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dinkycollect's picture
dinkycollect
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DTCA MemberFrance

-257 Canadian Fire Chief's Car (1960-69)

Bruce,

Richard and your self have posted some pictures of the red Rambler. Does your's with white tyres have a suspension ? if so there should ne a rivet in the middle of the base plate. Could you please post a picture of that base plate ?

All the best.

Jacques.

Richard's picture
Richard
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DTCA MemberFrance

Hello Jacques

The answer to your question is : no, my white tyres nash Rambler Fire Chief has no suspension.

The models with the same dome light are quite identical except the white and black tyres.

The third one has a mat base plate, a biggest dome light and a modification of the body under the front bumpers.

Here under, three photos.

Friendly yours

Dinkinius's picture
Dinkinius
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AustraliaDTCA Member

Jacques and Richard

Both my 257 with cast silver wheels (not spun aluminium) has a casting change under the front bumper but not the same as Richard's. Both my examples have a slight addition/deletion under and behind the front bumper in front of the driver's (assuming the model is left hand drive as it would be in Canada) as shown on the following images. Richard's example has this on both sides when the image is enlarged. His models's base plate is matt whereas mine are both glossy. And of course, this model does not have cast silver hubs, but the normal spun hubs.

Jacques, just with the casting alone this means two casting differences to be added to your listing, not to mention the matt and glossy base plates.

Also, neither of my cast silver hub models has suspension as shown with the images below.

Kind regards

Bruce  (#150)

5 December 2015

dinkycollect's picture
dinkycollect
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DTCA MemberFrance

Richard and Bruce,

 

Many thanks for your comments and for showing your models.

I have no explanation for the two casting variations on the Canadian Fire chief's car. Is this due to die wear ?

Both Peter Harington and Dr. Force mention that this model was fitted with suspension and steering from 1967. I can not believe this because otherwise the wheel axles would be above the baseplate but who knows, any thing could happen with Meccano. Has any one got a 257 with suspension ?

dinkycollect's picture
dinkycollect
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DTCA MemberFrance

Richard and Bruce,

 

Many thanks for your comments and for showing your models.

I have no explanation for the two casting variations on the Canadian Fire chief's car although Meccano MAY have planed to extend the base plate forward. The recess is about the same width as the base plate.  This variation seems to exist on either one or both sides of the model and with various depth.

Bruce, only combat vehicles are fitted with a sight.         lol

Both Peter Harrington and Dr. Force mention that this model was fitted with suspension and steering from 1967. I can not believe this because otherwise the wheel axles would be above the base plate but who knows, any thing could happen with Meccano. Has any one got a 257 with suspension ?

Dinkinius's picture
Dinkinius
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AustraliaDTCA Member

Jacques

Did not understand your joke about combat vehicles until I re-read my post and changed the word "sight" to "slight".

This d-----ed website does have a glitch in it or at least my computer must have, as I have to go back and add letters that do not appear. I mentioned this ages ago and  was put down by "someone" who considered the problem was me - and yet I spent 10 years in the Museum in Port Moresby typing my own correspondence, letters, memos, reports, etc, plus I had no problem with the old dtcaweb.net site in typing toe 699 posts. (Right now I have to go back and add letters missing from nine words and two non-existent spaces! I certainly had no problems with the old website and with the new site I still cannot figure out how to type a paragraph, add an image and then resume typing, then add another image and so on. All I can do is add all my images at the end that does not really make sense.

Bruce

5 December 2015

alkeeling's picture
alkeeling
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AdministratorAeroplanesPostwarPrewarUK

With the old version of the dtca website, I think it was conventional, as was the case at TMT, to "hotlink" images from places like photobucket, flickr and other image storage places, and drop these links between paragraphs to format a post in the way you describe.

In this version of the website, it is recommended to upload images from your computer to here and not link images from other websites.

There are two ways to upload images now.   The easy way is the method you mention.

The second method, to upload images between text, goes as follows;

Click the icon in the text editor window for Images.  This icon is second row, second left.  A dialogue box titled Image Properties appears with a button to "Browse server".   Click this and another dialogue box appears.  Please ignore the warning message about file browsing. Click the button labelled Upload.  Browse to the particular file on your computer that you want to upload, then click Upload.  This action uploads the image.  Now click the button "Insert", which dismisses the dialogue box and then click OK to dismiss the previous dialogue box and then you will see the uploaded image placed into your post.  You can continue typing and add more images in a similar fashion.

Although this might seem complicated, it is a very linear process and, after couple of attempts, should become familiar.

***

The issue of missing characters is not one that I've come across before.   If you have another post that has apparently dropped characters, please can you let me know before you change anything and I will be better able to investigate.

al

 

 

Dinkinius's picture
Dinkinius
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AustraliaDTCA Member

Thanks Al for your words of wisdom with imags and txt. I will try it out the next time I embark on a long Post with words and pictures the same as i made many times before wth the old site.

Incidentall, I only have pictures in my computer and haveneer used an external source.  A frind uses a external means but  found when returning to his email several months late, the images were no longer available.

As for he missing letters and spaces, I have don a Post on the 702 Thrad and redid i with all the corrections.  I a als leaving tis Post as my computer shows it, whih on reading back, is likened to reading hieroglyphics! Dave K. on having this problem raised identified the source as the typist!!

Hope you can come up ith a solution apart frm shootin the messenger!

Bruce  (#150)

7 December 2015

alkeeling's picture
alkeeling
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AdministratorAeroplanesPostwarPrewarUK

The word hieroglyphics makes me wonder if this is a missing font issue.  A browser is the software that you use to look at the internet and some versions of some browsers have been known to demonstrate font problems in that what you end up seeing is a lot of weird greek characters and symbols rendered in place of the expected text.  So you might see things like this  Âò©ɀʍlub  Ȼɇʮday.

Normally a font substitution problem means that other areas of text, not just yours, are also improperly rendered  - so I'm just having a preliminary guess here.

Could you let me know a little bit more about your equipment.  What version of windows do you have? (should tell you when you start the computer).  What browser do you use?   Internet Explorer, Chrome, Firefox, Safari?    Do you have this problem only here, or on other websites also?   Do you type in a program like Word, then copy/paste the text into the dtca website?

dinkycollect's picture
dinkycollect
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DTCA MemberFrance

With a sight.     lol

Dinkinius's picture
Dinkinius
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AustraliaDTCA Member

Jacques et al,

Having now moved across to Google Chrome and away from Internet Explorer, I no longer have a problem typing into this forum!  So no more machine guns with a sight when it should be slight, with reference to #5 above.

I should have realized this was the problem, as I now recall that I had a problem using Internet Explorer with the old website, as the right hand column was always missing.  I then changed to Chrome, and VOILA, the right-hand column appeared as well as other features were far better. My brain must have had the pause or delete button pressed!

Cheers to all

Bruce   150

9 December 2015

dinkyfan's picture
dinkyfan
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I just received a recently purchased example of the 257 Rambler Canadian Fire Chief's car, and thought I would post a few photos of this interesting model, as it appears that there were a few variations along the way.  Mine does have the later matt finish base plate, and also came in a gold Vis a Pac box.  It has black tires, but does not have the casting variation below the front bumper, as others have shown a few examples.  It also has the larger roof mounted emergency light.  So I am assuming that with the matt base plate, this is a somewhat later issue?  But as a late issue, it also does not share the casting variation, which I thought it might.  And the box clearly states that it comes with suspension.....I see that no one has posted a photo of one with it.  Are there any Dinky models that were made first without it, then later with suspension?  Like Jacques, I am somewhat dubious that it was ever made that way, but........

             Regards,  Terry

 

 

Dinkinius's picture
Dinkinius
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AustraliaDTCA Member

Terry

I looked at your photograph of the 257 that you have just received (and congratulations on a worthy addition to your collection !) but it DOES have the same casting variation that shows on both of mine with the cast silver hubs, more so with the better of the two. The one that better matches yours is the less chipped version.

However the interesting thing is yours has the normal aluminum spun hubs. It is also great seeing an example in the late gold export box, one of the rarest box type as well as the uncommon matt base plate. A truly fine example of model and box.

Here once again are close-ups of the base of both models.

Kind regards

Bruce   (150)

19 January 2016      #754

dinkyfan's picture
dinkyfan
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DTCA MemberUSA

Bruce--Thanks for your nice comments, and alas, you are quite correct in that mine does also have that very slight line across that front member.  I guess when I hurriedly looked at it, I was expecting to see more of a significant line or change there.  I just took it out of the case and re-examined it, and sure enough, it is there....ever so slight!  You wonder just what that was about.....  Another point I did not mention was an apparent casting or die flaw that must have occured late in production.  If you look closely at the far forward part of the upper front fender, so will see that it is not real smooth, and in fact is slightly "rumpled" there.  The model is mint and well painted, but that is surely some form of flaw from the casting process.  I did see some mention of it on PlanetDiecast, where it had been pointed out previously, but not mentioned in these earlier posts.  I am very surprised that Meccano did not choose to fix or address that, as in earlier days, that would have been a QC issue for sure.  I am guessing that by this time, Meccano was deep into all sorts of problems, and had stopped trying to fix such issues.  But it does make me wonder just what had happened to the die to cause that.  I was not aware of the issue until after I purchased this, and it was not easy to spot in the photos posted.  Has anyone else seen or heard of this?  And it is on both sides of the model......

              Best regards,  Terry

Dinkinius's picture
Dinkinius
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AustraliaDTCA Member

Terry

This section of the 257 appears to have experienced a number of casting issues. Below is an image of two of my previous acquisitions photographed in September 2007 with the model on the left obviously an early production having a "clean" casting with the one on the right a little later. One can see the problem starting in the area of which you wrote as well as the small circular "side light".

I will check through my photo album covering all the models that have passed through my hands and see if there is a pattern forming as to when this casting issue first became apparent.

I have recently obtained a 257 in a red and yellow sided box from an auction in Australia and it has the price of 6/-, an Australian price applicable from the model launch in 1959 to January 1961 when the price increased to 6/3.  As soon as I have photographed this one I will post it here.

Kind regards

Bruce    (150)

20 January 2016      #755

dinkyfan's picture
dinkyfan
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DTCA MemberUSA

Bruce--It will be interesting to see what others may say; one the other website, they made it sound like common knowledge what had happened. I just can't imagine what must have happened to the die to allow that, especially so bad. And they must have known about it, and decided not to make die repairs, or to spend any time on the cast models to help with it. A little hand work with a file could have cleaned up some of it, but not very practical in mass production. I have just never heard of such a problem before, and on both sides of the model.
Regards, Terry

goodss01
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DTCA Member

Sirs:

I have a question about this model.  Does anyone know what characteristics makes this model a CANADIAN Fire Chief car?  Dinky did offer about the same time the 265 1958 Plymouth USA and 266 1958 Plymouth CANADIAN taxicabs.  Both taxi models were painted the same but they differed with the door decals.  Was this the "plan" with this model?  Was there supposed to be a US Fire Chief car with different door decals?  I have never understood why Dinky Catalogs were clear in identifying the Dinky 257 Nash Rambler Fire Chief as Canadian; I just wonder "why?"

Best regards, Steve (new to DTCA)

dinkyfan's picture
dinkyfan
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DTCA MemberUSA

Steve--First off, I want to extend a hearty welcome to the DTCA site!  It is wonderful to have a new member onboard, and hopefully we can look forward to contributions and comments from you.  Please tell us something about yourself and your Dinky interests.  I am from the US, am 71 years young, and have collected Dinky's in some manner since I was about 6 years old.  My main interest is the "Golden Era" of Dinky, roughly from the end of WWII through about 1959, although I do have some nice pre-war examples and also a few later models.

   As to this model, I have no idea where the Canadian designation came from, and it is very possible that Meccano did it purely  for marketing reasons, aimed at the Canadian market at that time.  I searched through some of my references and could find no explanation, and, in fact, I read an article in a Toyman column, in the Meccano Magazine at the time, where it was listed simply as a "Fire Chiefs" car.....no mention whatsoever about being Canadian.  With no logo or other distinctive feature it appears to be Canadian in name only.  Possibly others can shed some light on this.....another little Meccano mystery!

   And once again, welcome and look forward to hearing more about you and your Dinky's.

                  Best regards,  Terry

fodenway's picture
fodenway
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DTCA MemberUK

Terry, I think you are right about a Canadian marketing campaign. Around the same time, in addition to the Plymouth Taxi mentioned came the RCMP Police car, and I seem to remember that the announcement of the Guy Snow Plough also contained some reference to Canada - a rather odd choice of truck for that market since I have no record of actual Guys being exported there. Perhaps a better one would have been the Leyland Comet, sold in reasonable numbers and more familiar to Canadian boys.

goodss01
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DTCA Member

Terry:

I apologize for not responding sooner.  I work full time and I barely have time to look up the DTCA website (or any website for that matter). But I very much enjoy being a member.  I am now in my 60s and I have been collecting Dinky Toys my whole life.  Or maybe as far back as age 5?  Any way, I grew up in New York City, New York, USA so there were (at one time) a fair number of Dinky retail outlets; however, they did start to decline starting around 1966 and there were fewer and fewer going into the 1970s.  Sometimes you would see a display around the holiday season, but once they were sold there was no re-stocking.  I grew my collection once I became an adult and had both resources and the drive to collect.

As for the Canadian Fire Chief and what makes it Canadian, I have a theory.  Back in the 1960s, Dinky fire trucks were sourced from the UK. There were no Dinky US fire trucks.  When Dinky added a Fire Cheif's car and they selected the Nash, a kid building his or her Dinky fre department would had to have had British sourced equipemnt.  When I visited Victoria, BC a few years ago, I spotted a fire station that had a Dennis fire truck.  I guess Canada purcahsed fire vehicles from the UK.  So, I guess calling the fire cheif's car "Canadian" made sense to the marketing team.  A Canadian fire department might consist of bouth UK and (US) North American sourced vehicles.  Just an idea...