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Tomica – Carpenter School Bus

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Scale model of a bus, the Carpenter School Bus , made by  Tomica . This example is reference F5, included in the "Tomica Foreign" series. It is made in Japan, between 1976 and 1980. Metal body painted in yellow, with printed details on the sides, including the inscription "SCHOOL BUS". Base in black plastic. Glazing represented in transparent plastic with a molded detail in the windshield. Interior details in red plastic. Plastic wheels with "chrome" details simulating the rims (1H). With suspension. The nominal scale is 1:108 and the overall length is approximately 3.1 in. About 1.7 oz. This model represents a school bus , possibly based on a Carpenter Classic mounted on an International Loadstar Schoolmaster chassis. As a kid, after receiving the lovely Isuzu Bonnet Bus in my garage, I started paying more attention to all the buses that were appearing in toy store windows. And this Carpenter School Bus, produced by Tomica between 1976 and 1980, didn...
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Matchbox – 8-Wheel Crane

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Scale model of a crane truck, the 8-Wheel Crane , made by  Matchbox . This example is reference 30, included in the "Matchbox 1–75" series. It is made in England, in 1966 and 1969. Metal cab-platform assembly painted green; metal crane painted orange, hook in yellow plastic. Sub-base (under the cab) in metal, unpainted. Cab without glazing in the windows; no interior details. Black plastic wheels. No suspension. Crane with rotating motion; pivoting hook. The nominal scale is 1:114 and the overall length is approximately 2.8 in (3.1 in, including crane projections). About 1.9 oz. This model represents a crane truck. Several sources mention that it is based on a Faun model, but it must be a rather obscure vehicle, as I can't find anything from the German manufacturer that resembles it, even considering the 8x4 Faun Typ L 1400 introduced in 1958, and equipped with a 175 hp (129 kW) Deutz engine. As I mentioned in another post, in my childhood games, the need for a crane tr...
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Tomica – Isuzu Bonnet Bus

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Scale model of a bus, the Isuzu Bonnet Bus , made by  Tomica . This example is reference 6, included in the "Tomica Domestic" series. It is made in Japan, in the 1970s. Metal body painted in cream and blue  ¹ . Metal base, unpainted. Glazing represented in transparent plastic. Interior details in red plastic. Plastic wheels with "chrome" details simulating the rims (1H). With suspension. License plate "BUS". The nominal scale is 1:110 and the overall length is approximately 3 in. About 1.8 oz. This model represents a bus , possibly based on a 1956 Isuzu BX 141 with Kitamura Seisakusho bodywork, equipped with the 5650 cm³, 110 hp (81 kW) Isuzu DA110 "L6" engine. From what I can gather from the documents and testimonies consulted, Isuzu BX buses with bonnets (hoods) were quite popular in Japan during the 1950s and 1960s. I believe this BX141 variant, with a length of about 27.3 ft, was used in urban services and could accommodate about fifty passen...
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