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As I’m sure many members will have realised by now, I have an interest in unusual trim, as evidenced by my recent 62a find, my two examples of different 21b codes with gold trim, and, in the past (on the old forum), both my discovery of a 19c with silver trim, and the full front trim 68a.
I was therefore extremely interested when Dick (Kwakers) commented in George’s casting show that the initial release of the 6a Quarry Truck was with silver rather than gold trim:

kwakers wrote:We do have a silver trimmed 6A Quarry Truck with Flat crimped axles, Early body, and also the early tipper that has not ever been recorded anywhere to the best of my knowledge. Ours is out of an old N.Y. area collection, and at least 2 others were known to have changed hands over the years from that area also. Is that a variation anyone else has ever heard discussed in the past? I have never mentioned or shown it anywhere before now, knowing only a very limited number of these 6As may have been done with silver trim out of the factory (possibly as pre-productions or a first delivery?)

This is a variation which I personally had never heard of, never seen catalogued and, as far as I know, has never even been photographed.
I was therefore delighted to locate the example pictured below which is now residing in my display cabinet:
(Since Dick has one and I now have one, can I please claim a new code, Nick? With the exception of the trim colour, the model shown matches variation code 1.)

Now THAT is really cool Hugh! Congrats! You're on a bit of a roll.

thats a sweet find!

Cool find Hugh. Nice one!

Now this is where my own 'Coding' system works for me. Hugh wants to put a model that matches Nick's code 1, onto the code listing but it has silver trim painting at the front and belongs next to the code 1 model without silver trim painting on the front. If it were my model it would simply be classed as 'Code 1a' because a 'Code 2' already exists and can not be moved without moving all the models after it one place down!

Ghosty.

GHOSTHUNTER wrote:...without silver trim painting...

That should read "...with gold trim painting...".

Thank you Hugh...

Ghosty.

Very Nice Hugh! I am glad I now have an answer to my question about this 6A with silver trim being held by at least one other of our Forum members. The friend I got mine from had liquidated many of the largest N.Y. City area collections, so had also seen this overlooked variation many years ago. As a matter of interest Hugh, was your model found in the U.S. also??
I must agree with Ghosty in that Nick could immediately break from the practice of moving all his codes quite simply. I and other Forum regular wheel collectors such as George have remained coded with Mike Stannard's 1985 Lesney Guide to avoid having to check current codes and update them constantly. Nick's online Guide is far more accurate and concise, but the changing codes have always been a problem to those of us who note all the small detail and casting changes on our Lesneys. Once we have a code number 5, we would like it to stay a code 5 forever, not become a code 6, code 7, etc. as we uncover new earlier variations unknown for 40 plus years. Even though the pace of finding these new variations to add has slowed, we still probably find 20+ per year that could effectively change 200+ of Nick's 'Old Codes' as we knew them on January 1st 2014.
If the silver grilled 6A were added as Code 1A of that model, the gold grilled version could become 6-1B, and only that one variation's code would be effected and have to change. If Nick follows his normal very accurate practices though, Models with 'Old' codes 1 through 7 will all have to be moved up one number and re-coded to stay current if the silver grill is added as his new Code #1. Nick, I Love the accuracy of your simple Guide as it is done now based on a model's place done in time. It is fantastic and simple to read and use! BUT...........I hate the constant moving of all codes when an early casting is found or added to your listings. This has been a Love-Hate battle for over 7 years now for me, so I find myself 'Still clutching my outdated paper Stannard's' as Mick SMS has said many times about we older Veteran collectors.....'Caveman kwakers' (We need a scruffy bearded Smiley, this one is way too cleancut for me.....)

Here is an exclusive clip of "Kwakers" caught by our staff Photographer.



Ghosty.

kwakers wrote:...was your model found in the U.S. also??

Found in the U.K. unrecognised for what it was and therefore at no premium over a gold-trimmed example.