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Last post

--25x and 430 Commer Breakdown Lorry (1949-64) (cont...)

dinkyfan's picture
dinkyfan
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DTCA MemberUSA

Fred---Very nice and unusual color combination.....I like it!
Terry

starni999
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DTCA MemberUK

Nice one Fred!
I thought I was doing well with these, now thanks to this thread there's two more variations on the list in three days!
(That's what I love about the Forum.)
CW.

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buzzer999
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DTCA MemberUK

It does not need many people on here to be effective but a few more would make it better.

Dave

starni999
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DTCA MemberUK

Hi all,
Glad to add another Commer to the fleet this week, I picked it up because I didn't have a Brown / Green with glazing..........

I was pleased to find on arrival that it is a different shade of brown to the others too........

Chris Warr.

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Townie54
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Bent jib model disassembled, jib straightened with tools and vice and reassembled.

Fred7A
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You've done an amazing repair job on that smashed-up jib!

starni999
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DTCA MemberUK

Great job!
I love those green hubs.
CW.

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janwerner
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DTCA MemberNetherlands

Strange how such a subtle difference like these differently coloured hubs produces such a very unfamiliar appearance to a well-known model.
Yes, it must have been a tricky job to restore this badly distorted jib, well done! Regards, Jan

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Dinkinius
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Greetings all

The Commer Breakdown Lorry was one of my favourite models, sadly I never acquired an example in my younger days having to contend with my 661 Recovery Tractor to handle the civilian casualties!

Although pictures of the grey and blue model have been included in this Thread, none show the first box type in which these were packaged. Here is my early grey and blue example packaged in the plain orange box with the inspection stamp of ao850, August 1950, part of the first production batch before the 25X was released the following month. It is interesting that the box does not contain the wording MADE IN ENGLAND - simply MECCANO LIVERPOOL.

The photo clearly shows the rubber block printing style of DINKY SERVICE on the back.

Kind regards

Bruce (150)
#551

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dinkyfan
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Bruce
What an interesting and early box that is, and both it and the model are in great shape. Nice to see such wonderful examples.
Regards,
Terry

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Dinkinius
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Terry

Many thanks for your kind and appreciated words.

Yes, it is an unusual box and I often wonder what Meccano was thinking at the time. Possibly the label was not ready, as I have only found these boxes with stamp data that makes them in the first production run, as the next type with the label was also produced in August, the same as the plain box. Maybe the model was packaged in the plain box in the first week or two of August, using a rubber stamp with the end details which would have meant a production run of at least several thousand, and when the labels arrived it was no doubt deemed too expensive to retrieve any of the first run still in the factory and affix a label to them. Besides, the initial unlabeled boxes may have already been on their way to the numerous Meccano agents

Well, that is my hypothesis and I am sticking with it!!

I like the colour, as the brown, light fawn, light brown with the green back has too many variations! I have owned seven 25x models, including those with the orange box with label and the first blue-striped box, but six had to make way for other purchases, leaving me with just the one shown in my last post. One of those sold was dark brown, and I am still kicking myself for having sold it! Of the nine 430s I have acquired, I still have four, so perhaps the time is ripe to go back to collecting more Commer Breakdown Lorries!

And the last acquisition has been tan/light brown/or whatever colour can describe it, with windows, but unfortunately without a box.

Moved onto another collector eight years ago, and now yet another regret, was my red and grey version:

Kind regards

Bruce (150)
#567

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janwerner
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I really like those early orange boxes, with or without labels. The more primitive the better for me. This one for the Commer is a kind of hybrid between the regular orange lid boxes and the single model trade boxes (Avro York, Hay Rake).
If these picture-less orange boxes were meant to be labelled in a later stage, those labels would have been unusual, only covering the top and not the sides of the lid.
Kind regards, Jan

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Dinkinius
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Jan

I am not quite sure about your last sentence. The plain orange box and the orange box with the label are identical in size, and as such the label would have fitted. The boxes in fact were the same, except one lot did not receive their labels, just printed ends, most likely using a stamp, whereas the others had their labels affixed either by the box manufacturer or Meccano itself.

The following show both styles of boxes, and I apologise for their quality, as they were scanned from colour prints that in themselves were slightly under-exposed. I wish digital cameras had been invented 50 years ago!!

Kind regards

Bruce (150)
#569

There is that wonderful dark brown Commer I wrote about in my last post! :(

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janwerner
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Hi Bruce, so you know, or presume, that underneath the side sections of the label of the labelled box there is also the printed text, as on your label-less box? Kind regards, Jan

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dinkycollect
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This could well be, at least on the earliest ones with white label.

Next time you go to the dentist, ask him to X ray your box.

starni999
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DTCA MemberUK

Hi all,
Luckily I have both boxes, one of which has a loose label, there doesn't appear to be any stamped writing under there though....

My plain box is QC stamped August too.
Chris Warr

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Dinkinius
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Greetings Chris, Jacques and Jan

The boxes must have been provided earlier due to a possible problem with the printed label. (It must be assumed that the contractor handling the manufacture of the boxes, was also responsible for the label printing.) The manufacturer then provided Meccano with a small supply of label-less boxes as an interim measure until the boxes with labels became available. The ends were then stamped By Meccano using the same method as with DINKY SERVICE on the sides of the Commer as time was running short when the model had to be available to Meccano's agents ahead of its announcement in the Meccano Magazine. That is why there is no printing beneath the label as shown with Chris's box.

Chris, it is nice to know that your box also has an August 1950 stamp. Out of curiosity what are the letters before 850? What are the stamp details on the box with the label?

Kind regards

Bruce (150)
#570

starni999
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DTCA MemberUK

Hi Bruce,

The plain box is "S85-" the label box is "FR(?)105-" where (?) is partly illegible, and - is a presumed missing 0.
Both are on the underside of the base box.
Cheers
CW.

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Dinkinius
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Hello Chris

It is possible your plain box's stamp could be aS850, as this is the stamp I have recorded for three other boxes. As you said, these quality control stamps are found on the underside of the base. This is also the location for the other orange covered boxes used by Meccano and the early blue covered boxes with the orange and white label until someone realized that blue stamps on a blue background are hard to see and then they started putting them on the inside under the lid.

Kind regards

Bruce (150)
#571

starni999
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DTCA MemberUK

Hi Bruce,
Yes it could be, it's very faint, and only readable by holding it at an angle to the light. The missing 0 on the end is right on the edge of the box so has probably rubbed off.
Chris Warr.

dinkycollect's picture
dinkycollect
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WARNING

The subject of a thread should not be changed, there is a risk of loosing the whole thread. Dave Kaun is the only one who should do that.

This is why EVERY new thread should be written with:

reference dash official model name from the boxes or catalogues.

25x / 430 - Breakdown lorry

or

25x / 430 - Breakdown lorry Commer chassis.

Jacques
100

starni999
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DTCA MemberUK

Hi all,
I've managed to add a couple more since that last post 2 years ago,
Still got a few to go though, the shades of brown on this one make a few good variations alone.
Chris Warr.

Dinkinius's picture
Dinkinius
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AustraliaDTCA Member

dinkycollect wrote:
"WARNING

The subject of a thread should not be changed, there is a risk of loosing the whole thread. Dave Kaun is the only one who should do that.

This is why EVERY new thread should be written with:

reference dash official model name from the boxes or catalogues.

25x / 430 - Breakdown lorry

or

25x / 430 - Breakdown lorry Commer chassis.

Jacques
100"

I have not changed anything - simply combined two threads on the same subject - something the moderator, you or someone should have done ages ago. What do you want - two Threads going hand in hand on the same topic? No wonder this Forum has developed into a shambles and one has to wade through 23 pages before opening a new thread just to ensure that the topic has not been created previously. I have left the other Thread intact and unsullied. I felt, considering no one in authority with this website has done it before, asked the original creator of this Thread to change its title from Commer breakdown to 25X/430 Commer Breakdown Lorry. Simple. Amazing how some folk get their toga in a knot!!

Bruce (150)

#578

buzzer999's picture
buzzer999
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DTCA MemberUK

There is a massive amount of work being done on the new Forum by Dave Kaun, Jan Werner, John Beugels and myself.

When this is completed all the stuff on the old Forum has to be moved over to the new one. As the structure will be changing significantly this will not just be a "push of a button"

Hence the old Forum is not being updated as this would duplicate some of the huge amount of work which will need to be done in the near future. This will incorporate a much more logical structure.

Please bear with us during this transitional phase.

Dave

Dinkinius's picture
Dinkinius
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Nice one Chris with the added models. The 430 is the version that has the numerous tan/light tan/light brown variations. The 25X deep brown is rather straight forward. I have found after 20 years delving into the Commer, that the vast majority of the 25X has white lettering on the back, as opposed to black lettering for the 430. There is however a version of brown with black lettering that appeared in the early 25X blue striped boxes and the last issues in the orange covered box with label.
Kind regards
Bruce (150)
#579

Dinkinius's picture
Dinkinius
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AustraliaDTCA Member

buzzer999 wrote:
"There is a massive amount of work being done on the new Forum by Dave Kaun, Jan Werner, John Beugels and myself.

When this is completed all the stuff on the old Forum has to be moved over to the new one. As the structure will be changing significantly this will not just be a "push of a button"

Hence the old Forum is not being updated as this would duplicate some of the huge amount of work which will need to be done in the near future. This will incorporate a much more logical structure.

Please bear with us during this transitional phase.

Dave"

Dave

I trust I have not offended you in any way, as I am only too well aware of the work you and the others are doing with the new website. Until the new website comes along, and I for one have no problem with how long it takes, I simply brought the photos from the other Thread into this Thread that would be of benefit to everyone. Apparently according to someone I have erred, even though I did not touch the other Thread. I thought the pictures on that Thread would be ideal to have in this Thread.

I can easily delete my post containing the extracts from the other Thread, and everyone can then wade through countless pages to find that original Thread.

Again my apologies.

Kind regards

Bruce (150)

#580

starni999
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DTCA MemberUK

Hi all,

I remember years ago saying on the MCCH (Matchbox Collectors Community Hall) that the classic M,box collectors have it easy when setting up thread titles for each model. 75 thread titles and you're sorted! 150 if you want to split Regular from Superfast wheels, but that to do the same for Dinky would be so much work as to be virtually impossible unless it was split over several people doing so many models each.

I would love to see a set of thread titles from 22a to 991 or whatever, but it's not likely, and not very user friendly either.

CW.

dinkycollect's picture
dinkycollect
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DTCA MemberFrance

Chris,

This is how Talk Model toys was, Nigel and I started a thread for each reference. When a model had several references, there were instructions to use only the thread with the lowest reference.

This is very user friendly and it was not necessary to start any more threads. Almost everything had been planed in the begining.

Wait until TMT is back on line and you will see what it is like.

Jacques
100

Dinkinius's picture
Dinkinius
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AustraliaDTCA Member

Greetings!

This is my second example of the first 25x production run in grey with blue back. This image shows the other end of the box with its foreign languages, but like the opposite end, no mention of the model having been made in England. The box has the same quality control stamp as the other one several pages back.

Bruce (150)
#590

dinkyfan's picture
dinkyfan
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DTCA MemberUSA

Bruce--A very interesting and nice color combination, along with that really neat box.

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