When I was a young boy I collected Dinky "Army Toys". So I like the style of the toys from this period, all metal, no plastic parts or windows and no gimmicky bits like steering, or opening doors (the competition from Corgi was yet to come). There were no ultra realistic add on details to spoil the shape of the original vehicle, except maybe on some, a spare wheel. The paint over the raised detail was a flat mid green which not only varied with the production runs, but changed as the toy aged. And with their metal wheels and axles and rubber tyres, they felt solid.
I loved them!
My collection stopped at the Corporal rocket launcher and servicing platform, and I regret that I can remember deciding not to collect any French Dinkys!
I discovered the post war issue of the pre war toys, the Dragon tractor etc, collected some of them, and intend to pick up the remaining omissions as time goes on.
One of my favourite toys was the Armoured Personnel Carrier. This was a model of the six wheeled Saracen made by Alvis and introduced into the British Army in the early 50s. Alvis later made a turretted armoured car on the same chassis called the Saladin and I hoped Dinky would produce a model of it, but they didn't!
So I decided I would make my own, in the same style as I remember the toys from my youth.
That was it, I had to rediscover my meagre modelling skills and learn new techniques such as white metal casting, and airbrush painting. Research, and a drawing that I had to convert from 1:72 scale to the usual Dinky 1:60, set me on the way.
The Saladin was the first conversion that I started. It was virtually a scratch built model using the chassis and some parts of the hull of the APC as a base. It took me some time and several trial moulds and castings. It wasn't the first Code 3 that I finished! In the meantime I made a simple conversion of the Dingo scout car by enclosing the crew compartment with a metal cover, and extensively re-modelled another Dinky Alvis six wheeler, the 1970s speedwheel equipped issue of the Stalwart load carrier.
Other ideas followed, all built to the same concept and based on real vehicles, and to as high a standard as I can achieve. They are described on the pages of this site. All of my models are repeatable if the base toys are available.
The collectors name for models that weren't made by the original manufacturer is a "Code 3".
I am proud to be a member of the GHG group of diecast military modellers.
I loved them!
My collection stopped at the Corporal rocket launcher and servicing platform, and I regret that I can remember deciding not to collect any French Dinkys!
I discovered the post war issue of the pre war toys, the Dragon tractor etc, collected some of them, and intend to pick up the remaining omissions as time goes on.
One of my favourite toys was the Armoured Personnel Carrier. This was a model of the six wheeled Saracen made by Alvis and introduced into the British Army in the early 50s. Alvis later made a turretted armoured car on the same chassis called the Saladin and I hoped Dinky would produce a model of it, but they didn't!
So I decided I would make my own, in the same style as I remember the toys from my youth.
That was it, I had to rediscover my meagre modelling skills and learn new techniques such as white metal casting, and airbrush painting. Research, and a drawing that I had to convert from 1:72 scale to the usual Dinky 1:60, set me on the way.
The Saladin was the first conversion that I started. It was virtually a scratch built model using the chassis and some parts of the hull of the APC as a base. It took me some time and several trial moulds and castings. It wasn't the first Code 3 that I finished! In the meantime I made a simple conversion of the Dingo scout car by enclosing the crew compartment with a metal cover, and extensively re-modelled another Dinky Alvis six wheeler, the 1970s speedwheel equipped issue of the Stalwart load carrier.
Other ideas followed, all built to the same concept and based on real vehicles, and to as high a standard as I can achieve. They are described on the pages of this site. All of my models are repeatable if the base toys are available.
The collectors name for models that weren't made by the original manufacturer is a "Code 3".
I am proud to be a member of the GHG group of diecast military modellers.
