a few more variations :)
ford group 6 with slightly rounded tail and with straight tail
http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/6538/fordgroup6base8gf.jpg
grit spreader with brace that extends to wheel well and brace that stops before wheel well
http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/5958/gritspreader70withbrace9xs.jpg
http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/8051/gritspreader70wobrace15eh.jpg
hot rod draguar, long and short motor mounts
http://img166.imageshack.us/img166/9092/hotroddraguar36base3xb.jpg
toe joe without and with notch above hooks
http://img166.imageshack.us/img166/3387/toejoe74hooktab2ii.jpg
cattle truck sf different braces, round and half round
http://img179.imageshack.us/img179/989/cattletrucksfdifferentb6eb.jpg
lamborghini marzal hood, curved and straight
http://img179.imageshack.us/img179/235/lamborghinimarzalhood0yt.jpg

Wow - interesting details. I guess MB changed them as they went along to better the casting structurally, or are these planned variations?

Great Details ,most of which I have never noticed or seen discussed before.
I particularly like the Marzal hood variation.The 5 Marzals that I can find of my 6 are split 3 curve and 2 straight hood
All of these variations exist in equal numbers, because the capacity of the casting machines used by Lesney was for molds with at 2 bodies- so all bodies 1-75 series made in England are born as TWINS, and there are usually minor differences between them.All of the Lesney opening doors and hoods are quads, and can be found with the numbers 1,2,3,4 cast on them -some collectors have for example - a 53 Ford Zodiac with each hood numbered 1,2,3 and 4.
The HTF Cattle Truck casting variation is the first run regular wheels which has no braces at all at the rear, I dont have one,but does Moutain?
I hope Moutain doesnt mind me sharing his Marzal pic with fellow Americans and a few Brits over on mboxcommunity.com -those guys dont know their own collections well enough to notice most of these (cattle truck is only 1 I knew before today)

Those are very interesting. I'm going to check to see which ones I've got. Thanks for the great photos.

I see that the Cattle Truck on the right has stamped taillights in the metal below the ramp, and the one on the left doesn't. I wonder if the taillights always go with the half-round ramp braces?

a couple of more very minor varitions :)
ford capri 54 with and without period after No
http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/3482/fordcapri54base18al.jpg
http://img329.imageshack.us/img329/8757/fordcapri54base1xu.jpg
boss mustang 44 thin and wide fog lamps and if you closely at the center of the griil on the left model. you can see the word ford
http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/2641/bossmustang44taillights8mt.jpg

sms88, do what you want with the pictures. if we can't share information, what fun is it :)
i will have to check the cattle trucks again for the tail lights too

minor variation with the opel diplomat superfast 36. the front tab/license plate, shorter on left and wider on right
http://img409.imageshack.us/img409/8418/opelsf36licenseplate7nh.jpg
http://img266.imageshack.us/img266/8449/opelsf36licenseplate19zv.jpg

the londoner sf 17 has a few nice variations
the destination sign and luggage holder on the rear can be found lower or higher
http://img366.imageshack.us/img366/8917/londonerdestinatinsign7he.jpg
door handle can be in different locations and door size if different
http://img366.imageshack.us/img366/9157/londonerdoorhandle2fz.jpg
http://img266.imageshack.us/img266/8130/londonerdoorhandle25qf.jpg
the lines between the headlights can be lower or higher plus square and rectangle at top can be different sizes
http://img166.imageshack.us/img166/2794/londonerheadlightline0pg.jpg
rear window wider and narrower
http://img166.imageshack.us/img166/7766/londonerrearwindow8zt.jpg

Great pix of interesting differences, THANKYOU for sharing.
Here is the real no 17 ´The Londoner` -many of these that didnt get scrapped got scalped for sightseeing tours in USA (Big Apple Tours and Big Bus Tours) and the world
This one is now in a museum
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e113/SMS369/BL31024.jpg
This one is still like this today,a scalped retired tourbus.the lines on the rear engine cover mark out the poster site, nothing to do with carrying anything...
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e113/SMS369/2007-1JAN075.jpg
Earlier big brother to no 17 is K15
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e113/SMS369/K15FE.jpg
Here is a real K15, which is the same as the small scale no 17 except for the front panels below the windscreen
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e113/SMS369/toys/DMS54.jpg
Here is a real 5b regular wheels in Matchbox colors outside the hackney factory in 1979
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e113/SMS369/HackneyApril1979.jpg

really nice pictures :thumbsup: with the history too.
at least some of them survived as tour buses :)
do you know where the real 5b is today
big thanks for the pictures :thumbsup:


i have a few k15's, i'll try and take a few pics :)

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e113/SMS369/samebusJune1990-1.jpg
Here it is in 1990 at a Vintage Vehicle show.It still exists in top condition ,but has been a normal red London bus for about 5 years.The famous Lord Montague of Beaulieu ,who displays the real cars used by Lesney for many Yesteryear castings, has a former Lesney RT 5b bus displayed in full London Transport colors in his huge motor Museum.
I have 30 K15s - there are 5 major casting variations 1.with bell 2.same without bell 3. with rain channel above upper deck windows and re-tooled around rear numberplate 4.Centre doors cast shut and slide fitted in behind staircase panel 5.Berlin bus with US side steering and doors. Interiors are usually yellow but they also exist in red,blue orange and brown -a few have a smaller type of wheel fitted.Many advertising variations, my photo shows the 1st packaging design