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Townie54's picture
Townie54
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--25x and 430 Commer Breakdown Lorry (1949-64)

Just arrived from across the pond, Dinky 430 Commer Breakdown Truck with windows and blue cast hubs. Good nick except someone tried to fit working lights to the jib, and painted it over badly. Think it is quite uncommon.

Richard's picture
Richard
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DTCA MemberFrance

Hi Townie.
I lik very much this little truck;
Here are mine :

Richard

Townie54's picture
Townie54
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Hi Richard, would I be right in saying your two red/grey ones have plastic hubs (certainly the blue, but I can't tell from the photo the red?). I note Ramsey only mentions the windows with the plastic hub and not the cast. Treaded tyres too :S :S not smooth like earlier versions.

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Richard
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Yes Townie.
Both have plastic hubs and windows.
the base plates are different :
Shiny black paint for the red hubs Commer and satiny for the blue hubs Commer.

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Richard
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Richard's picture
Richard
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Richard's picture
Richard
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The width of the tyres is also different.

Richard

Townie54's picture
Townie54
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Yes mine has a gloss bottom. I have it down as a Commer Superpoise.

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janwerner
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Nice variety of Commer Breakdown Vans shown!
I have the early couple only, some pictures:

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Richard
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Splendid Jan ! what a beautiful photo of the Commer scale 1 !

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buzzer999
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Yes it is a Commer Superpoise MkII from the early 1950s.

I used to have one on my charge when I was stationed in the Outer Hebrides at the Royal Artillery missile range at South Uist. Ours was a Suprpoise Q4 with four wheel drive and the back was a large bolt-on Radar Repair Vehicle we used it as a static workshop alongside the three radars for which we had responsibility. I took it for a road test and its annual check with the vehicle mechanics once a year.

We had a few drinks in the NAAFI when it was 21 years old - any excuse!! it only had about 1000 miles on the clock.

I remember it fondly it was easy to drive but incredibly slow by today's standards.

Dave

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Here is the civilian version of the Commer Superpoise MkII.

It is from a Commer (Rootes Group) leaflet dated September 1952.

As can be seen Dinky produced a realistic model of this popular post-war truck.

Dave

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Looking at the pictures of the prototype I have always wondered why Dinky made the cab windows so narrow, so low, so flat. Jan

Fred7A
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I agree Jan, that shallow windscreen slightly spoils this toy for me. On the Bedford, Dinky went the otherway and made the windows too deep, although in a way that makes the toy look more attractive than the real thing!

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Here is the the Commer with the jib restored to grey and the broken winder and cord replaced. Hook, spring etc still all original. To recap red and grey, windows to cab, blue cast hubs, blue decals, treaded tyres and black gloss base.

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Interestingly I note that the later red bodied models have a chassis without the recess for a tipper winder. Presumably this recess on the earlier castings was to allow a tipper version to be produced, but presumably deleted once the articulated truck version came along?

starni999
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Hi Townie,
Yes the winder slot went about the time the Grey / Red version came along, my only version in this colour has Blue plastic hubs so is later than yours. I would love to know if there are versions out there with late colours,windows and winder slots.
Chris Warr.

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dinkyfan
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I thought it would be both fun and interesting to compare the Commer breakdown truck with its French cousin....the Citroen version. While they are similar in size and function, there is nothing else that they share. Originally I had thought that maybe they shared the rear tower/boom, but no, they are quite different, although similar. Then I thought for sure they must share the tow hook....why design a new one? But again, no, they are even different sizes. Even the handle that winds the mechanism is different. Looking down into the bed again shows how similar they are, from the simulated slats in the bed, to the box behind the cab, etc. Even the sides of the rear bed area share the same basic shape, with the sloped, curved sides.
    Best regards,  Terry

 

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buzzer999
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Thanks for this Terry

I had thought that there were more similarities, you, however, have dispelled that notion. I think I will buy a Citroen version sometime.

Dave

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janwerner
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Indeed Terry, comparing French and British models you will see that only the concept is shared, but not even the more general parts. For instance, even drivers and tyres, though seemingly the same, are different.

Even British models 'assembl

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Jan---Nice examples of English vs French details and differences. I have mentioned before the topic of how the 2 different Meccano operations communicated, if at all. It would seem obvious to me that some economies could have been achieved by sharing information or even some detail parts, such as wheels or drivers......or towing hooks!
On the other hand, it appears that they operated quite separately, and possibly language was a real barrier. I wonder if there was also a competitive spirit operating there...... and each thought they could "do it better"???
Since all of the major players are long since gone, we will probably never know the real inter workings between the two, but it is fun to imagine and throw out scenarios!
Terry

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More Commers. The front one has green hubs. It was fully completed and working when sent last week, but Royal Mail decided to rearrange the jib. I am hoping to get this straightened out literally and figuratively.

The one behind fairly common but with the white lettering,

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Talking of French vs English Dinkies, there's the Alfa Coupe, the Renault R16, the Dauphine Minicab, but on the breakdown front the Bedford TK. Imagine my disappointment when my father returned from a business trip to France, with instructions to get a Berliet Recovery Vehicle ( ie military) and came back with 589 with the back end of 434 instead......

starni999
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Hi all,
Not seen Green hubs on this one before, another one on the wants list.... ;)

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Richard
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Hi Terry.
I can assure you that all the head managers of Meccano in France were speaking a very good english !
It was perhaps a commercial problem : to buy from UK at that time was more difficult and expensive : the conversion in GBP and the bank charges, the custom rights, the freight costs, the delivery time..... !

Richard

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Richard
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Hi Townie.
Is the green hubs Commer you show, the one which was to sale on e-bay last week ? I was following this item but a little bit suspicious .
What a pity to see it now so damaged;
Richard

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Yes Ruchard, it looked as if someone had stood on the parcel and the jib collapsed and twisted. Hook, winder and spring still complete. I have removed the jib now and will see about straightening it out to refit.

On the hubs : yes this is the eBay truck which the seller said was part of his fathers collection which he is selling, been in the family 30 + years. Seller was quite distraught that model he had been familiar with for so long had got damaged.

On authenticity the hubs perfectly match the green rear, which seems to be the standard green (by comparing with my other two). I suppose an enterprising person could prise off a baseplate and swap axles - I compared the lengths for example to my 411 Bedford - but I can see no evidence of tampering. Also one would have to have matching green hubs, but again the closest I have on the 411 seem to be a different shade. So I think it is potentially quite rare.

Be interesting to hear of others, or similar rarer colour hubs on contemporary models, eg red hubs on maroon Hudsons.

starni999
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Hi Mate,
Looks good from the pictures, I've not seen one before, but if the Bedford O is anything to go by then ANY combination of body / hub colour is possible!
Chris Warr.

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Richard
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Hi Townie.
Do you mean this Hudson ?

Cheers

Richard

Townie54's picture
Townie54
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Yes indeed, red hubs seems an unusual choice, when maroon were already in use. Unless it was like the chicken and the egg - which came first?

Fred7A
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What a shame about that damage caused in the post - I hope you manage to get the jib straightened out.

Here's one I bought recently. I don't think this colour scheme with the darker green back has been shown in this thread so far.

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