An effort to date my Large Trailers:

I would be delighted to see if others could show pictures of: the yellow one with red or black hubs, the early light grey one with black hubs, a 951 example with the 551/951 trade box and the later issues with cream or blue hubs or red plastic hubs. Box variants also welcome, kind regards, Jan  

That is great, Ron, thanks! Were almost getting complete here. Jan

P.S.: Remarkable that the late one with red plastic hubs comes with a much older box, as it seems. And that one appears to have no crimped drawing bar ends either!

Lovely, Ron, both the green one and its box! And nice to have the Micro Model copy presented here, for comparison. Boxes are so easily swapped. It's a pity if they get mixed up. Good to know you have the correct box too, albeit in poor condition. Kind regards, Jan 

Thanks, Kevin and Ron, for these additions! Just the cream hubs version to be added ...

I found another image of the yellow one, auctioned in 2005 by Peter Davies of Dublo Auctions (then: Collect-a-toy on ebay). Apparently it is hard to find a better yellow example. Kind regards, Jan 

Wow, that's a nice one, Ron! Condition and contemporary match taken into account they must certainly belong to each other. Kind regards, Jan 

Hi, is anybody familiar with this Large Trailer in regular medium grey, but with maroon instead of the regular red hubs? It is a no. 551 (cast in below the bogie) but it comes with an individual yellow illustrated end flaps box, which - in my opinion - does not belong to it. I did not know of its existence, but searching the intermet I found another one (the only other one), shown by Little Wheels Museum. That one with black round treaded tyres instead of mine with block tread. Based on that transition I tend to date this version at about 1952-1953, which would be about the date for this maroon hubbed example, with my example the later one on 1953. Any comments? Kind regards, Jan 

Yes, the yellow one ...

I'm looking for an excellent and affordable example for almost 20 years already, but indeed, most of them are heavily chipped - and so obviously on these bright models. I have eleven large trailers now, except for two identical models from a trade box, all different. Still looking for four variants: the yellow one, grey with black, red plastic, cream and blue hubs ...  I am not particularly a variants collector, but the Large Trailers are generally so very cheap to find, very common.

Thanks Jan, kind regards, Jan W

A second look at the one you found on eBay, Jan, made me realize that this is another (sub)variant. It is even slightly earlier than the couple I have shown, as it has black rear mudguards as an extra! Kind regards, Jan W

Hello Kevin, this changed in 1958, with the arrival of the no. 985 Trailer for Car Carrier, which had to share the bogie with the Large Trailer. To this purpose the bogie text was 'generalized', and individual differences deleted. The Car Carrier Trailer had the wording 'Dinky Supertoys' already cast in below and the Large Trailer lacked it's Dinky Toys brand name since then. Moreover, the bogie got two small reinforcement triangles added inside. Kind regards, Jan 

The trade boxes previous (natural cardboard) and subsequent (blue) to the nice green one as shown in post #5 above. Please note that the grey of the later models looks much brighter than the previous duller grey of the later forties and early fiftees. Other differences also obvious. Kind regards, Jan  

The change from inwards pointing ends to outward pointing ends runs (approximately) parallel to the change from Dinky Toys hubs to Dinky Supertoys hubs, so that change took place ca. 1952. Obviously mounting the towing bar was much easier when the ends to be crimped pointed outward. Kind regards, Jan W 

The answer, Jacques, to your request: this example with yellow hubs has the grooved Dinky Supertoys diecast hubs. I presume the only plastic hubs on the Large Trailer are in red. Correct or not? Kind regards, Jan