555 and 955 Fire Engine with Extending Ladder (1952-70)

While care-freely playing with our Dinky Toys Fire Engines in the 1950s and 1960s, we had no idea that factory toolmakers had some worries to overcome with the production of this model. As both the model itself and a comment on working conditions from a factory diecastmachine operator testify, the casting of this model was far from care free at times. The repeated deterioration of the left hose reel box is such an obvious testimony. Above three stages, from top to bottom early 1950s, late 1950s and later 1960s. Now I own one bare casting, having stripped off the paint from a very play-worn example, dating from before 1955 (as the now separate bottom plate shows the number 555, which was changed into 955 in January 1955). Closer inspection shows an asymmetrical flow channel, undoubtedly added in the course of production, between 1952 and 1955, in order to ease a better penetration of the fluid zamak into that area of the die only, the right hose reel box. This means that contrary to the left reel hose box there was a problem from the inside of the die here. The left one will have had problems with the outside part of the die. My curiosity into what more may have happened with the die, possibly showing more of such adaptations and cast flow improvements on the inside in the course of time, cannot persuade me to break up some of my other fine Fire Engine models. So my question is if owners of open castings of this model could inspect their examples please, in order to see if other remarkable observations can be done in this respect. Thank you in advance!Kind regards, Jan Werner

Hi all, unfortunately I never had a reply to my request for information above. In the mean time I keep hoping for some feed back. Now some of you may remember Dave Busfield's photo still-life of my nine 555/955 Fire Engine with Extending Ladder variants, which we used both for the 75th anniversary Dinky Toys DTCA calendar and the wallet with cards. In the past year or so I managed to add two more variants to the nine predecessors, bringing the number at eleven. Variations may occur both as the boxes and the models themselves are concerned. I hope you appreciate the listing below, showing these variants (the American visipac still wanting). 555/955 FIRE ENGINE WITH EXTENDING LADDER (my variants) Year: 1952 Ladder: brown Plastic windows: no Reels: medium grey Rear control panel: red-silver Hubs: diecast Tyres: grey radial tread Base plate: brunofix, Dinky Toys 555 Box type 1 (blue, black/orange printed label) Year: 1953 Ladder: silver Plastic windows: no Reels: medium grey Rear control panel: red-silver Hubs: diecast Tyres: grey radial tread Base plate: brunofix, Dinky Toys 555 Box type 1 (blue, black/orange printed label) Years: 1953-54 Ladder: silver Plastic windows: no Reels: medium grey Rear control panel: red-silver Hubs: diecast Tyres: grey radial tread Base plate: brunofix, Dinky Toys 555 Box type 2.1 (Striped, DINKY TOYS 555) Year: 1954 Ladder: silver Plastic windows: no Reels: medium grey Rear control panel: red-silver Hubs: diecast Tyres: black radial tread Base plate: brunofix, Dinky Toys 555 Box type 2.2 (Striped, DINKY TOYS 555/955) Year: 1954 Ladder: silver Plastic windows: no Reels: medium grey Rear control panel: red-silver Hubs: diecast Tyres: grey radial tread Base plate: brunofix, Dinky Toys 555 Box type 2.2 (Striped, DINKY TOYS 555/955) Year: 1954-55 Ladder: silver Plastic windows: no Reels: lighter grey (slight distortion on the left) Rear control panel: red-silver Hubs: diecast Tyres: grey radial tread Base plate: brunofix, Dinky Supertoys 955 Box type 2.3 (Striped, DINKY TOYS 955) Years: 1955-56 Ladder: silver Plastic windows: no Reels: light grey Rear control panel: red-silver Hubs: diecast Tyres: grey radial tread Base plate: brunofix, Dinky Supertoys 955 Box type 2.4 (Striped, DINKY SUPERTOYS 955) Years: 1957-1960 Ladder: silver Plastic windows: no Reels: light grey (distorted on the left) Rear control panel: red-silver Hubs: diecast Tyres: grey radial tread (later grey or black block tread) Base plate: brunofix, Dinky Supertoys 955 Box type 2.5 (Striped, DINKY SUPERTOYS in italics 955) Years: 1961-63 Ladder: silver Plastic windows: yes Reels: light grey (repaired) Rear control panel: red-silver Hubs: diecast Tyres: black block tread Base plate: gloss, Dinky Supertoys 955 Box type 2.5 (Striped, DINKY SUPERTOYS in italics with windows) Years: 1964-? Box type 3 (USA market yellow visipac box) WANTING Years: 1964-65 Ladder: silver Plastic windows: yes Reels: light grey (repaired, distorted on the left) Rear control panel: all silver Hubs: plastic Tyres: black block tread Base plate: matt, Dinky Supertoys 955 Box type 4 (yellow illustrated lid box DINKY SUPERTOYS) Years: 1966-70 Ladder: silver Plastic windows: yes Reels: light grey (repaired, distorted on the left) Rear control panel: all silver Hubs: plastic Tyres: grey block tread Base plate: gloss, Dinky Supertoys 955 Box type 5 (lavishly illustrated sturdy end flaps box DINKY TOYS) If you know of any other variants or if you can help with any additional information about the iconic Fire Engine or some more precise datings I'd appreciate to hear from you! With kind regards, Jan

Jan- Interesting post on a well known and loved Dinky Toy. I will share with what I have, although it is limited....I only have one of these, and I got it new for Christmas in 1955, so you will have to excuse the slightly playworn condition, but still pretty good since I was 10 when I got it, and fortunately, I always saved my boxes. From your listing, mine appears to be 1954 version, with black radial tread tires, but the box appears to be a type 2.1 as it shows only #555. There is also a stamp or number printed on the side of the box label, which reads '50555', which I am guessing means May, 1955.... a little later than you seem to show for it. As you can see, someone has crossed out the 555 and added in the new #955. By the way, my left hose reel appears to be like your early one, with no sign of degradation of the die. Hope this helps some! Terry

Thanks for your comment, Terry. My dates are 'ideal' dates if I may say so, theoretical dates. Stocks of models were interchanged in practice and that gives a lot of confusion of course. But it's nice to hear some evidence 'from the field' to see in how far dates of first hand acquisitions or stamped dates in the boxes deviate from my dating. A model can be bought in the shop in 1958 whereas that was stock of 1955. And in the factory some old boxes must have been used for new models and the other way round. This might be the case with the 955 Dinky Toys box and the model with grey tyres. In fact it shows too much degradation of the hose reel and the reel is too light grey to be exactly as early as its box. And of course we know that nowadays unfortunately a lot of swapping and separate selling of boxes is being done. So the provenance, if traceable, is very important. Yours is a good example of a first owner model (and box). 50555 is the official box number and has nothing tot do with the month of May or the year 1955. It was on the earliest blue boxes already. And yes, early models like yours should not show degradation of the left hose reel. Kind regards, Jan

Jan and Terry, very nice models that ......I will find some of these days. Sorry Jan, I can't help ! Kind regards Richard

Dear jan. 8 month ago I wrote, one of these days ...... And now I have 6 exemplars ! :laugh: :laugh: I was so jalous ! :woohoo: :woohoo: Good night

Well done Richard, congratulations! It took me some 30 years - that is, gradually improving by buying, selling, and swapping. At this moment the score is 11. Kind regards, Jan

By the way, Richard, my latest addition was a version with a very unusual PLATED ladder. As Jacques H could tell me it is most probably Zinc-Nickel electro-plated, an obviously short-lived experiment in the second half of the 1960s: Kind regards, Jan

Love that picture box Jan, the work that went into these was amazing. Pretty hard to find too I reckon, I know the Castrol Bedford TK in this style box is very difficult. Chris Warr.

Jan, Did you buy it on e-bay, few times ago ? I think I saw the same and I was one of the biders ! Congratulations Richard

Hi Chris, yes the later picture boxes are a bit harder to find but not extremely difficult, they come by every now and then. The other picture is nice too, but smaller: Hi Richard, no, I cannot have outbid you, because this was a regular buy, no auction. The special thing is that the ladder is plated, which is rare. Here are both of them: Kind regards, Jan

A gift by Jacques Dujardin added to the Fire Engine collection! Herewith I proudly present a special new addition, the converted Fire Engine, now without extending ladder, a creation made by Jacques himself, as a promising youngster, bound to be a successful engineer no doubt. He handed it over to me during the DTCA AGM weekend, last weekend, very much to my surprise. I was really touched by this gift, such a very personal piece of his childhood collection. And this picture shows that there is hardly any better home to be found for this wonderful little gem! Regards, Jan