I recently acquired this Barclays Routemaster. Interestingly, in spite lacking an interior, it is a 5d rather than a 5c.
Whilst the base is type 2 (four lines of text, no recesses above the axles), the body appears to be a previously unidentified intermediate form. It has the thickened rear wall, and also the heavier external rear body ridges, but is missing the additional ridges associated with the baseplate tongue slot (see detailed photo below clearly showing the lack of any ridge between the numberplate recess and the baseplate slot).
Barclays 5d Routemaster
Barclays 5d Routemaster
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- 5d-20(s).jpg (21.75 KiB) Viewed 732 times
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Re: Barclays 5d Routemaster
What an exciting and interesting Lesney Hugh! It would be enough of a mystery with just the Bank's uncatalogued decals, but with an unknown casting as you have now shown us, this one is a real GEM.....
I am hoping you may be able to find out a bit of history on this one through your source of purchase, but perhaps Nick or Nigel have heard of or even seen one like this before. Or, Perhaps Antonin will show us his just like it.....LOL
Provenance would be nice, but maybe exposure here may bring out others that may be hiding in U.K. collections. The model could easily have been mistaken as Train layout modified scenery years ago, but could very well have been in reality part of a small group of promotionals produced by Lesney R &D at the request of someone at Barclays. Bank Handouts and promotional gimmicks were common in the 60s, but almost unknown in today's electronic oriented world. A Very, Very Interesting Model Indeed......
Cheers, Kwakers
I am hoping you may be able to find out a bit of history on this one through your source of purchase, but perhaps Nick or Nigel have heard of or even seen one like this before. Or, Perhaps Antonin will show us his just like it.....LOL
Provenance would be nice, but maybe exposure here may bring out others that may be hiding in U.K. collections. The model could easily have been mistaken as Train layout modified scenery years ago, but could very well have been in reality part of a small group of promotionals produced by Lesney R &D at the request of someone at Barclays. Bank Handouts and promotional gimmicks were common in the 60s, but almost unknown in today's electronic oriented world. A Very, Very Interesting Model Indeed......
Cheers, KwakersRe: Barclays 5d Routemaster
Dick, this is actually the fourth example that I am aware of, the other three all having an interior. Two appeared in quick succession on Ebay and were discussed on Lefora (no substantive information was forthcoming), whilst the third example (mint but not boxed, and illustrated below) was sold by Vectis in 2009.
I did ask for background information when I bought it, but only got what must have been guesswork in reply since it was based on misidentification of the model as a 5c.
My guess would be that it was some kind of promotional handout by Barclays (something to do with targetting young savers perhaps?), similar to the two-line Pickfords 46b. However, what is unclear is whether this is a code 1 or a code 2. (I think a code 3 is highly unlikely because that would imply Barclays having to remove the original decals before adding their own (not impossible, but a real bind if you've got hundreds of models to process.)
As regards the casting variation. we have seen many times before that Lesney tended to update the tooling incrementally rather than combining several changes all at the same time. It would therefore not surprise me if there was a short run of bodies with only either the thickened rear wall or the heavier external ridges.
I did ask for background information when I bought it, but only got what must have been guesswork in reply since it was based on misidentification of the model as a 5c.
My guess would be that it was some kind of promotional handout by Barclays (something to do with targetting young savers perhaps?), similar to the two-line Pickfords 46b. However, what is unclear is whether this is a code 1 or a code 2. (I think a code 3 is highly unlikely because that would imply Barclays having to remove the original decals before adding their own (not impossible, but a real bind if you've got hundreds of models to process.)
As regards the casting variation. we have seen many times before that Lesney tended to update the tooling incrementally rather than combining several changes all at the same time. It would therefore not surprise me if there was a short run of bodies with only either the thickened rear wall or the heavier external ridges.
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- 5d-10(s).jpg (23.92 KiB) Viewed 683 times
Re: Barclays 5d Routemaster
Thanks to Ghosty proving me with a new link, I've managed to get into Lefora in order to remind myself just what was said back then.
The two threads are this one, and this one. Regarding the origin of the Barclays 5d, predictably, Mick (SMS88) suggested authoritatively (and, as usual, without offering any evidence) that they were the product of a man in a garret, but no real conclusions were reached.
The two threads are this one, and this one. Regarding the origin of the Barclays 5d, predictably, Mick (SMS88) suggested authoritatively (and, as usual, without offering any evidence) that they were the product of a man in a garret, but no real conclusions were reached.