I'm sure the old-timers here will the recall the long (and often acrimonious) thread on Lefora in which the origins of this model were keenly debated.Diecast wrote:Perhaps only a small note to the yellow painting on the model B. I think the model was made a little secretly, illegally and hastily, so there was no time for primer and therefore the yellow painting is dull.
Personally, I feel that the evidence suggests they were created illicitly using genuine, unpainted factory castings. As such, I think it unlikely they were painted in the factory, although they may have been smuggled back in(!) for riveting. Depending on who was responsible/in the know, axle crimping may have taken place on an R&D machine or in someone's shed using a bench vice or a pair of pliers. (It always amazes me that people willingly pay four-figure sums for these models in spite of being aware that they do not have any known Lesney provenance. Basically, they're code 3 models!)
