# Help identifying 1960s toy fire engine used in TV's Thunderbirds



## Mike Delamar (Jun 1, 2008)

hi guys

this is my first post, Ive come across your excellent and what looks to be a very knowledgeble forum, I hope there is someone out there who can help me with a strange request

theres so many different forum areas this could come under so I hope Ive posted it in the right place

what I am doing is building a studio scale replica of a couple of fire engines from the 1960s tv show Thunderbirds and Im trying to use the exact toy, kit and household items they used on the originals, the main tractor parts are in fact 1960s plastic toy amphicars



















Ive managed to source nearly everything I need, except one vital thing, it appears that they have taken a turntable ladder from a large toy fire engine and fitted it to the weird and wacky futuristic creation



















but is there anyone out there who recognises what toy fire engine this is from, it has some distinct details, it looks metal, has a rack and cog mechanism to raise and lower the ladder and would be approx 20 inches long when down.

a lot of people keep telling me its the matchbox merryweather, but even the king size one would be too small, this was a big toy

and also, they never seemed to let anything go to waste, so I think this tanker could be the toy fire engine that theyve taken the ladder from and made it look like a tanker



















many thanks, I hope someone can help, Ive searched for ages with no luck

Mike


----------



## bragstone (Apr 14, 2007)

I know nothing about fire trucks however I came across this http://www.tias.com/12937/PictPage/1923010171.html#images it looks like the ladder in your pics.


----------



## gourounaki (Sep 30, 2007)

Sorry I can't help, but cheers for the great photos. Good luck with it.


----------



## Mike Delamar (Jun 1, 2008)

thanks Guys

Bragstone, Ive seen loads of toy fire engines whilst searching and Ive never come across that one, its one of the closest Ive seen, but unfortunatley not the one, many thanks for searching for me.

I think the main problem is that toy fire engines where a very popular toy at the time, but still different varieties pop up now and then

any help and suggestions at all is welcome, such as places and people to ask?

maybe "makes" of toys to look at?

one thing usually leads to another when tracking things down

now that Ive started Im detirmined to find this out, heres a pic which shows all the things Ive managed to work out, Im building other replica things from the show and they tended to use the same kit bits and things on other models which make it easier to recognise them once you start looking,










there is actually a lot of modellers out there who like to make replicas of vehicles from the show, but many tend to focus on the main vehicles, I like the things that had smaller roles in the show 

cheers

Mike


----------



## bigdaddydaveh (Jul 20, 2007)

I don't know about the ladder but the cannon/nozzles sure look like some sort of automotive fuel filter.


----------



## Mike Delamar (Jun 1, 2008)

Hi bigdaddydaveh Im glad you said that because thats the only other thing I need to find out, looks like some plastic container to me, been suggested 6v lantern battery (too big) drill bit cases (wrong shape) and 60s plastic salt seller (wrong again) 

approx 2 inches square x approx 3 1/2 inch long, has a join and distintive pattern on in, and I know its plastic as one melts in a fire scene

I always thought they where containers of some sort but they seem to have a metal nipple on them











cheers

Mike


----------



## seaQuest (Jan 12, 2003)

Is this from "City of Fire?"

Only one man can help you. Only one man has the knowledge. Ernst Queller. Oops, I mean, ATaylor.

Anthony, where are you?????????????????????????????


----------



## Richard38 (Apr 16, 2002)

just a quick observation,

the fire nozzle bases look like the plastic containers that Forstner drill bits sometimes come in when you buy them individually.. might be another avenue to explore

Richard


----------



## Mike Delamar (Jun 1, 2008)

thanks for replying guys

Hi seaquest, yeah it they are from the city of fire episode and in a few other episodes too,

Hi Richard, Ive managed to get hold of a load of drill bit boxes to have a look at, but unfortunatley I dont think its them, unless of course its a style that I havent actually got










I also got a lantern battery to have a look at, but its just a bit too big

















and the other thing I thought of was a 1960s plastic salt n pepper shaker as the model makers have been quoted several times as using and raiding kitchen departments in stores for weird shapes, the size is about right but again, the shapes not quite the same










cheers

Mike


----------



## John Duncan (Jan 27, 2001)

Just a shot in the dark.... maybe those boxes are some sort of toilet tank float? The nipple might be for screwing onto the arm.

Just a thought!

I love that show and it's cool that you're building the smaller vehicles.

:thumbsup:


----------



## X15-A2 (Jan 21, 2004)

It looks to me like the "nipple" in question is not part of the original piece. It simply appears to be the back end of the fire nozzle which has been pushed all the way through the box-like piece. If you look closely, you will see that the FX guys have attached a small hose to that nipple in the scenes where the nozzle is spraying water. My advice is to forget the nipple and look for the box as a separate piece.


----------



## A Taylor (Jan 1, 1970)

No clue.
You might try asking the Anderson Model experts over at 
http://www.eagletransporter.com/forum/
that's going to be your best bet.
AT


----------



## Mike Delamar (Jun 1, 2008)

thanks guys,

I reckon thats good advice with regards the nipple, ive always thought it was a box or canister of some sort, it has the lip around the base like the battery and the saltnpepper shaker has to stop them moving around on wet surfaces.

A Taylor, I am a member of eagletransporter, some great guys on there, weve managed to suss out lots of things for this and other projects Im doing, 

but this ladder and this plastic box is a complete mystery:freak:

cheers guys for all the advice


Mike


----------



## X15-A2 (Jan 21, 2004)

I must say that the whole ladder assembly looks like a model railroad bridge to me. Since I don't really have a clear idea of exactly how big it is, I couldn't guess what scale it would be but the Anderson FX guys did use a lot bridge structures in their models. Just a thought.

Phil


----------



## Mike Delamar (Jun 1, 2008)

Hi Phil

size wise, it could be a 00 gauge bridge, I make it approx 2 inches deep by about 20 inches long, the cars in the scenes with it where always 1/25 so Id imagine the toy fire engine to be at least that size, possibly a bit bigger

but theres a few reasons I dont think its a bridge, the fact its not symetrical, ie a girder bridge would have the beams facing in towards the middle, this doesnt and it matches all the merryweather fire engine ladders on real ones

and then theres the thing about the turntable part etc.

your spot on with the fact that they used 100s of the airfix girder bridge kit, but I do think that the ladder on this, was a large toy or model from the time

many thanks for the suggestion

please keep them coming guys

cheers

Mike


----------



## Mike Delamar (Jun 1, 2008)

Hi Guys, been a long time since I last posted, but thought id pop back to tell you guys how ive got on.

after 2 years of searching I managed to identify the boxes, they where 1960s plastic spice cannisters, then after a long while a set turned up on ebay  I won them for about £4 
and a friend also found the toy fire engine the ladder was from 
I also managed to find the large bulb holders too.

I didnt start work on them until I had all the parts. the model making side itself didnt take too long in hours.

the trailers were built from scratch from wood.

here they are at the moment in theyre final stages, some more detailing and then some weathering to do, 



















cheers
Mike


----------



## bigdaddydaveh (Jul 20, 2007)

Did you get any photos of the spice canisters before you painted them? Just curious to see what they looked like in the flesh so to speak.


----------



## Mike Delamar (Jun 1, 2008)

hiya, 

yeah heres a shot of them










Mike


----------



## tomo_hobe (12 mo ago)

Mike Delamar said:


> hi guys
> 
> this is my first post, I've come across your excellent and what looks to be a very knowledgeable forum, I hope there is someone out there who can help me with a strange request
> 
> ...





Hey Guys this place might be dead but I'm new I'm tom and I have been trying to search for the part's for this build could I have a rough list. Or even just a convo never met people this intrested in this subject.

- Kind regards


----------

