on parade - so no good for war gaming, while the two tactical numbers were the same for every set!!

The FROG 4 has various angles of elevation cased by little bumps in the moulding, a slight knock and it would fold down for a quick getaway!

This is a nice model, the detailing is fine, and unless you are a rivet-counting purist worried about the position of every little detail and hatch hinge, as good as anything Dinky, Corgi or Matchbox produced, simply by dint of having a thin matt coat rather than the multiple layers of two-pack gloss most Western die-casters would employ.

It is however - as hinted at above - closer to 1:76 than true HO/1:87th scale.

V is for Volkseigener Betrieb (VEB) Part 6; Wheeled Metal

BTR 40P-3, equipped with Snapper ATGM (NATO designation), in E. German service this was an SPW 40 PAL-Raketen. As shown above, early ones were given a black mounting in the factory and had the transfers applied, later ones were left silver and issued with THE sheet of markings.

Note the richer olive of the earlier issue.

BTR 60PB APC, with behind the earlier BTR 60P by Roskopf. Roco never did a '60, so I've shown their Sd.Kfz. 234 Puma instead as a vague guide to size (at 6 meters the Puma should be smaller than a BTR's 7.5 meters). For those interested and new to the hobby, the BTR 60PA was a '60P with a metal roof and no turret.

Digressing for a moment; this has always been one of my favourite AFV's. when I was a kid I dreamt of one day having a Alvis Scaracen on the drive, until I discovered in latter life, that they were in fact, top-heavy, small-arms fire liabilities that could 'wind-up' their axles on prolonged road journeys and come to a grinding halt! But BTR 60's, oh boy! the late versions, low-slung, ballistic boats, amphibious, HMG turret, variable self-pressurising wheels....in the last few years they've gone '70, '80 and now BTR 90 (which visually doesn't look so good?) take one of these down the town hall and ask them to re-appraise your planning application!!

BRDM 1 recce. vehicle. Years ago I was taught Soviet recognition by a member of the Belgian SAS, who used to say BRDM in such a distinctive fashion, I hear his voice every time I see the abbreviation, he sort of said Beerdiem, in a low baritone like Santa!

Note also the final colour issued (nearest in the photo) matches the little Matchbox 1-75 series military vehicles tone-for-tone!! The BTR 40 is - of course - a beerdiem underneath.

Well, that's everything I know about this group (or; group of group) of companies. I have a few of the military one's to swap, and will happily swap one-for-one for equally rare or unusual AFV's. I'm particularly after those Plasticart trucks not illustrated above, but will swap for Banner/Pyro/Wannatoys type things, the HK Playart type stuff or Polistil plastics. eMail me...I also have a few of the Vauxhall/Opel's if they are any use to anyone?