motorman wrote:Thanks John for raising this point and having checked my SF#42 images the wide track on the base does appear on the face of it to rule out an easy exchange with other thin wheeled axles taken from other SF models and yet we have both Nicks website and MCCH commenting on the possibility of such an occurance, so where has this come from? I have certainly not given much thought to it until now. JP has planted a seed of doubt in my head I am needing some clarity on this. SF is my love but I certainly do not have all the answers so if anyone can provide some evidence of the reason wheel swaps became topical in relation to the Iron Fairy I would love to know.
I guess, the "watch out" for this is a kind of stereotype or the usual prejudice for all the clipsed axles. All axles can be easily changed when clipsed, so one can do on the crane and fake something rare.
But as stated - from what other source should those long axles come?
exactly what Roland said but clipped not clipsed (sorry mate couldn't resist )
the same would apply to any model with this type of wheel fixing including red clips
Rob wrote: Also, thin wheeled versions have the lighter orange-red body and as John says I cannot think of another SF model that would be a doner for such a thing.
It would seem reasonable then to conclude that any previous reference to wheel swaps on this model was in relation to wheel swaps between different shades of the #42 Iron Fairy and not other models in the 1 - 75 range.
Caution is the watchword for models with rare wheel types and axle clips, so it's perhaps not surprising that the Iron Fairy Crane has been doubted previously.
It's a scarce model and as Rob points out, they're only found in the lighter shade of orange, which is a hard to find variation in it's own right.
Rob wrote: Also, thin wheeled versions have the lighter orange-red body and as John says I cannot think of another SF model that would be a doner for such a thing.
It would seem reasonable then to conclude that any previous reference to wheel swaps on this model was in relation to wheel swaps between different shades of the #42 Iron Fairy and not other models in the 1 - 75 range.
That seems reasonable Alex, the only thin wheeled models I have seen have all had the light orange-red bodies, if any thin wheeled dark orange bodies were to turn up then the clips would need scrutiny in my opinion.
This photo shows dark orange-red model with wide wheels and rarer light-orange red model with thin wheels.
Attachments
42 Iron Fairy Crane colour comparison.JPG (99.15 KiB) Viewed 1078 times
I don´t understand all that hassle here. The thinner wheels only come with the lighter body, never with dark red body. So a wheel swap to a darker red one would make no sence and a dark red one can´t be used as a donor for thin wheels.
So what fake or scarcer model could be produced, if the only version ist the light red body? The only chance is to take a light red with fat wheels and put the thin ones on it to make a little premium. So you take the thin wheels from a light red and put them on another light red one?
Miller wrote:I don´t understand all that hassle here. The thinner wheels only come with the lighter body, never with dark red body. So a wheel swap to a darker red one would make no sence and a dark red one can´t be used as a donor for thin wheels.
So what fake or scarcer model could be produced, if the only version ist the light red body? The only chance is to take a light red with fat wheels and put the thin ones on it to make a little premium. So you take the thin wheels from a light red and put them on another light red one?
There is no hassle here at all Roland, this is what I call constructive discussion. Rob has provided clarity around which variation of the #42 was found with the thin wheels. It is still conceivable that some seller will try to fit the thin wheels to the red bodied fairy and make out that is is a rarely found variation and attempt thereby to make a premium on the asking price. I love this type of discussion and it is a great way to learn a little more about those rare matchbox models that we chase week in week out.
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