Scammell military recovery tractor 64

[Sebastian10]

This one has a much duller matt finish compared to the other 2 of these I have

Also the wheels have a matt finish compared to the fairly shiny ones on my other 2

It was sold as an unlisted stannard variation because the wheels were meant to be smaller (12 instead of 12.5 mm) but I don't see any difference in the wheel size

I have little knowledge of these scammells so any more information would be most welcome

Thanks in anticipation

Sebastian

[kwakers]

Hello Sebastian. The dull fish on your Scammell is usually the result of being out on a shelf on display for a few years. Dust buildup and exposure hasn't hurt the Mint model you have pictured here, and if it is a collector's desire, a light soapy wash usually removes that layer of dust to reveal the factory finish. The Lesney Factory paint is pretty tough on these, but do not use anything abrasive when cleaning. Facial tissues are soft and work real well.
Just for your information on all these Lesney military vehicles though, the paint used on them is usually kind of a matt colour to look like the real vehicles. At some point a few of these military vehicles DID use a very glossy paint that is not very common on them. If you search the Forum you may see reference to these paint differences found by collectors and maybe even a picture or 2 of how they look side by side. I don't know whether Nick has this paint difference pictured in his online Guide or not, but that is another possibility. Could you have 2 of these harder to find glossy paint models??
Maybe, but some Yank Sellers have been known to use spray wax on their models for sale. The finish can turn out brilliant, look Mint as in the "Box", but the Sellers will never admit they have "coated" the models they are selling on E Bay. Sneaky Devils! Kwakers

[kwakers]

Another point I forgot to mention is that cheap calipers are available at Harbor Freight for $10-$12 and work excellent for measuring Lesney wheel diameters. Any measurement involving .5 mm would have to be done with an instrument like that, not by eye. I go nuts trying to count 20 versus 24 treads on some models like a Tate and Lyle Sugar Truck in front of me tonight, without my cheap set of calipers at a Toy Show I feel very lost. Those crimped axles with the painted steel hook which is not broken make your model a very early code, and a very nice one at that. Cheers! Kwakers

[Sebastian10]

Kwakers

Thanks for responding on this one. I followed your suggestion but used soft cotton buds and tap water on the wheels and they have come up shiny as per the other 2 scammells - they were definitely covered in a thick layer of dust/grime!

I also used cotton buds and water on the paint work but this has stayed almost the same i.e. a dull matt green finish - this may be due to just a slightly different shade of paint being used at the time of spraying. It could also be due to paint oxidisation but I would tend to discount this as the paint is uniform all over including underneath.

The other 2 Scammells are definitely shinier - one has the painted metal hook with crimped wheels so it is another code 1, the other has the rounded/domed axle ends with the grey plastic hook.

I think the wheels are the same size on each of the models - I have some drawing calipers somewhere which I hope to dig out over the next few weeks to verify this

Pictures of the other 2 scammells as below

Thanks again

Sebastian