Wheel variations

Nice one Rob! I guess this model proves that two different colours of hubs were on the assembly line in the same place, at the same time! Would have been less obvious if they were put on as red one side, and maroon the other, but I think axles were hubbed prior to fitting to the model? Another really good find. :laugh: Chris Warr.

Hi, Just picked up this 905 Foden flat truck with chains at a local toy fair. It has (mainly) plastic hubs except for the front ones - quite frustrating! In my 10th edition catalogue, the Foden is shown with plastic hubs as well a glazing and a steering wheel. Just shows you can't trust catalogue pictures. The 934 Octopus on the same page appears to have glazing as does the 943 tanker. Ron

Hi Ron, well, frustrating, a nice curiosity! From a distance it won't even show on display. I really wasn't aware of this catalogue picture showing windows and steering wheel on this model. Another catalogue anomaly! I have posted it a moment ago in the Fodens on parade thread, both the 1962 and 1963 pictures. Kind regards, Jan

The problem of the Foden and Ford Fordor with hybrid wheel hubs is the same. In both cases the different hubs are part of a sub-assembly of tyres, hubs and base plate.

Hi all, That's a cracker isn't it? I love factory errors personally. Put's a bit of history and humanity into the model. Anyway, you could argue that it's very accurate, the real wagons often had front wheels that were different to the others to give a step up to the cab :laugh: Chris Warr

Greetings everybody, having trawled through all 39 pages of this thread, I was surprised to find that there are no pictures of the two models known to have been fitted with the Silver die-cast hubs which made a brief appearance (around 1961) on at least two known models, the 167 AC Aceca and the 182 Porsche 356A, so I have had a short photo-session of my models. First of all the 167 AC - a later issue in cream with a plum roof, in later light yellow box: And secondly the 182 Porsche 356A in pinkish-red: Until recently, I thought that these were the only two models fitted briefly with these hubs - but I came across this model recently on eBay, and although it was in dirty and playworn condition, it looked promising as a possible third model fitted with these hubs (and at US$20 the model cost less than the postage to Australia!): So now we have a 405 Universal Jeep with these Silver die-cast hubs! This model obviously gave someone a great deal of playtime pleasure as it was caked with mud and dirt, but after a bath in warm soapy water it has cleaned up quite well. As you can see, the silver paint on the hubs has suffered wear and chipping, but nevertheless it is a genuine original model which has not been 'doctored' in any way, and now looks quite presentable on display as a 'Curio' along with my five other examples (one red and one green with standard painted hubs, the same with Spun hubs, and a scarce late-issue model in orange with red plastic hubs). The strange thing is that both my 167 AC and the 182 Porsche (above) are later issues, at least from around 1961 and much later than the introduction of Spun hubs across the Dinky range in early 1959. I have ten variations of the 167 AC Aceca and will start a new thread on this model shortly. I wonder how many other Dinky models there might still be to be discovered with these hubs, and what the reasons were for their demise? Regards to all, Adrian (141)

Hi Adrian. Thanks for the post, I've had a look, and like you I have the Plum / Cream AC, and the 356a with the silver painted cast hubs, my Porsche is the cream version. This is a good example of the Dinky timeline mystery, when a component obsolete or out of use suddenly makes a return to the line, like the black 410 Bedford grilles fitted long after the silver one replaced them, my own theory is no more complicated than a box of these cast hubs were found in the stores after they were thought all used up, and painted silver to look spun,so as not to waste them. I have not seen any other examples fitted with these hubs, but maybe they are out there? Chris Warr.

Hi Adrian, Just saw your post on the silver painted cast hubs. Thanks for that! It fills an important gap in the Wheel Variations. Apart from the ones shown, I have not seen other models with these wheels, but I am sure there are out there........ Kind regards, Rob

Good evening Adrian! Son of a gun! Well call me a monkey's uncle! When I saw your 167 AC Aceca post with the silver diecast hubs, I thought everyone had gone bonkers with 'silver diecast hubs'! What a relief to discover that it was only me who had lost his marbles! I had read all about 'silver cast hubs' which I had presumed were silver cast 'ridged' hubs, so when I started seeing reference to what I thought were spun aluminium hubs being classified as silver cast hubs, I thought someone was pulling the wool over my eyes! Hence my comment in your 167 AC Aceca Thread 'I could not help thinking that these look very similar to spun hubs!' Then you posted pictures of your pinkish-red Porsche, which set my brain nodules in motion! Ah, said I - must check out my 'pinkish-red', or is it plume Porsche and my red example. Well, the former, whatever colour it is described had shiny spun aluminium hubs, BUT, my red version is shod with these unusual hubs that everyone describes as being silver cast hubs! On examining it with a jeweller's glass, I noticed something odd. The metal has the same appearance as aluminium that has slightly oxidized as I had seen much evidence of this with World War II crash-sites I had visited many times in Papua New Guinea during my work there, as well as aluminium that had started oxidizing with the P-38 Lightning that was then in our (National Museum) collection. Has a metallurgist carried out an examination of these wheels at some time? The wheels do have the hallmarks of Mazark diecast, but there is something about them that reminds me of oxidized aluminium. No doubt I am wrong in this department! Certainly the inner of the hubs are different to the spun aluminium hubs having a larger protruding core that keeps the rest of the wheel/tyres away from the base plate. And above is my 'pinkish-maroon', pale plum or whatever colour it is called with the usual spun aluminium hubs. Actually, the colour is darker than it shows in this photograph as the two Porsche's look very similar in this post. Separately the difference is quite noticeable. Anyway, many thanks Adrian - I have learned a lot tonight - mainly about my ignorance! Kind regards Bruce (150) #552

Thanks to Bruce, I have been able to add one more wheel to the list of Dinky Toys wheels. Here is the updated list as in the Encyclopaedia. If you know other ones, please let me know.

Hi Jacques, how about wheels for aeroplanes,or do I overlook them? Are the support wheels for the semi remorques the same as for (some) French aeroplanes? Is there a difference between wheels and rollers (like those for liner France)? Sorry if these were stupid questions ... Kind regards, Jan

Dear Jan, There are no stupid questions. The aeroplane wheels are not part of this list because I do not have any. If someone wants to provide the material : pictures and data, I would include them. Aircraft wheels probably come in several diameter and thickness but I think that they are all the same (are they John ?) made of spun steel except the wheels of the Arc en Ciel which are the same as those of the little trains and the mobile petrol pump 49b. The dia. 6 mm. support wheels for the Fruehauf semi-trailer may well be the same as those of the Caravelle or Super G but I can not check this. The liner France did have wheels but the other ships and some railcars had rollers. We can argue about rollers being wheels or not. After a staff meeting with me and myself, we have decided that they were not but nothing lasts for ever and this could be changed under sufficient pressure. All the best. Jacques.