The Worlds Greatest Indoor Miniature Village

I love a model village!!! Check out Roadside America.

MJ

Southcoast Base

UK

https://youtu.be/HaccBpdD6qc?si=mcxecokYtdbzFkgC  

Tipping Up Late: The Muir Hill Dumper

In a recent post you mentioned some LP toys from an auction lot. I thought the small red and green vehicle in the foreground looked like the Matchbox Muir Hill Hiway Site Dumper.

https://projectswordtoys.blogspot.com/2023/10/lp-collection.html#comment-form

This was a small dump truck for use on construction sites, and was based on a tractor. The seat could rotate, so the driver could face forwards or backwards, depending on which way he wanted to go, with no need to turn around in limited spaces.

Matchbox made two versions of this toy, the first in 1953 was in the first group of Matchbox Series toys. A slightly larger and more detailed version followed in 1957.

The one in the auction photo looks to be all plastic (?), and resembles the second Matchbox model.

The Muir Hill Dumper seems to have been a popular model with British die-cast companies in the 1950s. There was a larger Matchbox King Size version, along with examples by Dinky (re-issued by Nicky Toys of India), Benbros, and Charbens.

Here are a couple of photos of the early and late Matchbox models for comparison. Both from Worthpoint.

Anyone got one?

Paul Adams from New Zealand

Well At Least They Tried: Swadar Fairchild XC-120 Packplane

Developed from Fairchild's C-119 in 1950, only one Packplane was ever built before the program ended in 1952. The prototype was eventually scrapped.

My sample was made by a small company called 'Swadar' and has a couple of condition issues but still displays well.

From Vegas Skunk Works
Ed

USA

LIBERATED! KEV'S REMODELLED BLAKES 7 LIBERATOR GUN

I have remodelled my old scratchbuild using some parts from a resin model I picked up recently.

I was aiming for his head!

Kevin

UK

GOLD COMFORT: THE GOLDEN BATMOBILE

Batman: The Animated Series ran from 1992 to 1995. It had a very 1930s Art Deco look to it, and that included the Batmobile.

Hot Wheels released their Batman: The Animated Series Batmobile as part of the 2018 range, although the copyright date is 2017. Since then, it has been seen in several different colour schemes.

The 2023 Batman range includes two versions, one in purple, and this one in gold. It has brown stripes and Hot Wheels logos on the upper surfaces.

The base is black plastic, with the front grille, exposed parts of the engine, and the tiny windscreen also in black plastic. The wheels have gold chrome rims.

Do you like it?

Paul Adams from New Zealand

In the Lap of the Gods

Just a quick update on my laptop. I have now managed to fire it up with a brand new power cable and I am typing on it this very minute!

Alas, it is having a few serious teething problems as it re-boots! It is sporadically deleting whatever I type!

I will try to post some of the fine material I've received from readers this past month over the next few weeks if at all possible.

At some point I may have to fork out for a new laptop, much as it irks my Yorkshire pockets!

Bear with me.

A FISH PLEASE, IN A BOX

 Silver surfing the other day I found this Terror Fish kit!

Part of MIDORI's SF offer back in the Sixties, this and Stingray itself were in fine company.

The MIDORI box art is just fabulous, the mechanical fish releasing a missile with Stingray in hot pursuit.

The kit itself appeared to be just a few green parts. 

On the box side was one of my favourite SF vehicles, the Vanguard.

I also found this picture of a bagged Terror Fish from Japan. This may well be modern. Does anyone know?

Have you any Terror Fish readers?

Well, At Least They Tried - Platicraft's Convair YB-60

I have a ton of toy aircraft photos, but I'll try and find those toys based on unsuccessful prototypes. The first one I came across in my files was this Convair YB-60 made by Plasticraft. The YB-60 was in direct competition for the Air Force's newest heavy bomber c.1950, but lost outely scrapped.

From Vegas Skunk Works

Ed