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Richard's picture
Richard
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DTCA MemberFrance

--39b and 893 Tracteur Unic saharien [Unic Sahara Pipe Transporter] (1959-70)

I recieved this morning a very classic Unic Saharien (new arrival topic) ; nothing special !

But, when I put it together with my old one, I found 5 differences : Bodies colors, with or without windows, Roof and safety wheels colors, the front axle with concave or convex hubs, 

I never paid attention at these details on my old model which seems very uncommon, specially the white roof !.

 

 

Richard's picture
Richard
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DTCA MemberFrance

That's all folks !!smiley

Richard

dinkyfan's picture
dinkyfan
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DTCA MemberUSA

Richard----I have never seen one with that white cab and also the white spare wheels; it will be interesting to see if Jacques comments on this. I am assuming that it is all original and not been re-painted in those areas. I will also check Jacques encyclopedia to see if it mentions anything about these variations.
Best regards, Terry

Richard's picture
Richard
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DTCA MemberFrance

Hi Terry.

No, Jacques doesn't have the information in his encyclopedia. Even Roulet doesn't know it.

It's probably one of the early production, without windows, with convex hubs for the front axle and spare wheels in white color.

I can assure you that all is original and the roof is not repainted.

This model is coming from my parents home. I did not buy it.

Kind regards

Richard

janwerner's picture
janwerner
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DTCA MemberNetherlands

Hi Richard, knowing your parent's home had a lot to do with Meccano France, I wonder if this white roofed example was a kind of unofficial colour trial. Do you still remember where it came from? 

I may have showed before my only example of this nice model, but it may be interesting to see the hybrid character of it, and compare. Early hubs, the later windows, body coloured spare wheel hubs and a mix of tyres: old round treaded ones as spares and new block treaded on the rest of the model. The trailer has the initial perforations of the bar.

By the way, I'm afraid it is improbable to get a comment of Jacques soon, as he is ill and in hospital - as his daughter let me know yesterday via his email. Let's hope he will recover soon.

Kind regards, Jan 

Dinkinius's picture
Dinkinius
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AustraliaDTCA Member

Richard
A very fine addition to your collection, and coming from your parent's home makes it even more special. I hope more information can came to hand in the near future. As Jan has written, it is most likely that your model was a colour trial and therefor it may be a "one of a kind".
I have a number of these models at home, so will check when I return to Australia, (I am still in Beijing, China.) but it is highly unlikely that I have a model similar to your latest!! One of these was the subject of a slightly different shade of colour between the cab and chassis which was discussed in another topic.
Still, your model is very unique, so top marks to you, and presumedly your father for having originally acquired it!
Kind regards
Bruce (150)
20160524/924/2359

Richard's picture
Richard
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DTCA MemberFrance

Hi Jan.

Perhaps you are right ! If nobody have seen a white roof, then it's probably a decoration trial !

I don't remember when I got this model as a child. The only thing I can be sure is that I salvage all the Dinky we had (my brothers and I) when my mother moved in 1976 or 1977.

So, it is in a cabinet since almost 20 years but I never noticed that the white roof was uncommon !

I just did it to day when I received the common one, with the concave hubs !enlightened I compared both and opened the Roulet and surprise ... surprise

I did not know that Jacques was in hospital and I understand now why he did not answer to my mails.

Thank you Bruce. it's a luck

Friendly yours 

Richard

 

 

buzzer999's picture
buzzer999
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DTCA MemberUK

In the 1962 Dinky catalogue, a Unic Sahara is shown with a white roof, this was on Talkmodeltoys website.

 

buzzer999's picture
buzzer999
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DTCA MemberUK

Here is a leaflet about the French Dinky Toys being sold in the UK from February 1961, it also shows the Unic with a white cab roof.

Dave

 

janwerner's picture
janwerner
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DTCA MemberNetherlands

Well observed, Dave, and even the box itself appears to show the white roof. But models? I have never seen!

It would be a miracle, Richard, if your very copy could have been the one-off prototype example for these picture representations!

Kind regards, Jan 

buzzer999's picture
buzzer999
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Jan

Because all my boxes are up in the attic I had not looked at my box but after seeing your post I went up and dug mine out, I suspect all the boxes probably show this with a white roof - can others confirm this.

It is interesting that the Ramsey's guide lists the 39c and the 893 as having a white roof!!!!

And yet we have only seen the one example owned by Richard - I wonder if there are any more examples out there with white roofs????

 

buzzer999's picture
buzzer999
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DTCA MemberUK

The Dinky Toys 1959 catalogue for the US market shows the 893 Unic on page 30 and it had a white roof.

Dave

 

Richard's picture
Richard
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DTCA MemberFrance

Hi Dave.

The french catalogues from 1959 to 1965 show  a white roof.

I don't have the 1966 but in 1967, the catalogue show an Unic all in sand color with the concave hubs.

Yes Jan a miracle !

Do you think that the box is decorated with a photo ?

It would be interesting to find the commercial leaflet sent to the shops for the promotion of the new Dinky Toys !

Kind regards

Richard

Richard's picture
Richard
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DTCA MemberFrance

Hi Jan.

I thought to an other supposition : The Meccano method department could have modified an item to fit with the box and be shown at a big exhibition as "Foire de Paris"  ou "Salon du Jouet".

They did it with other models as the Citroën 11BL that I have on a wooden display unit : it has the inside hubs paint in black, the outside in cream (even the axles ends) and the front lights paint in black with silver glass !

Just a supposition !

Friendly yours

Richard

buzzer999's picture
buzzer999
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DTCA MemberUK

I have noticed another anomaly/difference on the 893 Unic Saharien.

A very nice 1962 French Dinky catalogue arrived today and it is the same as the other catalgues in that the pipes are shown as being the same diameter throughout their length.

The model is supplied with pipes that incorporate a "coupler" i.e. a part at one end which allows the pipes to be connected together as they would have been in the real world. The 893 box shows the pipes as having a "coupler". I have illustrated this in the photo below.

Are there any catalogues showing the correct pipes and are there any boxes showing incorrect plain pipes?

Dave

 

janwerner's picture
janwerner
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DTCA MemberNetherlands

Only the later catalogues show a new ​cliché, with the correct pipe ends (and the concave hubs, introduced in 1959/60 already!). The box illustrations remain the same. Kind regards, Jan 

buzzer999's picture
buzzer999
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DTCA MemberUK

Thanks for that Jan

There does not seem to be anyone else on this site at the moment what has happened?

Dave

Dinkinius's picture
Dinkinius
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AustraliaDTCA Member

Hello Dave

I am glad someone else has noticed the apparent "lack of signing in" by many, except for one bloke by the name of "dinkinius"!  While I was in China and using my mini iPad, a strange thing happened. Although I signed out, I found when I reopened the website that I was still signed in.  When I had finished, I again signed out, and the same thing happened, so I just left it with me being signed in for the next 16 days! I noticed then that frequently I was the only member on-line except during the last few days, my good mate Terry "dinkyfan" would be keeping me company! But in the main, I was the only one, although the time difference may account for all those in Europe still in the land of nod!

Having written all that, I have noticed the marked difference with those members signing in on this site as against the old site. Far more with the old site. Although those who administer this site may have access to details of which ordinary members are not privy and may very well disagree.

Returning to the Unic Saharien and its pipes, the style of pipe used was aimed at the play value rather than the type of pipe the real vehicle would have carried. Normal oil pipes do not have a coupling sleeve but are in fact "downhill welded" using a system whereby the two pipes are clamped and sealed completely by two welders working on either side of the pipe. The join is then machine tested before moving onto the next pipe to be attached. Thus the drawing on the early catalogues shows the correct pipes that would have been carried by the Unic trucks perhaps based on oil recovery in Algeria. Then, perhaps even before the model was released, the play-value came into "play" and the type of plastic pipe changed, although one wonders why this did not follow through with the numerous catalogues etc.

Kind regards

Bruce   (150)

20160605/931/2007

janwerner's picture
janwerner
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DTCA MemberNetherlands

Hi Dave, nothing has happened, there's just more in life than Dinky Toys alone ... wink

It's only Jacques that we should worry about, let's hope he will recover soon.

Kind regards, Jan 

dinkyfan's picture
dinkyfan
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DTCA MemberUSA

Jan---That is interesting that the French Dinky folks finally either noticed or just got around to fixing that illustration with those pipes. It is also amazing that we are still discovering these types of anomolies so many years later.....and I am quite sure there are more!
Best regards, Terry

Richard's picture
Richard
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DTCA MemberFrance

Hello Dave, Jan and Terry.

Yesterday night I had a look at my catalogues and I found this :

The right pipes are shown in the  general french Meccano catalogues  in 1959 and 1960.

It's a drawing in black and white colors.

In the french catalogues named "Dinky Toys/ Dinky Supertoys" in 1964 the pipes are still incorrect but a little drawing, just over it , show how to fit the pipes together and then the pipes are correct !!! Jan,  the same drawing that we can see on the pages you have posted. 

Same thing for 1965/1966

In the small french catalogues from 1959 to 1963 pipes are incorrect 

The curious thing is that, for the same period (1959 & 1960) the pipes presentations in the general catalogues and in the small ones are different !

The right pipes came back in the small catalogues 1967 to 1970.

The Unic Saharien is not in the 1971  french catalogue but it is shown in the 1971 english catalogue n° 7.

I will try to post some photos later.

Nice sunday to everybody 

Richard

 

 

 

Richard's picture
Richard
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DTCA MemberFrance

Here are the documents : 

Meccano catalogues 1959 and 1960

and the drawings.

Friendly yours

Richard

Richard's picture
Richard
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DTCA MemberFrance

I just see that the trucks are not in the same position and that the pipes are not loaded in the same order ! 

An another mystery !

Richard

 

Richard's picture
Richard
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DTCA MemberFrance

Here is my third one.

The latest version with the filled trailer-girder and the box without the reference number 893 on the top.

I think that it is a very hard to find item and I was very lucky to win it !

Best regards

Richard

Richard's picture
Richard
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DTCA MemberFrance

Hi Jan.

Here are my Unic Saharien all together, with my new arrival.

On the left : 1st issue (convex hubs at the front)

In the middle : 2nd issue (concave hubs at the front)

on the right : 3rd and last issue (concave hubs and the filled trailer-girder)

and on the stage, like a star, the cabin with the white roof !

And the two different boxes.

Kind regards

Richard

janwerner's picture
janwerner
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DTCA MemberNetherlands

All those beauties, Richard! And the one with the white roof is exceptional, perhaps a prototype, a star indeed! Kind regards, Jan

Richard's picture
Richard
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DTCA MemberFrance

Hi Jan.

Following my message in the "new arrival" topic the particularity of my new tractor is .... the colours !

It has been painted with two different batches ! The cabin is painted in sand color and, the chassis and the trailer are  in almost salmon color, as the last versions.

Friendly yours

Richard

janwerner's picture
janwerner
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DTCA MemberNetherlands

Very peculiar indeed, Richard! I have a Euclid Rear Dump Truck, showing a slighter difference in shades. Yours is obvious and remarkable. Anyway, this proves that these parts of the Unic Tractor used to be painted before and not after assembly.  You are indefigatable in searching and finding new variants and anomalies! Kind regards, Jan 

dinkyfan's picture
dinkyfan
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DTCA MemberUSA

Richard & Jan----Wow, that is both amazing and unique....have we ever seen an example of that before? And I certainly agree with Jan's observation: you are the undisputed king of Dinky variations and anomalies.......very nice additions to your already wonderful collection.
Best regard, Terry

janwerner's picture
janwerner
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DTCA MemberNetherlands

With reference to Jacques' recent request for a picture of the 1960 Dutch or Swiss catalogue, showing both the new number and the obsolete, never used old number 39B: a picture of page 39 of the Dutch catalogue below, a photo of the Unic tractor included, showing the 'eternal' no. 39 below, cast into the diecast base plate. Kind regards, Jan 

janwerner's picture
janwerner
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DTCA MemberNetherlands

Three more pictures of the French Unic pipe truck and its contemporary relatives:

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