VBD2 is closed. Please go to https://vbd3.co.uk instead.

Unrecorded wheel size 11.5x48

In my usual checks on the unlisted variation reviews I was looking closely at my 11d Mercedes Scaffolding Truck where I noticed that the front wheels were of different tread profile to the rear set. A count of the treads finds the front wheels are 11.5 x 48 and the rear are 11.5 x 45. My other spares were 11.5 x 45 all round.

It is understandable how the mismatch could occur between front and rear on this model because the base plate wheel set would be assembled at a different time. However I could not remember there being an 11.5 x 48 tread count as ever being listed on any model but was aware of the 12.5 x 48.
A search through the four main catalogues found nothing.

The 11d Mercedes Scaffolding truck came out in 1969 so I thought perhaps this was a new size wheel that was introduced in 1969 and was to be around for a while but ceased because of the introduction to superfast.

So a search was then on to find other models with the 11.5x48 count starting with any model from late 1969 and working back as surely it would not have been confined to the 11d.

One such model turned out to be the 21d Foden Concrete fitted on the axle holding the spiral gear and found on the later codes.

I am sure there are other models that also have this 11.5 x 48 tread count wheel that were made in 1969.

The attached image of the 11d shows the 48 tread on the right with a longer tread than that on the left.

Bert

Very nice spoted Bert. I have checked my models, my yellow Pre-Pro model has BPW ø11,5x45. My silver models have both wheels, BPW ø11,5x45 BPW and ø11,5x48. I must upgrade the 11d list.
Antonin

Brilliant, Bert - another great spot. I've looked at many of my late RWs and found the 11.5x48 on the 11d Mercedes scaffold truck, a silver 47c DAF container truck, and a yellow 51c AEC tipper. On all those that I've found there's a mix of 11.5x48 and 11.5x45 wheels, sometimes on the same axle. For example, the tipper below has three 48 wheels, one on each of the three rear axles, with the other two on the other side.

Hi Glenn,

Great photo and thanks for checking those other models.
As mentioned above it appears that this new wheel was introduced in 1969 and has gone uncatalogued until now.
In theory it could be found on any model that has the 11.5x45 wheel that was still being made in 1969 and in some cases 1970, perhaps beyond.
I have gone through my own catalogue and listed all the likely candidates. See attached table but I have yet to check each model.
Funny enough I had spotted this on the 21d some time ago and noted it with a question mark on one of my model name tags but then obviously did not follow up. It was when I went through my fleet of 21d did I notice the tag after the 11d check.
In the case of the 21d it starts from Stannard code 4, NJ code 4 and my YF code 11 see here.
Once it has been confirmed that the 11.5x48 does appear on each of those model then those authors who are still adding to their catalogues can add this new finding to theirs. It turns out it is easy enough to spot with longer treads on sidewall.
Here is a 30c that also has it. The code for this is your code 10 and is with the tow guide. I have three models with tow guide and the other two do not have any 11.5x48.
It would appear that when they made this new wheel they just added them to existing stocks of 11.5x45 parts bins and hence we have mixed wheels on axles and models.
Even more interesting that they had decided to make another 11.5 size wheel with already three tread types existing.

Bert

Thanks for pointing this out!

I have finally taken the time to check this on some of the models in my own collection. For example, I have seven different 17e Horse Boxes (differing by the castings of body/box, cab base and chassis), and virtually all of them feature mixes of 45 and 48 tread wheels.

Now I have decided that for the time being, this is too much for me, and I refrain from cataloguing (and actively collecting) this difference. It is a similar case as with the early narrow 5 spoke Superfast wheels with or without tread pattern: there are just too many different combinations in existence for cataloguing efforts to be meaningful.

What I intend to do is to add notes to my catalogue pages of the concerned models mentioning the existence of this difference, but I do not know yet if I will take it any further.

ChFalkensteiner wrote:...this is too much for me, and I refrain from cataloguing (and actively collecting) this difference

I think that's probably the right answer - the 11.5x48 wheel seems to have been used interchangeably with the 11.5x45 in 1969 and 1970. It's definitely interesting, though, and I think it helps with dating castings of models that spanned this period. I think Bert also mentioned another tread count on the same wheel size too...

Glenn