30c Faun 8-Wheeled Crane

[Idris]

Neither the NAMC’s “Catalog of all Series Matchbox Models” (second edition) nor the AIM's “1-75 Series Regular Wheels” catalogue (second printing, 1983) list any variations not already covered by Nick. The same is true of Stannard.
Houghton has spotted that the jib rivet can be either painted or unpainted., with painted being the earlier of the two. Nick's variation code 1 (no tow guide, no brace, yellow hook) only comes with an orange jib rivet, his variation code 2 (no tow guide, with brace, yellow hook) and variation code 3 (no tow guide, with brace, red hook) can have either a painted or unpainted jib rivet. All the remaining variation codes are only to be found with unpainted jib rivets.
U.K. Matchbox did not examine the model.

[Diecast]

Just to remember, I have mentioned it yet. There is one unlisted variation. By very early models (without brace) the jib could be:
a) dull orange
b) bright orange
There could be a third variation, which is not so visible, with the red-orange jib.
Antonin

[Diecast]

green body:
a) darker green
b) lightet green

[Diecast]

base plate:
a) without protrusion
b) with protrusion

[Diecast]

a) thin wheels (3,1mm)
b) wide wheels ( 3,65mm)

[Malibu]

Hi,

I asked in another forum for the real Faun.
Here you can find some pictures of a Faun from the whole-time fire Brigade in Mannheim. (Google for "Florian Mannheim 02/71 a.D." The link dosn´t work)
It is a FAUN LK 1212/18 with a 250 HP 12 cylinder Deutz Diesel engine built in 1963.
The crane is made by Krupp-Ardelt.
Comes quite close to the Matchbox model.

Stephan

[DrJeep]

I don't know if this has been noted before: thin and thick cab back walls. The earlier, braceless 30c on the right has a thin, parallel cab wall and correspondingly the quadrant brace at the bottom looks bigger. The later 30c on the left has a tapered cab wall that is thicker at the bottom, hiding some of the quadrant brace. If that doesn't make sense, I'll draw a diagram or try to take some better pictures.

[kwakers]

Your description makes perfect sense Dr. Jeep when viewing your Great comparison picture you included in your Post. This is a casting difference that everyone seems to have missed through the years, but now we can begin a search to see whether this thicker back wall casting change was done at the same time the later base brace was added. If not, there would have to be at least one more code:
1. Without brace with thick rear wall. OR
2. An early production crane with brace that still has a thin rear wall on the back of its cab.
Once seen, this casting difference now seems quite obvious to anyone viewing this Post. I think finding one of the rare early braceless base Cranes is so exciting, none of us has ever compared the upper side with the later Crane upper side. Another nice spot DrJeep! Kwakers

[yellowfoden]

....... but now we can begin a search to see whether this thicker back wall casting change was done at the same time the later base brace was added. If not, there would have to be at least one more code:
1. Without brace with thick rear wall. OR
2. An early production crane with brace that still has a thin rear wall on the back of its cab.
Once seen, this casting difference now seems quite obvious to anyone viewing this Post. I think finding one of the rare early braceless base Cranes is so exciting, none of us has ever compared the upper side with the later Crane upper side. Another nice spot DrJeep! Kwakers

Hello Glenn and Dick,
Good observation and not one I recall seeing mentioned in the past.
I have a couple of each of the small and larger brace just behind cab and these are Nick code 2 indicating the large cab brace (thin rear wall) still existed when the rear brace was added.
I only have one with tow guide code 5 and that has the small size brace. Photos attached.
Apart from the body casting with no rear brace I can not see any other features or differences.
Bert

[DrJeep]

Your description makes perfect sense Dr. Jeep when viewing your Great comparison picture you included in your Post. This is a casting difference that everyone seems to have missed through the years, but now we can begin a search to see whether this thicker back wall casting change was done at the same time the later base brace was added.

I have a couple of each of the small and larger brace just behind cab and these are Nick code 2 indicating the large cab brace (thin rear wall) still existed when the rear brace was added.

Thanks, Kwakers and Bert. This means it looks like all the braceless 30c Fauns should have the thin cab wall / large base brace, and there's another variation of the braced Faun without tow guide to look for. Does anyone have anything different? It's entirely possible that a few thin wall bodies ended up with tow guides.