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I recently purchased this 1b Roller, even though it was obvious from the photographs that it had non-Lesney axles.
Inspection has shown, excepting the wheels, no differences with a normal 1b. The colour, casting, and trim are all standard. However, the front roller appears to be from an 8a or 18a, whilst the rear wheels (they aren't really wide enough to be seem to be rollers) are clearly from a 3a. Not only that, but there is not a trace of paint on them.
It could be another 'Dad to the rescue' model. However, given the fact that two other models would have had to have been sacrificed to make this one serviceable, I strongly suspect that it has been assembled from odds and sods smuggled out of the factory. (Quite apart from anything else, how likely is it that both axles would fail during play. In fact, if anything fails on these rollers, it is always the pivot at the front. Also, why strip the paint from the 3a wheels and then not paint them, and the front roller, red?)
Anyone any thoughts?

Hi Hugh
Did you manage do get any history on the model or the area where you got it from, as you say the parts look like unused spares added to a model that had no wheels fitted. Great find Hugh, very interesting model for the collection.
J

Hello Hugh,

I wonder if these could be Lesney axles, they look very similar to the panel pin used on my 2a Dumper although a view of yours from the end or front would be better. Perhaps the length may be an issue for the rear one.

Bert

I saw this one but obviously didn't look closely enough! I thought the axles looked like they had screw heads and moved on, but you're right: why would the wheels be without paint? What an interesting find.

yellowfoden wrote:I wonder if these could be Lesney axles, they look very similar to the panel pin used on my 2a Dumper although a view of yours from the end or front would be better. Perhaps the length may be an issue for the rear one.

Here are close-ups of the two axle heads and one of the front axle. Even if the axles could be classed as 2a panel pins, the crimping is so poor that I still wouldn't dare class it as factory-made.

Is this a known model that was hand painted ? (driver) it could have left the factory in biscuit tins wheelless and returned painted ,could this be one that never made the return trip and was made up by a dad?
Heres a couple of old saved photos from a seller who had a few multiples of these biscuit tin models
dave

MOKOSEX wrote:Is this a known model that was hand painted ? (driver) it could have left the factory in biscuit tins wheelless and returned painted ,could this be one that never made the return trip and was made up by a dad?

The very same thought crossed my mind too. Certainly it would explain a lot, but I would have thought that the 1b was possibly too late for outworker painting/assembly.
There is a problem with that theory though. If the model was assembled using an outworker's remaindered bits and pieces, why were the 3a wheels unpainted?

Idris wrote:

MOKOSEX wrote:Is this a known model that was hand painted ? (driver) it could have left the factory in biscuit tins wheelless and returned painted ,could this be one that never made the return trip and was made up by a dad?

The very same thought crossed my mind too. Certainly it would explain a lot, but I would have thought that the 1b was possibly too late for outworker painting/assembly.
There is a problem with that theory though. If the model was assembled using an outworker's remaindered bits and pieces, why were the 3a wheels unpainted?

"why were the 3a wheels unpainted" my guess they were nicked,never made it to the paint shop
dave

nearlymint wrote:Did you manage do get any history on the model or the area where you got it from...

The seller (who seems very genuine) has just got back to me, saying that it came to him via his late uncle (who lived in the Salisbury area), and that he's had it stored away for 10+ years.

I don't know if it helps, but here's the head of the panel pin from a 2a. It has a bit of a ridge on the top but I don't think it's the same as the axles on the 1b.