504 and 941 Foden 14-Ton Tanker 'Mobilgas' (195356)

Of course, you're quite correct, Jan. Thank you very much for this reminder! Kind regards, Jan W

It was a short time of issue for the Dinky Toys 504 - 941 Foden tanker Mobilgas. From May 1953 to June 1955 when it was replaced by the Dinky Toys 942 Foden tanker Regent. In MM of March 1955 the 941 was upgraded from Dinky Toys to Dinky Supertoys, but actually meaningless and without any consequences. In the time of renumbering the 941 got 2 new Dinky Toys boxes: first the dual numbered box 941- 504 and then at last a single numbered 941 box. Despite the upgrade in March 1955 it never got a Dinky Supertoys box because of the short remaining time of issue until June 1955. A very strange end to the 941 issue. Due to the upgrade of the 941 to Dinky Supertoys, one might logically expect that his successor 942 Foden tanker Regent would immediately receive a Dinky Supertoys box when it was issued in June 1955, but it became, incomprehensible still a Dinky Toys box. Only lateron it got a Dinky Supertoys box. It should be noted that the 504-941 was issued till 1955 and no more in 1956. The 941 is not listed in any 1956 catalogue or price list. Kind regards, Jan Oldenhuis

I have just spent some time looking at the beauties on this page and here are a few thoughts.There is an incomplete list of the 50 000 references in the Encyclopaedia.(on the home page clic on 'boxes' go down this page until you find the tradeboxes, the link to the 50 000 list is there) the numbers were probably assigned in chronological order for the early reference numbers (two digits and a letter) until in 1953 some time after the number 50517 which applies to the 514 Guy van Spratt's. Then the last three digits were those of the ref. number of the modelThe last item to have been given a 50 000 number is the set of three packing cases ref. 792 in december 1961. 50 001 is for the B.E.V. electric truck and the last number known is 50 923 for the Big Bedford van Heinz in December 1955. I have looked at several pictures of the 941 striped box but only one shows the end with the double numbering. Was there such a box with 941 only on the end ?These flaws of the inverted transfer is interesting but I beleive that the reasons are very simple : 1 ) The transfers came in sets of three, right, left and rear. By pure mistake a girl on the assembly line stuck a transfer on the wrong side. She would then apply the other transfer to the other side and both transfers would be misplaced.2 ) A girl on the line wrecked a transfer, she would have used a transfer from the next lot of three and this might be the right or the wrong one giving 1) a tanker with one wrong transfer or 2 ) a tanker with two wrong transfers and the next tanker to be made might have been an other flaw.3 ) About Jan's tanker with the pegasus behind the cab, the girl may have been disturbed and she applied the three transfers by mistake to an inverted tank, to save scraping the tank an other transfer has been applied to the right end of this tank. Remember that the poor girls had the awfull joj of doing the same boring things for days on end and they also thought about the bonus. I know that in some factories in England if bits had to be rejected the worker had to pay for them.

Jacques. Many thanks for your solution for the reversed Mobilgas transfers. it's very interesting and funny to read your solution.I do not clearly understand your question about the end of the 941 box:There were two blue -white striped Dinky Toys boxes at the end of production, ofcourse in the following order: 1) dual numbered 941-504 box with number 941 at the long side of the box; dual number 941-504 at one end and single number 941 at the other end of the box. 2) single number 941 box with number 941 on the long side of the box and single number 941 on both ends of the box. I post a few more pictures.Kind regards, Jan Oldenhuis

Hello Jan, Never mind if you did not understand my question, you have answered it. I wanted to know if there is a single numbered white box with blue stripes. So there is and it must be quite rare because the period of production was very short, just a few months. 478 478 Could you please make a photo similar to this one with or preferably without the trucks ? I will then remove this photo because the dual numbered box is not otiginal. All the best. Jacques

Jacques, unfortunately I do not have these examples in my possession. In my story about the (useless) reclassification of the 941 to Dinky Supertoys I went looking for a 941 Dinky Supertoys box that I have never found. I only came across these Dinky Toys boxes that I used as an example in my story to prove this. I just found one more photo of a 941 504 box that is more frontal.Kind regards, Jan O

Dear Jan O, In your post #9 far above you ask why the box reference is not 50 504 but 50 506. The simple answer is that 50 504 is the box for the plain Foden Tanker, this reference could not be used for the Mobilgas box which is different and the next number available was used.In his post # 17, Jan W asked how the man holes are attached to the tank. A close up photo of the inside of your Atlas tank would certainly give the answer. All the best. Jacques

Dear Jan O, In your post #9 far above you ask why the box reference is not 50 504 but 50 506. The simple answer is that 50 504 is the box for the plain Foden Tanker, this reference could not be used for the Mobilgas box which is different and the next number available was used.In his post # 17, Jan W asked how the man holes are attached to the tank. A close up photo of the inside of your Atlas tank would certainly give the answer. All the best. Jacques

Jacques. Thank you for your answer to my question. Your answer makes sense, only the strange thing remains that no original 504 Foden 14-ton tanker has ever been given the stock number 50504, but I understand the system. Kind regards, Jan O.