Dublo Diecast

[Robin Brasher]

Thank you for the background information about the Royal Mail which got good value from its vehicles.  

 

The Austin A40 Somerset was an attractive car that was produced from 1952 to 1954. The A40 designation was derived from its 40 hp engine.  Several are still on the road and there is one in the National Motor Museum.

 

The Dinky Toys model came out an number 40J in 1953 and appeared in red, pale, mid or dark blue. Dinky renumbered it 161 in 1954 and then produced it in two tone livery from 1956 - 1959 with either a red lower and yellow upper body or a black lower and cream upper body.  I bought the black and cream model in the 1950s but sold it about twenty years later when I was de-cluttering my flat. The models in the picture are both repaints. They are to 1/45 scale which is reasonably close to an 0 gauge model railway.

 

So far Oxford has produced three 1/76 scale models of the Austin Somerset: 76SOM001 in black, 76SOM002 in Buckingham green and 76SOM in Romney Blue.  For a Dublo Diecast model I think that the Romney Blue version would be best although the green version is quite close to the picture on a Dinky Toys reproduction box. I wonder if Oxford will make a two tone version.  They made a black and cream version of the Morris 10 which is a similar colour scheme to one of the Dinky Austin Somersets.

 

[Robin Brasher]

Dinky Toys made the number 190 Caravan from May 1956 to 1964.  It was made to 1/45 scale which is close to the correct size for 0 gauge railways. It was in orange and cream livery or blue and cream and had a towing hook that fitted into a recess in most Dinky Toys cars.  The picture shows a Dinky Toys Bedford van which was the only vehicle that I could find in matching livery.  It did not have the recess but the body overlaps the chassis so it can tow the caravan.

 

Oxford produced the same caravan in 1/76 scale in June 2017 which is suitable for British Railways layouts from Nationalisation to British Rail days and would make another welcome addition to the Dublo Diecast range.

[railroadbill]

 

How about an A35 van as a Dublo diecast?  Lack of interior wouldn't really show.  This is a "Classix" model. 

Right sort of era.  Really needs Wallace and Gromit figures inside....

 

 

Also the Bedford van in the previous post would be a good 1:76th model.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 22, 2020 by railroadbill

[The Johnster]

I have a Classix A35 van in a light blue livery, lovely little thing.  As it is already available and a well established model from Classix, there may be better prototypes for Dublo Diecast. 

[BernardTPM]

One of the oiginal Dublo Dinkies was the Commer Express van. A variant of that with windows was the Hillman Estate.

[railroadbill]

Vaguely remember some friends of my parents having a Hillman Minx estate or maybe it was a Hillman Husky, so I must have been in one.

Hillman minx saloon perhaps for Dublo Dinky?  Right sort of era, popular car once upon a time. (More room in them than an A35!)

[Robin Brasher]

Thank you for the information about the A35 and Commer vans. 

 

Dinky Toys produced the number 301 (renumbered from 27N)  Field Mashall Tractor from 1953 to 1966 based on a prototype made from 1945 to 1966 so it would be suitable for steam era railways.  I had the model in the 1950s which had adjustable steering and a towing hook.  I remember showing it to my grandfather who was bedridden for seven years after having a stroke.  The model had excellent play value and it could be used for attaching a hayrake, a disk harrow, a manure spreader, a triple gang mower, a harvest trailer or a Land Rover trailer.  I had all these models but they either got broken or sold.  The model was always orange but originally had silver wheels which were green later.  The last models had rubber tyres. According to Mike and Sue Richardson's book it was to 1/38 scale but I make it 1/45 scale based on measurements from Oxford's model which makes it suitable as a background model for a 0 gauge railway. The prototype was used to take threshing machines from one site to another and the tractor had a pulley to drive a threshing machine.

 

The Oxford model came out as 76FMT 001 in February 2013 in green livery which they are still making. An orange version with silver wheels appeared in the same year which is in the same livery as the Dinky Toy.  It would make another useful addition to the Dublo Diecast range especially if Oxford produced some trailers for it. It could also be loaded onto a flat wagon.

[Ruffnut Thorston]

I have always loved the sound of the big single cylinder Field Marshall tractors.

I believe that they can be started with a type of shotgun cartridge.

Presumably one without the shot in!

 

 

 

 

Edited April 25, 2020 by Sarahagain
added second link..

[railroadbill]

Very interesting videos of the Field Marshall being started.  Don't think health and safety was a strong point here.

 

 

Oxford Field Marshall tractor alongside Fordson Major and TED20  "little grey Fergie"  Ferguson tractors (also Oxford diecast).  When I first got the Field Marshall the model seemed much too big as if it was the wrong scale, but as Sarah's videos show they  were quite a bit taller.

[Robin Brasher]

Thank you for the pictures of the three tractors.  In the Dublo Diecast range Hornby are producing an R7247 red Fordson tractor for £9.99.  This seems a strange choice to me because Dinky Toys traditionally made the Massey Harris Ferguson Tractor both in the Dinky Toys range as number 300 and the Dublo Dinky range as number 069.

 

According to page 273 of Hornby Dublo Trains by Michael Foster the correct livery for the Massey Harris Ferguson Tractor was a grey engine with a red bonnet and mudguards. Oxford are still producing this as 76TEA002 in their range in the correct livery for about £5 and this would have been the ideal choice for Hornby.

 

Oxford are also producing a blue Fordson tractor as number 76TRAC001 in their range for about £5 and have produced a red Fordson tractor as shown in my picture. I am not sure if people will be prepared to pay almost double the price for a similar model in a Dublo Diecast box.

[Robin Brasher]

Further to Railroadbill's suggestion that the Bedford CA Van would make a good 1/76 scale model Dinky produced the Bedford CA Van as a number 480 Kodak van, a number 481 Ovaltine van and a number 482 Dinky Toys van in the 1950s.  Comparing it with the Corgi Evening News van which is to 1/43 scale you can see that the Dinky Toys are close to the correct scale for an 0 gauge layout.

 

Matchbox and Corgi Trackside have already produced 1/76 scale models of the Bedford CA vans and Oxford are currently making number 76CA028 Bedford CA Van RAC in their 1/76 scale range. Perhaps a replica of a number 482 Dinky Toys van would be suitable for Hornby's Dublo Diecast range.

 

It is interesting to note that the price of Hornby's Dublo Dinky range of £9.99 is about the same as the Hornby Evening Star locomotive when it came out in the 1970s.

[Il Grifone]

£9.99 was almost enough for a complete Dublo train set in the 50s. Dinky Toys started at 1/3d (IIRC) for the small Austin Seven. Most were 2-3/- though the larger Supertoys could be over £1.

 

If I interpret the official list correctly, the Bedford vehicles are 1:48. presumably this includes the CA vans. The Matchbox CA is around 00 scale - I'll look it up.

 

EDIT

According to the list I have the No. 42 'Evening News' Van is 1:70. Rather large for 00, but careful placing can minimise this

Edited May 2, 2020 by Il Grifone

[railroadbill]

 

Corgi Bedford CA,  1:43rd scale, repainted long ago.  As a classic van, it would be good for a Dublo Diecast version. I'll look out for the Oxford version.  My maths teacher at school had a CA, he used to take his family camping in it. For some reason that's stuck in my mind. 

 

Agree with Robin Brasher about the tractor models,  dublo diecast is better with a link with their original models. Actually the Oxford tractor models (Fordson, Massey Harris and Field Marshal)  are great for 50's-60s layouts, and because they lasted a long time, could still find use on a contemporary layout.  (Field Marshal  for rallies now though).

[Robin Brasher]

Thank you for the picture of the Corgi Bedford CA van. I had the green Corgi AFS Bedford CA tender but I sold it a long time ago.  The red fire tender had a push and go mechanism.

 

Some of you may remember that on 7 April I had spent two weeks searching for my remaining models.  You will be pleased to see that after searching for them for four hours a day for 44 days I have now found them so I am able to post a picture of my collection.  The lost models were 062 Singer Roadster, 065 a second Morris Pick Up, 067 Austin Taxi and 068 Royal Mail Van.

[Robin Brasher]

I have been looking at the models of Bedford 15cwt CA Vans again and noticed that the Dinky and Matchbox models were based on the 1952 version with a split windscreen whereas the Corgi and Oxford models are based on the 1959 curved windscreen version which was made until 1969.  Although the Dinky Toys models were to 1/48 scale it does not look much smaller than the Corgi Evening Standard model so it does not look out of scale on an 0 gauge layout. 

 

Oxford have made thirty versions of the Bedford CA Van in 1/76 scale including ice cream vans, minibuses, milk floats and panel vans. As well as a Dinky Toy panel van I think 76CA018 British Railways Minibus would be a good model to put in the Dublo Diecast range.

[The Johnster]

I’d prefer a 1952 split screen version, but you’re right, a 10 year production run beats a 7 year one, and the 1959 type were still in service in the Yellow livery.  

[BernardTPM]

Actually there were two single piece windscreens. The first from 1959 to 1964 and then a deeper one from 1964 to 1969. Grille trim also changed.

The long wheelbase model came with the Mk.2 in 1959, having a longer door with a deeper side window, but the short wheelbase version kept the shallow door window through to the end.

[sagaguy]

Interesting subject,takes me back to my childhood.Now,a question.Where do Atlas editions fit in.I recently,in a fit of nostalgia,bought a Foden 8 wheel Regent petrol tanker.Apart from a few items of plastic,was the main casting from  a Dinky toy tool?.They are very good reproductions.

 

                        Ray.

[Robin Brasher]

The Dinky  942 Foden Tanker was something that I aspired to but never bought but I have recently obtained an Atllas edition.  Exclusive First Editions made a 1/76 scale version.  Unfortunately Oxford do not make any similar tankers so they would have to make a new casting to go in the Dublo Diecast range. If Hornby were to make a Regent  tank wagon that  would have excellent play value with a a Regent tanker.

[sagaguy]

This is my Atlas Foden Regent tanker,almost indistinguishable from the original Dinky Super toy.

 

            Ray 

 

             

[Il Grifone]

Dinky Toy wheel centres were originally metal but later changed to plastic (around 1960 IIRC).

 

I got the first Atlas vehicle (the cheap teaser*), but had to renounce the others (SWMBO put her down....). I did intend to buy the Ford T-bird (and say nothing!), but Tesco's had sold out.

 

* A Tank lorry at considerably less than the original price (about a pound) in real terms.

EDIT

Researching Atlas Editions (which seems to have gone belly up),

 

https://rustyoldrubbish.blogspot.com/2018/05/the-end-of-atlas-editions.html

 

I found this:

 

https://www.deagostini.com/it/prodotti/colleziona-dinky-toys/

 

Seems interesting, But SWMBO's veto still applies....

Edited May 10, 2020 by Il Grifone

[railroadbill]

Some nice "dinky" models on the Deagostini site, another DS21 as well. Running out pf space for another collection though,  they'd end up in a box in the loft!

 

I did buy a few 1:87th tram models a while ago, they were from a part work, not sure if it was Atlas, bought them from China via e-bay, boxed but without the magazines. Most would fit on a Kato n gauge chassis to make a sort of metre gauge tramway, but that's another story.  therefore, it might be that some of these dinky replicas could be obtained  from China, where they were presumably made, after the pandemic is over....

 

The best partwork ever must be GBL, which prompted a very good thread on RMweb a while ago...

[Robin Brasher]

Thank you for the information about Atlas and Deagostini.  One model that they did not reproduce was the Dinky MG TD Midget  which is similar to the MG TC in the Dublo Diecast range.  MG made the TD Midget from 1950 - 1953. Dinky introduced the number 108 in April 1955 in white with red seats with number 28 and in red with tan seats with number 24.  In 1957 they came out in touring finish in yellow with red seats and green with cream seats.  The models were to 1/45 scale which makes them suitable for 0 gauge trains but I don't think the proportions were right.  When I was at primary school a house had a collection of Dinky sports cars in the front window and I used to admire them. I liked the cars with drivers, seats and transparent windscreens which the model saloon cars did not have.

 

Vitesse made some 1/43 scale MG TCs which MG made in 1945.  These had spoked wheels whereas the Midget and the Singer Roadster had disk wheels.

 

Oxford has produced the MG TC as 76MGTC001 in racing green, 002 in red, 003 in cream, 004 in black and 005 in powder blue.  The Hornby version R7241 in red with tan seats is reminiscent of the Dinky number 108 version and is similar to the Singer Roadster number 062 in the Dublo Dinky range which was yellow with red seats. Singer made the Singer 9 Roadster to compete with the MG T series.

[Robin Brasher]

A taxi rank graced most stations so a taxi would be a useful addition to the Dublo Diecast range.

 

Dinky Toys made their Austin FX3 taxi from 1950 as number 40h in their 40s series of 8 post war cars.  It was to 1/48 scale which is fairly close to 1/43 scale for 0 gauge trains. Renumbered in 1954 as 254 it remained in production until 1962 in various colours but ended up black.

 

The Dublo Dinky 067 model in blue and cream was a 1/76 scale version of the Dinky Toys model and was made from 1959 to 1967. Morestone, Matchbox and Classix made other 1/76 scale FX3 models but Oxford never produced one. Classix also made a model of the hire car.

 

From 1972 to 1980 Dinky made model 284 of an FX4 London taxi. Oxford followed with 76FX4001 - 6 which is also in the Hornby catalogue as R7123.

 

Austin made the FX3 from 1948 to 1958, the BR cycling lion era, and replaced it with the FX4 that remained in production to 1997 covering the BR late crest era to BR sectorisation. 

 

The Oxford 1/76 scale Austin Low Loader taxi 76AT001 -5 is suitable for grouping layouts and Oxford and Classix make models of ordinary cars used as taxis.

 

The pictures show the Dinky FX3 taxis, my collection of mainly 1/76 and 1/43 scale taxis, Oxford FX4 and Low Loader taxis.

[railroadbill]

Thanks for taxi info, Robin. I remember having a yellow dinky fx3.  The Oxford Austin low loader model is excellent imho, got that on the layout.

I've seen an exhibition layout somewhere, think it was of Liverpool lime st. where there was a motorised one running. 

Edited May 17, 2020 by railroadbill