30c Faun 8-Wheeled Crane

[DrJeep]

With the mix you show here, this model would be considered a factory "Error",

I don't think there was any error involved and the model was assembled this way using the correct parts available at the time of assembly and not by error.

I think you're both right! The worker putting Sebastian's model together didn't make an error - he or she used the correct parts. But Lesney didn't intend components to be mixed in this way. Perhaps we need a new word to replace "error", saving this for models where there really is a manufacturing mistake?

My two earlier 30cs (early casting without rear brace, later casting with orange rivet but without tow guide) have thinner wheels - 3.3 mm. My later tow guide 30c has thicker wheels - 3.7 mm.

[Sebastian10]

Kwakers

Glad you liked the model. Here is a picture of the other 'error' crane in my collection - this has a single thin wheel, again it is on the third axle

Happy collecting

Sebastian

[kwakers]

Another Great model Sebastian! I will now be looking at the wheels on these Cranes just as closely as I have for the tough base without rear brace all these years. I believe Joe had misunderstood my statement about this model's exciting mixed width of tires, and maybe others have?
I will clarify my thoughts on this model. The 2 different width wheels on this model are what I considered the "Error" part of this Crane. Repeat: The 2 different width wheels on this particular Crane are the only details I was referring to as an error. Please do not carry my thoughts on this odd wheel combination any further than that.
I strongly agree that the combination of castings used during this model's assembly has nothing to do with an "error", just as Joe has pointed out above. The factory workers used the components in front of them to produce this model, so I would never argue over any of Sebastian's model's uncatalogued casting combinations at all. I am sorry I did not state that in my above Post, this model may be a whole new Code, but the very interesting mixed wheels make it a very nice "Error" ALSO.
Last year Nick had overruled the mixing of bases and Bodies on the 22C Pontiac Grand Prix as being considered genuine VARIATIONS. I must admit a year later that I am still in shock at his opinion. By Nick stating the combination of early bases factory assembled with later bodies are all "ERRORS" (???!), I am in fact VERY SENSITIVE about being misunderstood on this Crane's new casting details. Sorry..

If the combination of this Crane's components has never been listed anywhere before, there was once a time we would have immediately acted to have Nick add them to his Guide this weekend. Sebastian's Crane would have been given a brand NEW CODE, with updates to include the 2 types of back wall castings added to his listings along with pictures of each. This Crane would have been treated as a "Fresh" new Lesney Variation/Code we would have quickly begun searching for. That's All...Kwakers Again, VERY NICE Sebastian!

[Idris]

Last year Nick had overruled the mixing of bases and Bodies on the 22C Pontiac Grand Prix as being considered genuine VARIATIONS. I must admit a year later that I am still in shock at his opinion. By Nick stating the combination of early bases factory assembled with later bodies are all "ERRORS" (???!),

IMHO, that decision of Nick's was inconstant with what has already been included in many of the variation tables, and the models concerned should have been recognised as valid variations requiring codes. In fact, this is exactly the way that the 1e Merceredes truck variations are built up.

[DrJeep]

Apologies if I’ve contributed to the confusion here! As far as I can see, neither of Sebastian’s cranes is a new casting variation - he showed them because of the combination of different wheel widths, which we might call an error. I understood Joe/Tinman to be saying that technically no error had been made by the Lesney worker, because they were just using the wheels available at the time.

My view - for what it’s worth - is that the cab wall casting difference I identified is a variation that should be catalogued, and also that the thin and thick wheels may represent variations worth recording if there’s a definite pattern. Mixed wheel widths on the same model, as shown by Sebastian, are interesting but only worthy of a footnote, not a variation code.

Glenn

[Diecast]

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.

Very nice spoted Glenn, I have overlooked this variation. I must be added to the new list.
Antonin

[yellowfoden]

My view - for what it’s worth - is that the cab wall casting difference I identified is a variation that should be catalogued, and also that the thin and thick wheels may represent variations worth recording if there’s a definite pattern.... Glenn

I agree, and because Nick’s table does not include a column for jib rivet or newly highlited cab brace, the example I have shown is uncoded .
If we add drjeep example of small brace, thick wall, no tow guide, painted jib rivet that becomes code 3A.
The one from Bert becomes code 3B.
I feel both these columns could be added to Nick’s table along with photos of the small and large brace otherwise known as the drjeep brace.

The closer you look at this model the more detail there is. For example there are three ejector rings on the bed and they come in different diameters on different models. Perhaps this indicates more than two moulds.
For example the ejector ring closest to rear can be 6.75mm or 6.00mm or 5.45mm diameter on the casting with small cab brace.
On the large cab brace casting each of mine (3) have the 5.45mm diameter

Glenn, could I ask a favour and get you to measure the rear ejector ring diameter on your model without rear brace please.


Also as a side note, is there any reason why the mint green variation is at the end of the variation table, when casting and release date wise it should be in the middle?

Bert

[kwakers]

Like many of the comments made in Nick's Guide, and also all the new casting details we have or are finding now on these RW models, Nick's listings have both timeline and factual "Errors" and omissions that should have been updated and corrected before "Freezing the codes". That was both how I felt but also what I had expressed early last year Bert. Nick's site is still the best ever to be seen and shared anywhere, BUT.........
......Kwakers

[GHOSTHUNTER]

My view - for what it’s worth - is that the cab wall casting difference I identified is a variation that should be catalogued, and also that the thin and thick wheels may represent variations worth recording if there’s a definite pattern. Mixed wheel widths on the same model, as shown by Sebastian, are interesting but only worthy of a footnote, not a variation code.

Glenn

I agree with this, because if enough models are found with mixed wheel widths, clearly they will be in collections from different parts of the collecting community and if only a small percentage of those collectors with mixed wheel width models consult Nick's code listing, they will expect to see reference to the variation.

Ghosthunter.

[Pierkemimi]

With the mix you show here, this model would be considered a factory "Error",

I don't think there was any error involved and the model was assembled this way using the correct parts available at the time of assembly and not by error.

I think you're both right! The worker putting Sebastian's model together didn't make an error - he or she used the correct parts. But Lesney didn't intend components to be mixed in this way. Perhaps we need a new word to replace "error", saving this for models where there really is a manufacturing mistake?

My two earlier 30cs (early casting without rear brace, later casting with orange rivet but without tow guide) have thinner wheels - 3.3 mm. My later tow guide 30c has thicker wheels - 3.7 mm.

Mine two models without rear brace have also the thinner wheels same as my turqouise models.