521, 921 and 409 Bedford Articulated Lorry (1948-63)

It strikes me - after all these years - that the blue striped box type lacks the Bedford name, just: 'Articulated Lorry'. All other box types mention the full model name 'Bedford Articulated Lorry'. Kind regards, Jan

Jan, I know you like experimenting with the lighting and background of photos. Purely to show how I can change the exposure of this photo with a dark background and shadow with the lighting option (preset Brighten/Darken) in my photo program ACDSee Pro 6, so that you can now see through the model and the dark shadow disappears. I discovered this option a while ago and am using it to take away dark shadow. Kind regards, Jan O.

Hi Jan, thank you for the feed back! I can imagine your suggestion. Sometimes it is a matter of taste, and also depending on the purpose what to choose for. My image may be slightly too dark indeed, which is more obvious in the small presentation than on the full presentation. With choosing this image I mainly tried to draw attention to the box. I work with Photoshop and some other image processing software, and the lighting option is always available. Your solution seems to introduce new distortion in colours etc. Well, the best I can offer you without disappointing myself is the image below. If I would have wished a lighter background I would probably have taken a more grey sheet of paper. Always interesting stuff for discussion, much appreciated, Jan ! Kind regards, Jan W

Recently I received a very first version 521 Bedford Articulated Lorry with box in all-yellow with black mudguards and black hubs. It replaces my chipped research model I have sold. The Bedford Articulated Lorry is a very interesting model of which Bruce and I after research could make a list of 32 casting variations!! This model has already been shown in this topic, but I like to tell some additional details about this model, its box and its classification. The very first versions were issued in 2 colour schemes, in all-red with black mudguards and black or red hubs and in all-yellow with black mudguards and black hubs. Only of these early versions the platform of the truck was painted in the colour of the body, while the truck's platform of the later versions are always painted black. 521 all-yellow with yellow truck platform Stewart Orr &amp; Graham Bridges were wrong when they stated in part II of Dinky Toys Bedford Trucks in Classis Toys, volume 2 issue 11 of May/June 1996: On the early short-lived red versions the plate on the cab back that bolts the trailer is red with mudguards over sprayed in black, and when the yellow version appeared this plate is always black. The earliest all-yellow versions definitely had the truck's platform painted yellow too, instead of black. The first version is immediately recognizable by 3 characteristics and can only be found on the very first editions namely: 1) open trailer axle supports. 2) 90 degree right angle of the cab to the trailer platform on the left side without strengthening. 3) the truck cannot rotate all the way to the trailer, but has a rotate stop. The trailer of my 521 is equipped with Herringbone tires, which I find very tough and attractive. it's not easy to find this model in undamaged condition, but my model is in a very nice condition. It has a pristine 1st version brown cardboard lid box with red/white label and correct yellow colour dot that is often missing. The very clear red control stamp M48 (May?1948) is also present at the bottom of the box. It has a pencil price 6/9 on the box which is the price in Meccano price list of May 1948. It has all the special features that I would like to see on the model and box. The sides of this type of cardboard boxes are always stapled, but the inner box always has one flap side without staples. This is done to prevent damage to the models body paintwork during transport. A model should always be transported on its side in the box and the top of the model should face the side without staples. Sellers often pack the models incorrectly, which can cause damage. I always ask a seller to pack the model and box separately in a shipping box to avoid damage to the model as well as the box. Meccano Liverpools struggle with the classification DINKY TOYS or DINKY SUPERTOYS: There is something remarkable about the classification of the Bedford Trucks and 8 other Dinky Supertoys. An incomprehensible cumbersome reclassification operation (downgrading) took place of the 521 together with 8 other Dinky Supertoys to Dinky Toys. From the beginning the box and the base of the 521 were marked as Dinky Supertoys, but Meccano Liverpool apparently struggled with the classification of the Dinky Supertoys in the renumbering era around 1953/1954. Sales number 521 changed to 921 and were marked Dinky Toys. Considering the Meccano Job list this was probably done on 14-1-53 where under number 6 states: Base was Job 12877. (That's my interpretation because I don't know what else it could be.) Detail Job List Bedford Articulated Lorry DTCA Jan Werner Apparently it could not be solved well in one go, because the 921 number still belongs to the Supertoys range numbering 900 and sales number 921 had to be changed again in 1956 to 409 to become in the 400 commercial vehicles range numbering and to get the marking Dinky Toys from that time on. According Cecil Gibson this reclassification took place in 1956 with 9 models: 511,512,513,521,522,531,532,533 and 551 and GBofDT also reports this in its tables. MM don't mention anything about it. His brother 582 Bedford Pullmore Car Transporter went the same way in reverse. It started in 1953 with sales number 582 as Dinky Toys and got renumber 982, but still as a Dinky Toys. According announcement in MM of March 1955 the 982 model with 16 other models of the Dinky Toys range were re-classified (upgraded) as Dinky Supertoy and in 1956 it kept number 982, but were marked Dinky Supertoys from that time on. MM March 1955 Incomprehensible that the management did not decide the right classification from the beginning of all its first designs. Meccano Liverpool apparently had no well thought-out standard criteria established for the Supertoys classification from the start and had to adjust this later on. This resulted in reclassification (downgrading) of 9 Dinky Supertoys to Dinky Toys and reclassification (upgrading) of 17 Dinky Toys models to Dinky Supertoys. A very surprising, but also a very confusing operation. We would like to know why this had to happen this way, but we will never find out. Advertisements and publications with DINKY TOYS and DINKY SUPERTOYS classification: From March 1951 till January 1955, Meccano Magazine advertised only with the Dinky Toys name. There was not a single advertisement with the Dinky Supertoys classification in 4 years!! It seemed like they wanted to quit the DINKY SUPERTOYS name. In MM January 1955 the Toyman announces: And I have one fine piece of news for you - the DINKY SUPERTOYS will return this year. And in MM February: 'As mentioned in the January MM, the name DINKY SUPERTOYS is being reintroduced for the largest models. These are listed below. New DINKY SUPERTOYS will be added during the next few months.' MM February 1955 From February and March 1955, the advertisements of Dinky Supertoys in MM resumed and the reclassification of 17 Dinky Toys to Dinky Supertoys were announced. In the subsequent advertisements, full attention was paid to these upgraded models, but the downgrading of 9 Dinky Supertoys to Dinky Toys were never published in MM. In the following catalogues only Dinky Toys without Dinky Supertoys classification were issued: UK 1952 to 1954; USA 1953 and 1954; the Netherlands 1951 to 1954. The Meccano price lists UK had also no Supertoys classification from March 1951 to February 1955. Very strange, because In those times only in the store you could see if you bought a Dinky Toys or a Dinky Supertoys. Failure to produce new Dinky Supertoys in that period could be due to metal shortages due to the Korean War, but that has nothing to do with the incomprehensible absence of a correct Dinky Supertoys classification in MM ads and DT catalogues. A very curious period in Dinky Toys history, prior to the renumbering process I described in the 27n 301 topic: [url='/forum-topic/27n-and-301-field-marshall-tractor-1953-66-and-process-renumbering'>/forum-topic/27n-and-301-field-marshall-tractor-1953-66-and-process-renumbering</a> Jan Oldenhuis 28 April 2020

That is great, Jan! I happened to find mine only three months ago, the exact yellow brother of the red one on my photo. The only difference with yours seems to be the slightly later round tread of the tyres (and the differently coloured running board, compared with the red one). Congratulations and kind regards, Jan

Jan. I can't see it well in the photos or conclude from your earlier description, but I'm curious about the casting of both. Do they have an open (1st casting) or closed (2nd casting) trailer axle support? Kind regards, Jan O

Hi Jan, I cannot match your detailed scrutiny. So here is an extra picture hopefully showing the details that you are curious of. I only see a difference in the rivets fixing the hooks, but you may see other. Also a scan of the box bottoms, showing the same quality control stamps as far as I'm aware. Kind regards, Jan

Jan. Thank you very much for the pictures. It confirms my suspicion of closed trailer axle supports. Indeed clear difference to see in the rivets. Mostly the convex rivets were used with this model, but I also have (had) several with these hollow rivets. Another difference can be seen in the rear pin holding the truck non-hinged back. The rear pin of your red one are both ends crimped. The rear pin of your yellow one is one end crimped, while the other end is rounded. These all-red and all-yellow coloured models complete with matching box are very special to have in your collection and very hard to find in this beautiful condition. Kind regards, Jan O

Hello friends. Here is my contrbution to this topic which is very dense with a lot of informations and details So, I will just show my collection with three new informations : A white and blue box reference 409, the yellow model with glass and 2 bars on the left of the engine and 3 bars on the right side and 4 inscriptions variations on the truck.

1) On the model on the right, the base plate shows DINKY TOYS on the same line and 'made in England' stamped on it. 2) The next one, DINKY TOYS is on two lines and 'made in England' on the body. 3)On the third one, from the right, the base plate shows DINKY SUPERTOYS and 'made in England' stamped on it. 4)The last one, on the left, has a baseplate showing DINKY SUPERTOYS but nowhere 'made in England' Kind regards Richard

I add three photos of my couple in red version. Kind regards. Richard

Richard. Congratulations on a very nice collection of Bedford artics, all of which have very interesting casting and colour variations. Very nice to search, find and show such variations. Certainly the red trailer with open axle is special. I am actually curious. Does that red truck also have a 3/4 rotation stop while the truck of later models can continue to rotate towards the trailer? See picture below.The base plate number 4 (with Dinky Toys instead of Dinky Supertoys as you say by mistake) without made in England on the base plate or chassis is very special. I have not seen before.It looks like factory base plate model number 1 should have been mounted on the truck number 4, because there is no Made in England on the chassis. I also have an example of an error in the factory of a base plate of which I show a photo.The difference between the ventilation grilles on the left and right of the hood of the 409 with windows I think is more due to wear of the mold than a casting variation, but that is purely my own idea. All cabs of late 409 models have faint door contour lines and faint ventilation grilles compared to the earlier models.Kind regards, Jan O