P is for Prolific Plastic Passengers and Professional People

I guess most countries have their main go-to for railway figures, the main passion being the locomotives and rolling stock, with the scenery comming a poor second and things like people third in the priority list, for me, and for most of my lifetime that name has been Merit, by J&L Randall, although originally it was simply J Randall, but that was before he got married, and before he had a railway accessory range!

From the sorting session we saw the other day, these are the little 4x5½"self-seal bags which, en masse, support the Driving Test game and the stuff above it in the storage-box (previous post under the Merit Tag), and you can see from a few of the peripheral bits and the loose ones in the middle that this is mid-sort!

 

Over the years there have been several packings, with at least two matchbox types and artwork changes to the early 'scenic' cards, while the non-standard size boxes had their own designs, or extended versions of the matchbox scenes. The packing of interest here is the pinkish-orange card in the centre, which is a 1960/70's (?) US export card with a dollar price clearly visible.

 

These are Jon Attwood's 'master collection' beautifully laid-out, a thing which was always on in the long-term plan, but I can save mine for the A-Z blog entry, whenever I get round to it. We have looked at a few specific sets in the past here, and the final post in this sequence will have links to all the relevant model railway figure posts, but for now a few points of interest;

 

The similarity/identicallness of many of the earlier sets to the output of first BJ Ward's Wardie/Mastermodels (with the input of Kemlows), and then Slater's, has now - partially - been explained by the joint relationship between them and Collis Plastics, but the finer details of the exact nature of what went on may never be fully understood.

 

They clearly employed more than one sculptor, in addition to the early 'Collis' stuff, there are figures which have some of the hallmarks of Stadden (I don't know, and I am only suggesting, not stating, he was involved), while another sculptor seems to produce fuller, smoother figurines.

 

There were periods when the figures were sold without bases, others times when they were glued to small clear-plastic, polystyrene, ovoid discs. I haven't noticed a pattern to the difference, but if there is one (a pattern), it will probably be early sets baseless, later sets based, with the possibility of very late sets (green cards) also losing the bases as a money-saving measure (for the ailing Randall's, not the buyers!)?

Typically, they were issued in various shades of pink plastic (for hands and faces), overpainted, but early rail-staff sets were a black or blue-black, the locomotive crew are commoner in coloured plastic (different shades of 'boiler-suit' blue), and other sets got 'pre-coloured' issues at various times, particularly the military/emergency sets.

 

Note also, top centre; the seated signalman, I don't have it, and Jon thinks it may only have come with very early versions of the signal box? Top left are the one-off's, with a missing caller from the telephone box, the two coalmen (from the coal scales), and the fog-man (from the brazier), who can double-up as a night watchman on your model industrial estate/factory unit!

The late sets are both heavier and Stadden-like, and much harder to find, although they are out there, and past correspondence suggests that the model-rail fans were well aware of them and snapped them up at the time of appearance, so they were 'saved' for posterity!

 

They also give us a third type, with integrally-moulded bases, painted platform-tarmac/flagstone grey! We looked at them with the help of Bernard Taylor ages ago, and again, they will be in the final round-up, but I'm not sure if I've a code for the late seated/sitting passenger set, nor do I recognise the set to the right of them?

 

Correction - before publishing, I notice they are carded to the Peco/Model Scene sets from Gaugemaster, see next image, so contemporaneous with the Cricketing set, i.e. relatively current?

Various packaging types, the Model Scene (PPP-Prichard patent Products-Gaugemaster) cards continued the late Merit design and font graphics with a change of name, which had been green backing-cards for HO and brown for N-gauge. The locomotive card, was the interim design which I remember on pegs when I was younger, the matchboxes already being 'vintage'!

 

A late Merit catalogue from the 1980's, it wasn't until I was studying Jon's images that I realised there are several differnt flag-men, both platform, engine-shed and trackside, and I will have to check all mine, especially the loose sets I've made-up, but also the matchbox sets which are open to tampering-with, to check they are all carrying the correct waver!

Note the 'new' sets on both pages have been given a much higher level of painting than the commercially issued sets ever received (possibly to hide the pre-production nature of the scuplts), while the 'Walking People' (5126, top left) seem to be wax, clay or plasticine mock-ups?

 

Because you can never have everything, and a truly definitive post renders that whole section of your collection rather redundant, I'm pleased to say there is at least one figure missing, the driver of the 'F.C. Lloyd Ltd.' Horse-Drawn Delivery Van (and it's horse, 5132), so a reason to return to Merit in the future there! Perhaps one of the Paul's could find it on Worthpoint?

 

The recent Modelscene cricketers are also missing, but I seem to recall Tom Clague brought our attention to them, a few years ago, and a link was provided then.

Many thanks to Jon for his images and the past input of Bernard and Tom.

Listings, to date, help needed with the 49xx-coded sets;

Listing

HO/OO Railway Accessories

Unnumbered Bulk Boxes (early)

? - Poplar trees, 4 trees

? - Alder trees, 3 trees

? - Fir trees, 8 trees (? - Reg. Design Nos. 881817  .  881818  .  881819)

? - Fences and gates (40 pieces)

? - Telegraph Poles

? - Walls

? - 8 Hedges

≈

Retailer Codes?

K30 - Scammell Scarab and trailer kit (unassembled)

≈

Early ‘Real’ Trees/Scenics (made from bunches of sphagnum moss, heather, lichen &etc…)

4901 - Ash Tree

4902 - Oak Tree

4903

4904

4905

4906

4907

4908

4909

4910

4911

4912

4913

4914

4915 - Two Tall Evergreens

≈

Standard Range

5000 - Imitation Coal

5001
5002 - Ballast bins, 3 pieces
5003
5004 - Lamppost, gas, 8 pieces
5005
5006 - Telephone kiosk and caller, 2 pieces
5007 - Bus stop and shelter, 2 pieces
5008 - Traffic cones, large and small, 20 pieces
5009 - Tyres, 12 pieces
5010 - Railway [shipping] container, 1 piece
5011 - Scammell Trailer & Container (assembled, no cab?)
5012 - Loading-bay, assembly kit
5013
5014
5015 - Scammell lorry, assembly kit, cab and trailer, unassembled)
5016 - 'Age of Steam' Vehicle Kit - Scammell Lorry & Container (with trailer, unassembled)
5017
5018 - Corn stooks, 12 pieces
5019
5020 - Hedges, 8 pieces
5021
5022
5023 - Kissing-gates, 2 pieces
5024 - Stile with two fences, 3 pieces
5025 - Feather-edge [paling] fencing, 20 pieces (box)
5026 - Feather-edge [paling] fencing, 12 pieces (early set)
5026 - Feather-edge [paling] fencing, 10 pieces (late set)
5027 - Post-and-rail fencing, 9 pieces (box)

5027 - Post-and-rail fencing, 9 pieces (carded blister)

5028 - Wattle fencing, 12 pieces
5029 - Coalmen and scales, 3 pieces (early set refers to both figures)
5029 - Coalman and scales, 3 pieces
5030 - Coal office
5031 - Coal Bunker (three bays)
5032
5033 - Plate-layers hut
5034 - Fog-man, hut and brazier, 3 pieces

5035 - Signal box, assembled (with seated figure?)
5035 - Signal box, assembly kit
5036 - Water Tower
5037 - [Line-side notices?]
5038 - Loading-gauge, 1 piece
5039 - Hording, 1 piece (Shell petroleum design, creosote woodwork, early set)
5039 - Hording, 2 pieces (mixed designs, white woodwork, late set)
5040 - Tunnel

5041
5042
5043
5044
5045 - Tunnel portal, single
5046 - Tunnel portal, double
5047
5048 - Poplar trees, 4 trees
5049 - Alder trees, 3 trees
5050 - Fir trees, 6 trees
5051 - Level signs and mileposts, 6 pieces
5052 - Track-signs, 3 pieces
5053 - Wood planks, 72 pieces (6 bundles of 12 wooden tapers)
5054 - Corrugated asbestos, 6 pieces
5055 - Cycles and stand, 5 pieces
5056 - Passengers seated, 5 pieces
5057 - Passengers standing, set A, 5 pieces
5058 - Passengers standing, set B, 5 pieces
5059 - Station staff, 5 pieces
5060 - Milk Churns
5061 - Platform seats, 12 pieces (early set, green)
5061 - Platform seats, 10 pieces (late set, brown)
5062 - Trunks, suitcases and sack barrows, 12 pieces
5063 - Electric trolley, trailer and driver, 4 pieces (two trailers, truck and driver)
5064 - Sacks and barrels, 24 pieces (pirated/licensed? by Marx)
5065 - Concrete pipes, 6 pieces, (early version)
5065 - Sewage pipes, 4 pieces, (late version)
5066 - Sacks of coal, 24 pieces

5067 - Oil-drums, 12 pieces, (either red with Shell stickers, or green with BP stickers)
5068 - Station lamppost, 6 pieces (style matches 5087)
5069 - Small packing cases, 6 pieces (two pirated/licensed? by Marx)
5070 - Large packing cases with lids, 3 pieces (6 pieces including lids)
5071 - Acetylene cylinders (short, brown, 24 pieces)
5072 - Oxygen cylinders (long, black, 24 pieces)
5073
5074
5075 - Tar barrels, (black versions of 5067)
5076 - Drain pipes (land-drains, 24 pieces)
5077 - Track maintenance party, 6 pieces (some poses are the same as 5078)
5078 - Cable laying party, 5 pieces (some poses are the same as 5077)
5079 - Cable Drums, 2 pieces
5080 - Telegraph poles, 6 pieces (pirated/licensed? by Triang in N-Gauge)

5081 - Railway board signs (heavy text)

5081 - Railway board signs (light text)
5081 - Pallets, assorted, 3 types, 18 pieces (Modelscene only, number reuse?)
5082 - Locomotive crew, 3 pieces
5083 - Dustbins, 12 pieces (plus 12 lids)
5084 - Girders, 12 pieces
5085 - Fences and gates, 16 pieces
5086 - Parcels, 6 pieces
5087 - Double lamppost, 4 pieces (style matches 5068)
5088 - Skips, large and small, one each
5089 - Mailbags, 15 pieces (pirated/licensed? by Marx)
5090 - Stone walls and buttresses, 7 pieces (3 walls, 4 buttresses)
5091 - Station name-boards, 3 pieces [Potters Bar, home of J&L Randall]
5092 - Carboys, 8 pieces
5093 - Trespass and other board signs, 6 pieces (some ex-5081)
5094 - Signal and switch box
5095 - Chocolate and weighing machines, 3 pieces
5096 - Ticket collector and box, 1 piece
5097 - Bookstall
5098 - Switch Boxes, 3 pieces
5099 -
5100 - Cows, 4 pieces (early, all standing)

5100 - Cows, 4 pieces (mid-production, 2x each - standing and lying)

5100 - Cows, 4 pieces (late, Modelscene type card, 3x standing, 1x lying)
5101 - Cows, lying down, 4 pieces
5102 - Dogs, 8 pieces
5103 - Dogs, 8 pieces (number change or early catalogue misspelling?)
5104
5105 - Horses and ponies, 4 pieces
5106
5107
5108 - Pigs and trough, 9 pieces
5109
5110 - Sheeps and lambs, 12 pieces (10 sheep, 2 lambs)
5111
5112
5113
5114
5115 - Farm-workers, 5 pieces
5116 - Army personnel, 5 pieces
5117 - Navy personnel, 5 pieces
5118 - RAF personnel, 5 pieces
5119 - Porters, 5 pieces (from/after Wardie moulds)
5119 - Porters, 5 pieces
5120 - Schoolgirls and Mistress, 6 pieces
5121 - Schoolboys and Master, 6 pieces
5122 - Hikers, 5 pieces
5123 - Public service personnel, 5 pieces
5124 - Scouts and trek-cart, 4 pieces
5125 - Commuters with newspapers, 5 pieces (plus printed sheet)
5126 - Walking people, 5 pieces
5127 - People on stairs, 5 pieces
5128 - Ticket collector and queue, 5 pieces
5129
5130
5131
5132 - Horse drawn delivery van, assembly kit
5133 - 1927 Maudsley ML3 bus single-deck Buckingham body
5134
5135 - Thornycroft PB 4-ton lorry kit, 'Hall & Sons' (1926?)
5136 - Thornycroft PB 4-ton lorry kit, GWR livery, Cocolate & Cream (1926?)
5137 - 1927 Maudsley ML3 bus with GWR livery, Cocolate & Cream
5138
5139
5140
5141 - [Age of Steam, set A] (not known if it existed)
5142 - [Age of Steam, set B] (not known if it existed)
5143 - [Age of Steam, set C] (not known if it existed)
5144 - [Age of Steam, set D] (not known if it existed)
5145 - Age of Steam, set E
5146
5147
5148
5149
N-gauge range
5150 - Station staff, 5 pieces
5151 - Passengers (early sets)
5151 - Passengers, set A, 5 pieces (late sets)
5152 - Passengers, set B, 5 pieces
5153 - Passengers, male, set C, 5 pieces
5154 - Passengers, female, set D, 5 pieces
5155 - Passengers, seated, set E, 7 pieces
5156 - Unpainted figures set ‘A’ (20), (20 pieces)
5157 - Unpainted figures set ‘B’ (20), (20 pieces)
5158 - Fir trees, 3 trees
5159
5160
5161 - Tunnel portal, single
5162 - Tunnel portal, double
5163
5164 - Fences, 24 pieces (copied from Faller?)
5165 - Cable drums, 2 pieces
5166 - Cable laying party, 4 pieces
5167 - Track maintenance party, 5 pieces
5168
5169
5170 - Locomotive crew, 3 pieces
5171 - Porters and luggage, 8 pieces
5172 - Porter, trolley, barrels and sacks, 14 pieces
5173 - Porter, trolley, drums and crates, (early set - 13 pieces)
5173 - Porter, trolley, drums and crates, 8 pieces (later sets)
5174
5175
5176 - Farmer and pigs (early set - 9 pieces)
5176 - Farmer and pigs, 8 pieces (late set)
5177 - Shepard and Sheep, 11 pieces
5178 - Horses, 4 pieces (Merit sets)
5178 - Horses (Model scene sets - 6 pieces)
5179 - Cows, 4 pieces
5180
5181
5182 - Telegraph poles, 8 pieces (copied from Tyco?)
5183
5184 - Cars, 3 pieces

N is for Not So Free French Forces!

I allowed myself a couple of small purchases on evilBay after all the maths was done last month, and this was one of those buys, I felt a bit guilty as the underbidder had been winning for days, when I spotted the lot went slightly over with my bid, and won it, but to be fair, or honest, he dodged a bullet . . . 

 . . . as they arrived stuffed in a tube with a bit of packing rammed-in at one end, and in more pieces than I had bid on! Now, I haven't negatively fed-back, there's no point, the chap (or chapess)'s other listing revealed they didn't know what they had, its relative age or likelihood of damage, equally, neutral feedback wouldn't be fair either, so no feedback means if they ever ask, I can try and explain politely, I leave the lecturing to less salubrious characters! "Wel done on ebay “corrector” " chimes-in the lick-spittle phuq-monkey!

 

Anyway, a bit of superglue (the front bumper on this was hanging-together) got them presentable enough for this post, and now I know they exist I'll look out for better ones. They are - of course - if you recognised the truck in the previous post, the Noreda 'readymades' from France, already an eclectic mix last time we looked at them, although not as eclectic as the Injectaplastic set.

Actually quite a nice M3 half-track for a simple pocket-money toy, possibly a little bigger than the Blue Box one, and it's soft-plastic clones, but certainly a further source of them and ten-times more accurate than Marx's effort!

 

This is interesting, as there was already a jeep in the line, we've looked at it here already, while this is part Dodge 'Beep' and part Willy's Jeep, longer than the real jeep I think it is the Dodge 'weapons carrier' that is being attempted.

 

Seems to be missing a pintle-mounted MG behind the seats, and while the other holes could be for passengers, so far I've only found the strips of four, and they are two long, and would need another hole at the other end? The figures in this post are two strips of four who have been separated.

This is also interesting, as I think what we have here is an attempt at a Conqueror, the heavy tank designed to face-off against JS III's, and it would make it the fifth ready-to-run Conqueror after the Lipkin, Lucky, Rocco and Triang ones. Albeit, this one having certain elements of Centurion - as the real Conqueror did - and even, in the turret (and probably more accidental), shades of early M60's.

Before and after cleaning!

And then it gets even better, with a slightly crude King Tiger II! Added to the Atlantic and Airfix Tiger I's and Airfix's Elephant/Ferdinand, and that family is wrapped up, as far as wargaming readymade's goes, not to forget the Tiger I and Stürmtiger which some Chinese rack-toy maker gave us in the last few years . . . it's all on the Blog, just got to use those Tags!

They were filthy, this was a cursory cleaning of the Tiger II, and I wondered if one of the factors in brittleness of polyethylene might be connected to cigarette- or other-smoke deposits? It's worth the museum curators looking into, as there may be a chemical process happening at the surface of the polymer which causes, or triggers the leaching of the free-radicals?

F is for First Show of the Year - II

Continuing with the look at what came back from Sandown Park last Saturday evening, although it's always nice to meet-up with people you haven't seen since the Autumn or Christmas, the plunder's what it's all about!

These came from Gareth for a fiver, the cowboy didn't make it home in one piece, but that serves him right for stealing somebody else's country! Lone Star HO-compatible figures, a bit brittle, but they add to a small and very slowly-growing sample!

 

While this was my purchase from the terrace-stand 'car-booty' which occurs while we're waiting for the doors to open, card is a bit knackered, so I may take him off and sort it out one day, but for now my first carded Lincoln 'biggie', I have a bunch of bits in a tub somewhere, and a smaller bag - from Chris - I think, so when they all come together we'll have a proper look at them.

 

Brain Berke sent us images of this Hong Kong one, for the canoe season, and he also sent a sample to the Blog, which was shot while still in the pack as I knew I had the seperate images 'in the bag', so I will compare this with the other when they come together, and open one for another look, in a wee-while!

 

Another eclectic mix of 'singles', the early (non-geometric base) Starlux has been mucked-about with, a complete cover of green paint has all but flaked-off (I cleaned the arm after this photo-shoot with a toothpick, but the paint seems to have adhered permanently to the gaiters), while a sailor's scarf has been painted in, but looks original, which doesn't tie-in with the Para' beret, so I don't know, but it was cheap as chips!

The policeman is another die-cast or plastic vehicle accessory to join the hundreds waiting to be formally ID'd, a Blue Box cowboy (Britains Swoppet copy) and cake decoration footballer (late, polystyrene) complete the upper line-up.

The lower image seems to include a 'fire chief' for those 1-ton Humber truck fire-engines, the wheels are the same, anyway, and a soft-polyethylene copy of the Blue Box copy of a Matchbox sports car - it needs wheels, but cannibalising a tatty one will take care of that! With a penny-toy motorcyclist, from the inter-war period (think TE Lawrence), in a flat gold spray finish.

 

I think the Timpo Richard III (sold as 'King Arthur') was also a fiver, but what an addition to the Lone Star and French copies, otherwise plastic, line-up of those figures, he's a lead hollow-cast, as are the two khaki types, both from Mercator's rummage trays, Crescent on the left, not sure on the right.

 

While the rail-man is an Irish-American Comet-Gaeltacht O-gauge railway worker from Holgar Eriksson's hand, and the mechanic is the die-cast replacement for the erlier Zang-for-Timpo composition figure, probably also bought-in?

 

Finally, a few more penny-toy types, with two naval subjects above, landing party (or is he a Russo-Japanese war type?) and a rather nice Scot's piper, who I think Adrian said was either a minor-make or actually French, but I've forgotten what he said now, and it's not obvious in Joplin's big book?

What is obvious from the photographs is that he is a well-detailed and quite finely cast sculpt, particularly the drones and their connecting cord, which - level of detail/care - would tie-in with a couple of other French hollow-cast in the pile?

F is for First Show of the Year - I

And so we all trekked-off to Sandown Park for the first show of 2024, a lovely day in the end, given it seems to have rained every other day since the beginning of February! I didn't buy much, but there are some nice bits among all the make-weights!

 

How cool is this? Adrian gave me this Fairylight magnetic-novelty at the end of the show, when I asked him what he had on it? We like cats here, and there's a surprising number of mice in the stash too; rubber, cartoon, Erzgebirge/wood, I think we saw some musician mice one time, so adding one of each, in the same box - bargain!

 

These are under embargo until they appear in the ongoing Railway figure posts!

 

Two early Wiking 'planes, I think we looked at a good one a few years back, these are missing bases and the wire hanger, along with their little clear acetate 'propeller sweeps', which clip over the nose-cones and can be replaced. Both dive-bombers/ground-attack types, a German Junkers Ju 87 'Stuka' and what I suspect is a Japanese Nakajima B5N'Kate' or, because the tail's not right, a Grumman TBF 'Avenger'?

An eclectic mix here, which, from the top left includes, a Linde premium buffalo/wisent type, a Barrat & Sons flocked cow, and an interesting use of the Impro tooling; an eraser-rubber version, with the full marking of the originals, also left on the brightly-coloured Imperial reissues.

Below them are two Vitacup animal premiums, one in a darker than normal ivory shade (which may only be a smoker's house jobbie?) and two Kellogg's premiums of Sooty characters, actually sweep and whatsit-cat . . . Googles frantically . . . Kipper! Kipper the cat.

And I'm sure most of you will recognise the Charbens circus elephant, it's easy to ID from this side!

 

A couple of cheap lots of smaller (35mm) flats, actually the upper lot are technically semi-flat, being a bit fatter, German troops painted as Fins, by the simple expedient of painting the flag Finnish! I'm not sure on the lower flats, but they do have base markings under the paint, which I shall address at some latter date, there is a fair bit of material to dig into on these.

And this was also a gift, Christian Hatley had mentioned them a while ago, and not recognising me with my Spring haircut, it took him a while to realise who I was, then gifted me this Diddy Man, who, I found when I got home, is another KT novelty figure! And there are probably at least three more to find, if they are aping the Cherilea ones?

B is for Brush & Rail, Britians Show Jumping, Bits and Bobs

I don't have the big Show Jumping boxed set from Britains, it tends to attract a pretty penny, and most of the contents are available loose, but there are a few bits which were unique to the set, not least the jumps, fortunately, Britains anticipated some wanting to extend their set to a full competition ring (circuit?), and made most of the bits available separately, so by way of introducing a short season on jumpers and jumping, here are a few bits from the Britains line, which I have here - we will return to them and look at the whole range of riders another day, as they are in (back-in!) storage.

The add-on Brush & Rail fence as sold separately, you get three units of fence, basically wooden boxes with faggots of brushwood, or twiggy-twigs, stuffed into them. While the boxed area underneath the backing-card, contains a standard Post & Rail fence, two marker-flags and a spare stand for the horses which were only, otherwise available in the big set, the riders when sold separately coming with/attached to a five-bar gate, to jump over.

How they all go together, and the various components, the brush is made from horsehair, which was curled (probably under heat, a hot water dip maybe, or hot-air?), then dipped in a rubber-solution or latex before being compressed into sheets or 'bisquits' (Yes, I like to use that incorrect spelling, it's fun Panda Bear talk), and cut to shape. It was a forerunner of modern foam packing, and had been around, commercially, for some time.

 

The extra stand, replacing the gate the seperate riders came with, which could also be added to your show-jumping display, this enabled them to face-off against the various other jumps in the set/line. Some place it the other way round, with the base to the rear, but it balances either way.

 

Early and late versions of the 'Captain Mark Philips' character, he also came with as the gate jumper, but is here on a different horse, as either an early Herald/Eyes Right/Swoppet era figure (white horse) or in a Deetail iteration, black horse, rubber-band reins.

 

There were actually several riders who performed in uniform back then, a German (whom I think is behind the mind of this figure's sculptor), an Argentinian (I think?) and maybe a couple of Spaniards, among others, I well remember watching Show Jumping (and tennis, and the tedium of 1960/70's Test Cricket), because with two, latterly three TV-channels, there was often bugger-all else on, especially in the mid-afternoons! Phillips usually performed in the No.1 Dress uniform, a blue-black affair, known as 'Blues'.

 

12-03-2022 - It was the Italians I was thinking of (see FitzjamesHorse comment below), and I remembered I'd scanned this from the 13th October 1973 issue of World of Wonder magazine, expressly to add to this post, back in March '22! Honestly, the filing system is breaking down under the weight of stuff! Given when the Britains figure first came out, it was probably these guys behind the Military rider?

M is for Masudaya's Multi-Material Minis

An old-school name who's predominantly tin-plate stuff fills the books on such things, not least Tashen's 1000 Robots, Space Ships & Other Tin Toys, New Cavendish's Future Toys (from the past!) and probably Chronicle Book's Yesterday's Toys, but they don't credit many of the makers in that one!

But these are modern, Masudaya (Modern Toys), harking back to their past, and surviving where most of their contemporaries (not just in Japan, but the big US and German Tin-plate names have all gone), these smaller-scale space toys were very tempting, but I only photographed them!

 

The general shape of the ship is very recognisable if you've caught old tin-plate space toys in passing, but I think the periscope 'technician' is rather daft, not only would a periscope in space be about as much use as star-drive on a submarine, but the operator would be shredded by space-dust? The 1950's was a different planet!

 

However . . . there's a figure! And a spaceman in near-NASA garb, so there's that!

 

Described as 'Adult Collectors Items' NOT toys and NOT for children under 14, I think they'd make the best Christmas-stocking toys, it's exactly what you want to find Santa's left you at 4am!

 

This was with the above, and again, the 'racing' spaceships were an old trope, with an exposed pilot taking everything space has to offer; radiation, space-dust and extreme temperatures! I actually saw a third at Sandown (these were shot on Adrian's stall), and it was on a mate's stand, but I didn't think to shoot it.

 

Google reveals there's at least half-a-dozen in the line, and they are about one-quarter the size of the vintage originals they are referencing? Tin and plastic, the whole underside of this rocket racer is plastic, where it was tin on the originals. Fun things!

Phfffff! is for Whatever!

I thought I ought to have a post before midnight, just to get the ton up before the end of February, and looking around I can't see anything jumping out at me which doesn't require more effort than the few minutes available, so against the fact I might not beat the midnight news after work, here's a shot from the 'seen elsewhere' folder as I listen to Lady Muck (Sarah Montague) on the Lunchtime news, whittering-on about Hairy Bikers, Police Rapists and anything else which doesn't require looking in depth at either of our, or the US's, two main political parties or anything happening in Gaza, while Putler threatens nuclear-annihilation . . . Again!!

 

The Blue Box WWII Russians, complete, and completed, I think I'm right in saying, by a donation from Chris Smith, a while ago, as they've gone to storage in the meantime, seen elsewhere, awhile back too!

Also, and for no particular reason - other than it needed doing, of course (hee-hee) - I've edited, rearranged, and added some catalogue/archive stuff to the Airfix Tarzan page which some of you may remember, can be found here!