T is for Triang Minic Part 1; Military Vehicles

Lines Brothers had as part of their empire the Trade Mark 'Minic' which for years was synonymous with British School-boys as a maker of large sized tin-plate wind-up/Clockwork toys. In the 1950's the range began to include Dinky type die-casts, and plastic followed in the late '60's. Eventually some of these would find their way into the Triang railway (later Triang-Hornby) range. Today we're looking at some of the Minic Plastics from my collection.

Here are both versions of the 'Tank', on the left the Triang/Triang-Hornby Battle-Space rocket-firing tank, with the Minic sparking tank on the right, the hull is identical on both, with different slip-on turrets. The hull is a generic cross between the prototype Conqueror and Centurion tanks of the 1960's, while the turret of the sparker is more Conqueror. Missiles fire about 3.5 meters!

The missile mechanism was also used on two and four-round turreted bunkers as part of the Battle-Space range, the larger turret also being fitted to one of the rolling stock wagons in the same series. The tank version was re-issued in a sandy colour in 1982 as part of a short-lived 'Task Force play-set, part celebration of/part tie-in to the action in the South Atlantic (reaching it's conclusion earlier the same year) which ensured that the will of the Falkland Islander's not to have their home renamed 'Malvinas' was upheld.

Triang Minic AFV's, both vehicles in both colour-schemes. The tank is a vague Centurion, while the A/C is a generic WWII thing with an AEC'ish body and Staghound'ish turret? All fitted with a 'pull-back' motor.

These vehicles also come in blue-grey as RAF equipment, with a Cole's type crane and low-loader along with an aircraft, in a large boxed set. Civilian versions also exist. Earlier versions of these trucks - especially the civilian ones - are subject to warping and were made with some form of phenolic plastic, later ones however; are a more stable styrene compound.

T is for Triang Minic Part 2 ; Civilian Vehicles

Three of the Civilian lorries with a military one for comparison, these were a 'mid-budget' range, more expensive than the Tudor Rose/Pyro end of the market and would have been competing with similar vehicles by Wells Brimtoy, Palitoy and Co. The cab is generic, but has shades of AEC/Guy. Note also; the two different wheel/tyre types.

Earlier versions of these trucks - especially the civilian ones - are subject to warping and were made with some form of phenolic plastic, later ones however; are a more stable styrene compound.

Civil version of the tracked tractor next to the military one, and two colour variants of the limousine, I think it's meant to be a Bentley or Rolls Royce?

The final incarnation of Triang Minic was these 'Minix' all plastic non-powered HO scale vehicles which were sold singly like Matchbox 1-75 series, or in sets of three and were also supplied to Triang Trains for the Motor-Rail coaches and flat-bed wagons.

There was also the Minic Motorway system in which vehicles similar to some of the above were fitted with electrically powered 'slot' motors, but that is a post for another day!

T is for Triang Minic Part 3; Rivet Counting Bit

Here we see the sparking mechanism, with the spark-channel - unused on the Battle-Space version. A simple gravity feed presses the flint onto a carborundum coated wheel revolving as part of the 'pull-back' motor.

A comparison shot, front to back; Roco-minitanks Conqueror, Minic 'Tank', Airfix Centurion and Roco Centurion. It seems that the Triang vehicle has the wheels of a Conqueror, and a hybrid deck that's more Centurion than Conqueror, with a turret that's more Conqueror than Centurion!

For 'Old School' war-gaming you could use it as a 1:87/HO Conqueror, or a 1:76/72 Centurion.

[The Airfix example was painted by me in about 1976, and if anybody can guess the colour (from a photo' - which is never easy!) I'd love to track down a tin, it's an old Humbrol Authenticolour in a yellowish-olive and along with the Azure Blue, was one of my favorite tins as a kid. I used the Azure for German Paratroop helmets!]

The three types of 'Pull-back' kinetic/stored-energy/flywheel motor used in the Minic plastic range. You can see how the carborundum was just adhered to the main flywheel.

Earlier versions of these trucks - especially the civilian ones - are subject to warping and were made with some form of phenolic plastic, later ones however; are a more stable styrene compound.

A comparison of the scales used, the Minic/Triang-Hornby/Battle-Space tank is big at around 1:72 and had a tendency to collide with track-side accessories, particularly if you placed them on an inside bend, as the low-loader that carried it would 'cut' the corner! The truck range and limousine are approximately 1:76 (a bit narrow in the case of the lorries), while the little tank and armoured car were 'silly size' say...1:100'ish. The Triang-Hornby/Minix cars are a reasonably true 1:87/Ho scale.

U is for Underwater

Only the one photograph, but a lot in it. Centre top is the lose Mini-submarine from Manurba with the driver/pilot underneath, to the left is the same machine issued as Scuba Diver Set by Gordy in the US (another company that remains unsung under Giant's shadow, despite producing a similar sized range of similar products?), while below it is the more common Hong Kong copy, note the full-round cross-section. This is a hard plastic model with soft diver, the Maurba one is all soft.

To the right of the lose ones we see the carded presentation of the HK one, entitled Frogman Set with colour variants below.

The bottom of the picture shows from left to right; Baking-powder divers from Manurba (these are different from the Kellogg's one's and I will look at them all later), while next are a couple of Hong Kong Mini-sub's in soft plastic that have kept the Manurba hollow hull, and came in Christmas Crackers, Sobres etc..

Finally, the same card as above, but with different contents and marked L.I.C. (Laramie Industries Corp.) Philadelphia. In the very centre is a Manurba rubber boat (sans engine) to compare with the HK copy of the Airfix US Marines boat.

U is for Unknown Wild West

More unknown figures, this time it's the Wild Wild West! I've used an Airfix ACW artilleryman for a scale comparison throughout.

Top row, left to right; Hard polystyrene - German premium? Early British soft polythene, has the arse-spike of a wagon rider but the legs of a horse rider? A fully articulated soft plastic figure, looks like the sort of thing Kinder would have produced, but as far as I know, this is not Kinder. maybe one of the lesser makes like LZ/Zaini? Finally a HK type figure but in a dense nylon type plastic, maybe French?

The next row starts with three Italian production very similar to the space men I posted yesterday, but still no manufacturers name. Then a figure I've left in even though I now have the library here and can tell you he's been issued by Nadi or Negrita (both French coffee brands) the other 19 can be seen on page 96 of Piffret's excellent 'Figurines Publicitaires'. Then the last figure seems to have a German or American feel to him? I think he's peeling potatoes!

The final row starts with two mounted figures I suspect are Italian, they're very similar to all the other Italian stuff I have, being hard plastic, I'd like to team them up with the correct horses? Then two (unrelated) figures one mounted and one probably designed to be either mounted or on foot, both quite ridged ethylenes, the yellow one on the left being so dense he appears - on first inspection - to be hard polystyrene. Finishing with a rubberised figure, this is one of those figures I suspect I have identified, but then forgotten the origin/lost the note! German?

The green guy is very like the largest version of the Siku figures, but is not a pose known to that set. Also; all the 45/50mm Siku's I have are a dun/fawn brown under the paint, not green, but I suspect Germany or France for this guy's origins?

Next is a nylon type plastic figure who shares sculpting and pose clues with a game called Bonanza, which I've recorded as being by MB Games, yet there is nothing on Boardgamegeek, apart from a note referencing a German game; From BGG - "Bonanza is an old German board game based on the famous TV-show. The game is a simple roll and move affair, players try to reach the Ponderosa with their four cowboys as quickly as possible." which was made by Noris Spiele. However the figures I have for that game are smaller.

Now it may be that the German arm of MB took over the game or that there was another game with this figure, or that the four cowboys were each a different size, OR that the others I have are a kid/teenager from the series and that this is an adult? Each player haveing four chacters from the TV production? I'm not familier with Bonanza, I grew up with The Virginian, and graduated to The High Chaparall and Alias Smith & Jones!!

The third figure is almost certainly French, minor make, and in the same phenolic plastic as Starlux, Jim and Clairet. The last figure in the row is a soft plastic copy of a character figure from Hausser/Elastoline's 'Old Shaterhand' line...licenced premium?

The next row are all similar to Dom/Maurba 60mm figures, I assume they are Dom/Manurba, as supplied to the German equivalent of Spanish 'Sobres' or the UK's 'Lucky-bags', but would like confirmation/denial before I label them up.

The last row has two faintly metallic soft plastics on the left, again the suspicion is German origins? While on the right three figures with the same release-pin marks as a lot of US production, but in a very rigid nylon type plastic?

Top left are two with MPC type bases, below them are poor quality copies with 'China' type bases but no mark (both Hong Kong and now China have always been happy to claim their production!). Back on the top row is a polythene wagon rider and small unrelated cowboy, any ideas? Below them is a guy in yellow with US production style base (release-pin 'holes') [Just appeared on Kent Sprechers 'News and Reviews page, he is from the Marx 45mm line; TSHQ/News], and a US cavalryman in a very soft polythene, again; I've no idea, have you?

Bottom row starts with two Native American Indians, unrelated but both rubberised, the one on the left a soft silicon the one on the right (who I think is German) in a more rigid PVC. Finally more Italian production, but this time children rather than adults, again can we tie these in with a manufacturer?

These are very similar to Tudor Rose, but equally very different! The horses are not those produced/supplied/licensed/copied/pirated to/by/from at least 5 US companies, 1 Danish, 1 Spanish and of course Airfix, and while the figures are similar, they are not the same. My feelings therefore are that they are a smaller UK company like Poplar, Fairylite or Kleeware. The painted one will probably be an earlier one.

U is for Unknown Space

Well, we're back up to 'U' so I get to ask for help!! All these have a space theme but remain unidentified vis-a-vis origin, whether manufacturer or importer/distributor.

This first photograph shows - clockwise from top left - Three hard plastic astronauts [Now known - MB (Milton Bradley) Star Bird], which annoyingly, I have seen somewhere, in the last few years, but instead of jotting down the details, thought I could rely on a mental note, needless to say; I totally forgot what they came with!! The red guy is very similar to some Italy-produced children dressed as Cowboys & Indians I have, but he is bigger then the two spacemen in the bottom row? [Ervino Cus confirms Italy and a thread on Danefield/Alphadrome suggests permiums?]

The three silver spacefarers are in soft polythene and have the look of a Hong Kong product, but no HK marking? [Left and Right are from the Thunderbirds International Rescue board game and should have blue helmets, they were also sold in tray-sets and by Linde as coffee] The guy in the middle remains 'unknown' and from a different series/set Thanks to Ervino, he is identified as Italian maker Dolcificio Lombardo and sold in the USA by Astral Bubblegum, sometimes passed-off as Texas (another Italian maker) in the UK, he should be plugged into a star/shield base a' la Timpo] While we tried the Bike-gang member on the readers of One Inch Warrior the other year with no result. I'm sure it's from a board game, it's hard styrene, but too small for Games Workshop?

The guy in the corner is soft vinyl, and probably modern? Then the two previously mentioned, approximately 1:72 spacemen similar to but not CO-MA [Thanks to Ervino again for confirming they are Coma/Co.Ma./Co-Ma!] and their green, sub-scale saucer, which I know are Italian but any idea on a company name?

Finally a nice group of Galoob type figures in 20mm, again soft'ish vinyl, but no makers mark, just number codes prefixed with an A or a B? 2015 - There's a chap on Benno's Forum also keen to ID these, and while they are listed in the smallscale doorstep by Vic Rudic (pp 811), he's just taken them from here without credit! Indeed, he's taken all the pictures in this thread, cropped-out all the smaller ones (and the larger silver ones?) and passed them off as his work!- 2017 - Tombola Chocolate egg prizes!

Again clockwise from upper left, a 50mm vinyl robot with the look of a Japanese cartoon about him? [JCC in comments identifies him as a Bandai 'Power Rangers' figure] In the centre are two harder Nylon-like polyethylene robots from 'Lucky Bags' with a distinctly European look to them? The brown one is clearly based on Batman! Then two lick and stick robots in rubber, which - to be honest - are probably HK Cracker-toys or party favours and unlikely to be linked with a maker!

A nice articulated robot is next, similar to some Kinder production but too small, he is equally too big for the Galoob/Matchbox type 'Action Fleet' and similar animated figures. The three painted robots could be Galoob or similar?

Finally; two silver robot/android types with the influence of Fritz Lang's Metropolis oozing from them? Both in a stiff but soft plastic. [Yes; the bigger one - the male? - has had his head chewed! [Possibly Bandai/Popy from Japan - see comments]

These three were also tried on the 1IW readership with no luck, but the play-set wasn't included on that occasion, it's in the style of Mighty Max or Polly Pocket (both previously by Blue Bird Toys here in the UK, now and worldwide; Mattel), but in this case no markings of any kind?

The two little rock carvings are the same ones carved out of the South American deserts, that Eric vonimadickhead Daniken used to 'prove' his case in those risible books (Chariots of the Gods...et.al.) he made a small fortune with in the 1970's. The black thing is a micro-scale lander/atmosphere craft. And should be accompanied by a green speeder I have somewhere and a forth figure I haven't! 

22nd Nov. 2015 - Now identified as Uni-King with catalogue page here. 

27th Nov 2015 - Ervino Cus' input, much appreciated. More on some of these: here now

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?

V is for Votoms

These turned up in a mixed lot the other month, modern production tied-in to a Japanese Animé cartoon, they are tiny; about N Guage!!

I haven't the faintest idea what any of them are called or who is on which 'side', but they get their own tub in the collection as a piece of the picture of overall toy figure production...Photographed on a 'moon-base' that I suspect came with a Kit as part of the stand for a space ship, or the base of some kids scientific educational toy type thing? Anyone recognise it?

This is clearly a recovery/robot launch vehicle of some kind, with a hook-equipped hydraulic lifting-arm and flat-bed. I side-lit with a red bicycle lamp to give an effect of far-off battle. Click on the photo and tell me the guy in the right foreground isn't sulking because the robot lost an arm and a leg!!

These are the robots, or; are they battle suits? Something that looks like a Gundam anyway (and; No, I don't know what a Gundam is either!!). Anyone tempted to rush out and buy some would be advised to glue them, as otherwise they will keep falling apart, and with most parts smaller than a 1:76 figure, they are easily lost (still - it gives the recovery vehicle a purpose!!).

I love the elephant-eared gun-platform!! There's another one in grey. Made by Takara, they are here photographed with an HK copy of the Matchbox US flame-thrower for scale.

Votoms - Wikipedia

[Now I know more than I needed to!]

W is for World War One (Part 1)

I know I'm dragging the arse out of 'W' but I can't find the next 'V' I wanted to do!! Looking at a few bits from the First World War, prompted by a purchase at the weekend. After years in the wilderness, both WWI and the late 19th C colonial period are enjoying a resurgence, with Emhar, Hat and Strelets*R all providing pieces of the picture that were - like a second hand puzzle - missing! Top row are Clive Knight for Tradition, middle row are all Stadden's while the British Lancer is a Willie by Suren, an Airfix German feels rather inadequate while providing a size comparison! [See also; The two Prussians in the following post.] Sky Birds 'Boche', I thought there were three poses, but I only seem to have two, as it's a large sample from dozens of sources over the years, I must have imagined the third pose!! As if to confirm the false memory syndrome; I can't even decide if I'm imagining an advancing pose or a standing firing pose!!! Doh! Unless I've got some more somewhere else, I guess it's just the two, these go with Airfix, size wise but are chunkier and from a different - later - period of the war. The good old - complete with all faults - Airfix tank, made-up as per the instructions, with a couple of the Galoob Micro machines in the foreground. Airfix have in the last few weeks announced two new versions of this kit, with 'new parts' added, the female will NEED new parts, whether they will add new parts to the male, is another matter, and I think both will still have the rear steering wheels included. This is relatively recent Hong Kong/China production, based on (but not the same as...) the fictional WWI tank in the (2nd?) Indiana Jones movie. Loosely representing the Anglo-American Mk VIII 'International' of 1919, it's a very unusual and pretty unique design for a HK company to come up with, and it came with a similarly coloured/camouflaged modern USMC LVTP!! Both in a reasonably usable 1:76/72 scale...Bargain!

W is for World War One (Part 2)

Continuing the theme, a look at some other odd and ends in the collection...

We start with some siege artillery, the rear one (missing wheels) is by the American company of Tootsie Toys, who made vehicles and aircraft that were the die-cast equivalent of the old pod-feet era dime-store stuff, at around the time the switch-over from lead to plastic was gathering momentum. In front is a boxed-set 'enhancer' from Crescent, usually used with their 54mm range of hollow-cast lead figures.

I bought this the other day, I am hoping to make it a project on these pages, once I've set up a work area here at our new home. I have somewhere - in one of the many still unopened boxes, the original article on the A7V's in either a Military Modelling or Airfix Magazine, or one of the eponymous annuals, so intend to make it slightly more interesting by converting it to one of the versions not covered by the kit!

I bought this at the NEC on Sunday, from Mercator Trading

Mercator

It's a modern remould (or 're-pour' from the original mould?) of a figure from one of the minor French makes of the early-to-mid 20th C. What's unusual is that it's clearly a British Soldier, one would have thought that a French company would place one of their own 'Pilous' in the staring role of such an exquisite piece.

Size wise, he is somewhere in between the Suren/Tradition figures above and the Airfix figures in the picture, however as he is in a naturally awkward pose and hidden in the canopy of a tree, he goes quite well with either/both - just not at the same time!

I think these are two of the character figures from the Tradition range of Imperial Prussians, but as to which two I'm not so sure (the one on the left may be; GK3 General of Cavalry in Lancer uniform). Again I've used the Airfix figure as a comparison, these go well with the Stadden/Knight/Willie figures in the previous post.