Category Archives: John Day

Coventry Evening Telegraph Vans

By Maz Woolley

Text and photographs copyright of the Author(s) unless otherwise stated.

Readers may be aware that I was born, and grew up in, Coventry during the period when it was often called ‘Motown UK’. For many youngsters living there in the 1950s and 1960s, a paper round was a good money earner to pay for your comics, Matchbox toys and items that your parents were not keen to fund like Cigarettes.

The period when I grew up in was probably the time when local newspapers were sold in the greatest numbers, and had the widest influence over their readership. Most urban areas of a reasonable size had a daily paper from Monday to Saturday and some had lunch editions and even a special Saturday edition to cover local sport. In Coventry the Coventry Evening Telegraph was our main local newspaper with multiple daily editions and the ‘Pink’ on Saturday. This was a sports newspaper printed on pink paper, and it was particularly popular during the football season as its front page was inevitable part of the coverage of that Saturday’s Coventry City match. It also covered the other professional clubs in the area like Nuneaton Borough and Bedworth United, as well as all the local leagues as well. The newspapers area of distribution reached beyond Coventry to cover much of Warwickshire as well. Sadly its buildings on Corporation Street are no longer a Newspaper office but have been converted into a boutique Hotel.

Nowadays such local newspapers have shrunk in circulation. Many have disappeared altogether, others are now only printed weekly with a website to give running coverage of stories and newly breaking items. These are all put together by centralised teams of journalists who do not live in the local area. Small wonder that they have lost the major role they had in setting local opinion on local topics.

I remember grabbing bales of newspapers swung out of the back of the van by the van driver and taking them into the shop ready to be bundled up ready for delivery. I seem to remember that the van drivers were always in a rush as they had a lot of stops on each round to get through in the shortest time possible. Some certainly liked racing stops and starts.

The Coventry Evening Telegraph vans had a particularly attractive livery as they were painted gloss black and the lettering was in the Gothic style that was used for the papers masthead. They were always immaculately maintained and were a good advert for the paper. Several promotional models were produced by Lledo in this livery, in particular a Morris Z van and and a Morris LD van. Although I bought them they were of limited appeal since I never saw either van in use delivering Evening Telegraphs. Sadly, despite multiple trawls of the Internet I cannot find any record of the vans used in the fleet, so I may be wrong and the Z and LD might have been used, but I personally think that they were used by Lledo as they were available in their range rather than as a result of any detailed research.

An Austin A40 in this livery has been preserved as part of the collection of the Coventry Transport Museum.

Photograph by Robert Knight converted to black and white

Reader Manuel Goikoetxea has recreated this in a nice re-paint of a Dinky Toys Austin A40 as shown below. It would have made a rather nice contemporary toy.

Photograph and Model – Manuel Goikoetxea

During my attempts to find information about genuine Coventry Evening Telegraph vans I came across one photograph showing a group of vans awaiting loading in the yard. This showed a cross section of vehicles on the road at one point of time. This photograph is sadly a commercially restricted image from Getty Images and although I can’t show it here click on the word Google in green and this will show it to you via Google .

The types of van shown in the picture were the:

  • Austin A60 10 CWT van
  • Morris Minor van
  • Bedford CA Series 2 LWB van
  • Some type of forward control van based on Commer Superpoise
  • Commer/Karrier Forward Control van
  • Morris Oxford Series III van
  • Austin A40 10CWT van

On reflection I realised that UK Artisan 1:76 scale producers could provide kits of all these vehicles, except the strange Superpoise? based van. Mainstream manufacturers offered the Morris Minor van and little else. An example of what a wealth of our vehicle history is covered by small scale white metal and resin kit makers.

Another UK small scale operation, Black Square Decals, could make me the Coventry Evening Telegraph lettering in gold, which was not possible on my ink jet printer, so a ‘lockdown project’ was on.

The kits/made models used were as follows:

  • Austin A60 10 CWT – John Day Vehicle Scenics White Metal Kit
  • Morris Minor van – I could have used an old Mopok Dinky Dublo copy but decided a more accurate model was to be made by re-spraying a Pocketbond Classix Morris Minor van
  • Bedford CA Series 2 LWB van – This is a Rod Parker white metal kit kit now available from Daryle Toney of John Day Models. This was chosen because it more accurate than the commercially available Bedford vans
  • Commer/Karrier Forward Control van – Road Transport Images (RTI) resin kit
  • Morris Oxford Series III van – This is a Rod Parker white metal kit kit now available from Daryle Toney of John Day Models.
  • Austin A40 10CWT van – Road Transport Images (RTI) resin kit

I decided to make up a couple of the more common types of van in the photograph and prepared all the kits, sprayed with primer and then finished the models in gloss black. The Classix model was just de-constructed and any polish removed before it was over sprayed black. Finally the models were detailed and allowed to dry before the decals were applied.

To provide a backdrop I created a couple of A4 wide buildings loosely based on the photograph of the vans in the yard. To do this I used Model Builder a US software package aimed at the railway modeller.

So what did it end up looking like? The photographs are shown below.

‘Blast from the past’ is the feeling I get when looking at this display. Something a little different that kept me occupied whilst ‘locked down’ here in the UK.

The vans shown were selected to match the ones in the Getty Images photograph, linked to earlier, as closely as I could. But that photograph was clearly taken in the very early 1960s and as time wore on other vehicles were used such as the Marina van already featured in MAR Online here. Another van I remember in the Coventry Evening Telegraph livery was the Triumph Herald Courier as one lived in the same street I did at the time for a short while. It was the only Courier I remember seeing so I suspect it was ‘on trial’ rather than in service. Its performance might have appealed to the Drivers, but its small payload of 5CWT would not have pleased distribution managers. Another Pocketbond Classix has been over painted in gloss black and will be finished in this livery and will appear here at a later date.


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John Day Marina Van

By Maz Woolley

Text and photographs copyright of the Author(s) unless otherwise stated.

John Day Vehicle Scenics continue to be produced by a ‘one-man band’ British Artisan model maker, Daryle Toney. These are 1:76 scale white metal kits covering vehicles from the 1920s to the 1970s.

It has been quite a time since a new vehicle has been added to the range, but here is the latest SRV115 Marina Van which will be available from the end of this month (July 2021). The website is http://www.johndaymodels.co.uk/

In real life this van replaced the very dated Austin 6/8 cwt van, which had soldiered on missing out any Farina restyling along the way, and equally ‘long in the tooth’ Morris Minor van. Either Austin or Morris badges were fitted to the early Marinas.

Operators were given a choice of 7 cwt and 10 cwt versions. The former featuring the 1,098cc A-Series engine, and the latter boasting 1,275cc. The cost of the new light commercials ranged from £665 to £775, and buyers were presented with a choice of ‘Standard‘ with minimal creature comforts or the ‘De Luxe‘ with a pretty mean entry level car specification. As for the options, these ranged from servo-assisted brakes, and an interior rear-view mirror, to an enamel paint finish.

Commercial Motor road tested the Marina van in 1972 and they said: ‘Both models produced nippy acceleration, good road going performance over the mixed roads encountered and cruised comfortably at a motorway 70 mph with throttle travel to spare’.

Period Austin-Morris Brochure cover from the Internet.

So, to the model. Some readers may be saying to themselves ‘I’ve seen that before’. Well yes, this model is derived from the original Fleetmaster model which was acquired and uprated by Adrian Swain and sold as an ABS model for a short time. The brass master for that has now found its way to Daryle Toney for him to tweak and make as a John Day model. The model is not a perfect replica but it is of a vehicle that was owned by all the UK utility companies, British Rail, The Post Office, Post Office Telephones, Gas/Electricity/Water companies and delivery services of all kinds, as well as shops and small businesses. They even ended up battered and run by young people with little disposable income when businesses sold them off. Incredibly the only model of a Marina Van that I know of to date apart from this model is the long obsolete and extremely rare 1:43 scale Bijou transkit made in very small numbers for Rod Ward’s Model Auto shop. This was designed to fit onto the Vanguards Marina car’s base and ‘running gear’.

The front windscreen should be more upright and the rear end is too shallow. The inset area above the side windows and just under the roofline is only hinted at but the model is definitely identifiable as the early version of the Marina van.

The kit is made of few parts. The base has seats and wheels cast into it and there is a metal part to glue on behind the driver’s seats to form a bulkhead. There is also a vacform for glazing and the single piece body shell.

I have chosen to make mine up as a Coventry Evening Telegraph delivery van using custom made decals from Black Square Decals one of the many UK small firms offering bespoke high quality decals who can print in gold on clear carrier film something even photo quality Inkjet printers like mine simply can’t achieve. This is part of a project to make up several of this Newspaper’s vehicles which were a familiar sight when I was growing up in Coventry and delivering papers!

I am sure that railway modellers will seize the chance to buy these kits as British Rail ran a large number as did so many other companies whose liveries would liven up any layout.


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Visiting Daryle Toney Models

By Maz Woolley

Text and photographs copyright of the Author(s) unless otherwise stated.

I recently visited Daryle Toney to hear how things were progressing now that he has acquired a number of ranges to add to the John Day Vehicle Scenics range that he took over several years ago. “Not enough hours in the day” was his response!”.

Progress on upgrading the the John Day Vehicle Scenics range of white metal 1:76 scale kits has slowed whilst Daryle focuses on the new ranges but on inspecting several newly cast models the standard of preparation before the models are sent to the customer has risen considerably as has the quality of the original castings and vacforms. There is good news as the ex-Fleetmaster Marina Van has now been added to the John Day range as SRV 115. Daryle had bought the master for this model from Adrian Swain before Adrian passed away but it has taken some time to get it into mould and for castings to be produced. Adrian had already improved the master from the Fleetmaster master that he bought, adding a front valance for example. Although there are more improvements that could be made Daryle has decided to issue the model as it is as it fills a big gap for modellers of British Rail, and other corporations vehicles from the 1970s/80s. The photographs below show Daryle in his workshop and a test casting of the van. Daryl intends to release two versions of the kit, one as a plain van, and the other with the decals needed to finish the model as a British Rail van.

Daryle’s arrangement to take over production of some of Rod Parker’s range of 1:76 scale white metal kits continue to expand. As Rod Parker had never sold models on the Internet there is a latent demand and Daryle is finding that eBay sales are brisk even when Oxford Diecast have issued a similar vehicle, as in some cases the Parker model is a slightly different version or rather better realised. Daryle also points out that there are still a number of people who enjoy making up the kits and enjoy the flexibility it offers them to choose colours, finish and other details of the finished model rather than have them dictated by the manufacturer.

The list below shows the models from Rod Parker’s range that Daryle already sells or hopes to be selling over the next few months:

  • VE05 Ford Thames van
  • VE06 Ford Anglia Estate
  • VE07 Rover P5B
  • VE13 Hillman Imp
  • VE14 Reliant Regal Saloon
  • VE19 Bedford CA Series 2 LWB
  • VE22 Bedford CA Grosvenor Tow truck
  • VE23 Bedford CA Dropside Series 2
  • VE25 Humber Hawk
  • VE39 Nash Metropolitan
  • VE45 Vauxhall Cresta E Saloon
  • VE53 Morris Oxford Series II
  • Ve54 Morris Oxford Traveller
  • VE56 Morris Oxford ½ Ton van
  • VE58 Standard Vanguard Phase 2

In future more of the Rod Parker masters may be acquired to add to this range.

As already noted in MAR Online, Daryle acquired the masters, stock in hand and rights to several 1:43 white metal scale ranges from Adrian Swain‘s estate. It is taking time to sort all the items he has, but he is hoping to gradually make kits available where he has the components to do so or ready packed items. In the longer term he will cast new kits of models that he thinks there is a market for. He hopes that kits of the Auto Replicas AR23 1937 Bentley 4½ litre will be available soon. Other kits bought already packed have already begun to be listed on eBay. He is hoping to make Auto Replicas Morgan models available again where he has the parts, masters or moulds to do so. However, he thinks that he may need to cast some more parts and buy in tyres before he can make up complete kits.

Daryle also has some Auto Replicas 1:86 scale kits ready packed and the moulds to create more if sales are brisk. He also intends to make available the 1:76 scale Citroën 2CV, Citroën Traction, and Bugatti Atlantic previously seen in an article here in MAR Online.

As well as selling through eBay, Daryle has his own website http://www.johndaymodels.co.uk/. He is hoping to extend this site over the next few months to provide PDF downloads listing the available Rod Parker Models and Auto Replica ones too.

In the meantime Daryle continues to sort, box and label the assets of other ranges that he has acquired, in full or in part, which include:

  • Western Models
  • Midget Models
  • Roadscale
  • Superscale – where he is already working on the Ford TT

Daryle currently has an eBay shop at https://www.ebay.co.uk/str/daryletoneymodels?_trksid=p2047675.l2563 and sells many models in this way. However eBay has recently made changes to the way that eBay traders are paid which means that money is sent to their bank accounts net of charges. This means that traders can no longer use the excellent sales reporting facilities which are provided by Paypal which made it easy for traders to prepare their books for the tax authorities. Daryle explained that this change was made without consulting any small traders and with little warning and that it will make the life of small traders more difficult. This shows how eBay uses its dominant position to do what suits itself at the expense of buyers and sellers.

Given the high charges, and inconvenience that eBay has become, Daryle would like to see more sales happen direct after customers decide what they wish to buy by visiting his website. However this will depend on the further development of his website which is another area competing for Daryle’s time. After our discussion I can see why Daryle thinks that “There are not enough hours in the day”.


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The Lotus Mark IX – The first Le Mans Car

By Peter Stevenson

Text and photographs copyright of the Author(s) unless otherwise stated.

The History

With their exciting new streamlined Mark VIII 1500cc engined sports racing cars proving a popular step forward from the kit based Mark VI, by 1955 Lotus was  receiving requests for a similar but smaller engined car that would be eligible for the still popular 1100cc racing class.

And at the same time other customers, led by Lotus Mk VI owner Mike Anthony, wanted to race Mk VIII’s fitted with larger capacity 2-litre engines.

So with this in mind, the next sports racing cars to emerge from the Lotus stable were the smaller engined Mark IXs and the larger engined Mark Xs. Chapman was particularly taken by the prospect of producing a larger engined car for the increasingly popular 2-litre class so in fact the Mark X development slightly preceded that of the Mark IX although both types still made their first appearance in 1955. This article focuses on the smaller engined Mark IX. The Mark X will be covered in a future article. 

To meet the clamour from prominent club racers for a smaller engined Mark VIII, it was decided to build a similar but shorter version of the Mark VIII design, its most visible external differentiation being slightly higher, thicker, and shorter tail fins. And to maintain a strong “factory” presence on the track, Chapman decided to build two “works” Mark IX cars for Team Lotus to campaign themselves in addition to the production of customer cars.

The first Mark IX built was the first “works” car, road registered 9 EHX and containing a 1467cc MG XPAG engine. This it will be noted was the same power plant fitted to the earlier Mark VIIIs. This first car also sported an ultra lightweight magnesium alloy bodyshell. A second works car was soon in preparation following the exciting news that a Lotus Mark IX entry had been accepted, for the first time, for the prestigious 1955 Le Mans 24 hours event. This second works car (XPE 6), specially built and prepared for Le Mans, was fitted with a 1098cc Coventry Climax engine and was aluminium bodied as were all subsequent Mark IXs.

Prior to Le Mans, two other 1098cc Coventry Climax FWA engined Mark IXs were completed and sent to the USA to compete in the 1955 Sebring 12 Hours event. Owned and driven by American entrants, the two cars for a time led the 1100cc class until one was disqualified for receiving a push start (one of six cars suffering the same fate!) while the other dropped out well into the race in a racing accident.

Following Sebring, the “Team Lotus” debut appearance at Le Mans with XPE 6 driven by Colin Chapman and Ron Flockhart began promisingly with the car recording the fastest average lap (97mph) in its class. However some 12 hours into the race with the car running well and keeping pace with the eventual class winning Porsche, Chapman was black-flagged for reversing onto the track after an “off’ into a sand trap. This incident was uniquely captured on camera.

Two customer versions of the Mark IX were on offer and, following the Le Mans race, the higher specification Coventry Climax powered Mark IX’s were renamed the “Le Mans” model. A cheaper 1098cc Ford Ten engined alternative was also on offer as the “Club” model.  In total some 30 Mark IX’s were produced by Lotus with many works and customer wins recorded throughout the country.

The Models

Perhaps because neither the Mark IX nor the Mark X managed to grab significant headlines on the international scene, similar to the Mark VIII, few contemporary models are known to have been produced of them.

In 1956 however just after the Mark IX had been launched, Model Maker magazine published detailed scale drawings, produced by Vic Smeed, to enable scratch builders to construct a 1:8 scale model of the Mark IX using lime or obeche wood for the body and aluminium for the chassis. The model was intended to be used in the then increasingly popular sport of “tethered” (or “cable”) model car racing. These early models were attached to differing lengths of fishing line (15ft) or wire (30ft) depending on the size of the engine used. Engines ranged  from 0.5cc to 1.5cc and the cars ran around a circular track attached by their tether/cable to a central pole. Initially speeds were in the region of 40mph (64kph) but modern day machines with engine capacities between 5cc and 10cc are now achieving mind-boggling speeds of up to 216mph (348kph)! 

French modelling maestro Raymond Daffaure (trading as “RD Marmande”) who was active from the late 1950’s to the late ‘70s and produced all his models by hand from balsa or deal wood is believed to have produced a 1:43 scale Mark IX. Regrettably I have never seen one of these nor been able to find a photograph of one.

Sometime in the 1970’s the model maker generally regarded as the granddaddy of white metal kit producers, John Day, released a Lotus Mark IX in his Vainqueurs de Cource (V de C) range. I am extremely grateful to fellow Lotus modelling  enthusiast Carel van Kuijk from the Netherlands for providing me with photographs of this very rare model built by him from a John Day kit. Carel has finished it in the form of Colin Chapman’s winning MG engined car (9 EHX) at Snetterton (#34) on 28 May 1955.

But apart from these three earlier mentioned models, any other Mark IX I have found has been released by the more modern artisan kit builders.

In this respect an excellent 1:43 scale white metal and resin kit of the Mark IX has been produced by Midlantic Models. This could be built up as either the Coventry Climax engined works car (XPE 6) in the form of the Chapman/Flockhart entry in the 1955 Le Mans 24 Hours, (#48) or as the MG engined works car (9 EHX), as driven to a win at Crystal Palace (#67) later in the year by Colin Chapman. Once again I am indebted to Carel van Kuijk for providing me with photographs of his superb builds of these two Midlantic kits.

But undoubtedly the “Holy Grail” of Mark IX models is the very limited edition 1:43 scale handbuilt produced by the late Tim Dyke of MPH Models. Tim tended to build a maximum only 25 models of each subject modelled, so his masterpieces are very rare indeed (and very expensive!). Photographs of his Mark IX model in this feature will most certainly endorse the incredible quality of Tim’s work. The car featured is the Chapman/Flockhart Le Mans entry (#48).

Mike Serrurier from South Africa is believed to have included the Mark IX in his range of early Lotus cars but unfortunately I have seen no finished examples of this particular model.

A unique variant of the Mark IX has also been modelled by Bruno Mea of MEA Kit 43. This was the unusually engined (for a Mk IX) 1500cc Connaught powered Mark IX of John Young and John Coombs (#38) as it appeared in the 1955 Goodwood Nine Hours event on 20 Aug 1955. In addition to its unusual powerplant, the actual car was considerably remodelled at the rear with a much lower and more rounded tail end, without fins, and with its exhaust exiting above the body and over the rear wheel. The race ended badly with the car going well until Coombs rolled it and broke a wheel mounting (thankfully without driver injury).

With the Midlantic and MPH models now sadly out of production, Lotus enthusiasts without a Mark IX model in their collection are eagerly awaiting a promised release from resin-cast market leaders, Spark, who have announced this as a “future production”. The Spark model is expected to be of the most frequently modelled Mark IX, the 1955 Le Mans entry.  

Lotus Mark IX Photographs

THE HISTORY

Period Press Photograaph
Colin Chapman poses proudly with his brand new Mk IX

Period Press Photograph
The Frank Miller/George Rabe Mark IX (#79) at the car’s very first competitive appearance in the Sebring 12 Hours on 13 March 1955

Period Press Photograph
Chapman pauses to chat as he drives the Team Lotus Mark IX (#48) into scrutineering at the 1955 Le Mans 24 Hours held on 12 June 1955

Le Mans, France. 11th – 12th June 1955. Colin Chapman/Ron Flockhart (Lotus 9 Climax), retired, in the pits, action. World Copyright: LAT Photographic. Ref: 300 – 7.
This rear view of the specially prepared 1955 Le Mans Mk IX entrant (#48) clearly shows off its very attractive lines

Period Press Photograph
The unique photograph of Chapman’s unfortunate “off” at Le Mans following which he was disqualified for reversing back onto the track without permission

Period Press Photograph
Chapman on his way to winning at the Crystal Palace International event on 30 July 1955 in the first “works” Mark IX (#67)

Period Press Photograph
The John Young / John Coombs Mark IX (#38) being worked on in the pits at the Goodwood Nine Hours event held on 20 Aug 1955

Period Press Photograph
John Young at the wheel of the Mark IX (#38) at Goodwood showing clearly how this particular car had been considerably remodelled by the team

Period Press Photograph
Tony Page (#36) leads Colin Chapman (#4) at the BARC Goodwood event on 24 Sept 1955, both in Mark IXs. Chapman went on to win.   

The Models

Vic Smeed’s 1:8 scale drawings for a Mk IX as published in Model Maker magazine

An example of a 1:8 scale wooden bodied cable racer model of a Mark IX

Carel van Kuijk’s nicely built version of a 1:43 scale John Day kit (#34) representing Chapman’s winning Mark IX at Snetterton on 28 May 1955

Another view of the Carel van Kuijk Mark IX model (#34) showing the nicely detailed interior

The popular Midlantic 1:43 scale resin kit which allowed modellers to produce one of two versions of the Mk IX

Carel van Kuijk’s immaculately built example of the Midlantic model representing Chapman’s entry in the 1955 Le Mans 24 Hours (#48)

Carel van Kuijk’s alternative version of the Midlantic kit, Chapman’s winning car (#67) at Crystal Palace on 30 July 1955

Both versions of the Carel van Kuijk built Midlantic Models shown side by side
A rear view of the two Carel van Kuijk built Midlantic Models

All three of Carel van Kuijk’s beautifully built Mark IX models

A rear view interior shot of the very rare Tim Dyke (MPH Models) 1955 Le Mans Mk IX (#48) very clearly illustrating the beautifully detailed dashboard and interior

Two more diorama style views of the Tim Dyke Mark IX (#48)

The much anticipated Spark Mk IX model which has yet to be released

MEA Kit 43’s very unusual model of the much re-worked Young/Coombs Mark IX at the 1955 Goodwood Nine Hours (#38) 

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Travelling Back In Time

By Maz Woolley

Text and photographs copyright of the Author(s) unless otherwise stated.

Regular readers will be aware that Adrian Swain passed away recently. In recent years Adrian had bought up many ranges from other producers, some of which he had been casting and/or had mastered. When Adrian became ill some years ago collectors of some of these ranges became frustrated as no more were sold and in effect ranges became obsolete. This affected model railway collectors as well as collectors of vehicles. It is said that in many cases Adrian had hoped to bring masters he acquired up to modern standards before re-releasing them and that his illness prevented this from happening.

Adrian’s passing has left his family with the unenviable task of clearing his storage areas of the modelling materials and machinery held there. Railway Societies and specialist traders in railway, tram and road vehicles have been involved in identifying what was in storage and in some cases they have bought range names, stock, masters and moulds from ranges that have been unavailable for several years from Adrian’s family. It is good to know that some of these sought after models may be made available again and even put back into mould if the demand exists.

Daryle Toney, who reader’s of MAR Online will be familiar with as the producer of John Day Vehicle Scenics and reseller of some Rod Parker Models, is one of those involved with helping Adrian’s family to clear the workshop and stores. I visited Daryle’s workshop recently and he told me that his main purchase was the acquisition of the remaining masters, moulds and stock of Barry Lester’s Auto Replicas ranges. Adrian acquired these after Barry’s retirement in 1999 but he didn’t put the Auto Replicas range back on sale.

Daryle is now busy taking stock of all the items that he has acquired which includes a number of masters, moulds, castings and packaged kits as well as lots and lots of empty boxes and header cards. It will take several months before he has a full inventory of what he has in stock, what he has moulds for and can re-run if there is sufficient demand, and what masters he holds which would allow new moulds to be made if needed.

Daryle tells me that his intention is to make the models which are already packed and ready for sale available from his website as he organises the stock. Many of the Auto Replicas 1:86 scale models are packed and ready for listing, fewer 1:43 scale models are packed and ready to sell so they will be listed later. Where packs of parts are available Daryle will need to determine if all the parts needed for the kits are available, if not he will have to decide whether sales will justify casting missing components.

Extract from the 1996-7 Auto Replicas Advert Sheet. Many of these models are available ready packed though not all. Castings for some not ready packed may also be available but it will be some time before they are sorted out and any missing parts identified.

Two examples of kits ready to sell as they have been stored packed since 1999.

One immediate aim is to produce three of the four models in the Auto Impression range of models which are nominally 1:76 scale and will complement the John Day Vehicle Scenics range which currently has only one foreign car in the line up. These were some of the last models created by Barry Lester as they were mastered in France and it is not even certain that any were sold as the moulds exist but no packaging material, castings or packed stock. The models in this range are:

  • BKL 8 Bugatti Atlantic
  • BKL 9 Citroen Traction
  • BKL 10 Morgan
  • BKL 11 Citroen 2CV

Bugatti T57 Atlantic – unprepared test casting

Citroen Traction – unprepared test casting

Citroen 2CV – Unprepared test casting

Daryle has made test castings from moulds and would like to get these models on the market soon. The Morgan will be the last one to be produced as the model needs further detailing, and a new mould created before it will be ready to sell. All of the models need vacforms to be made as Daryle thinks that they should all have them to sell today.

Given the lack of complete kits, vacforms, castings and packaging the question arises of of whether these models were ever sold by Barry Lester?’ They were featured as ‘new’ in the 1996-7 Auto Replicas folded advertising leaflet but were they actually released? Do any MAR Online readers know?

Daryle has kindly provided MAR Online with pre-production samples made using the existing moulds of the three models likely to be released first. These are shown above as raw castings without any preparation for painting, indeed the 2CV was cast in front of my eyes on the visit. I hope to make these models up, and feature the completed items in MAR Online soon. When using the moulds for the first time Daryle found a number of small items added in the mould, and one example is the advertising key tag below.

In the longer term Daryle will look to incorporate any models which are roughly 1:76 into the John Day Vehicle Scenics range. But any models that are released under John Day brand will first be upgraded with better wheels and other improvements that Daryle thinks are needed.

1:43 scale models will be sold from stock and and the sales reviewed, any models which prove particularly popular and run out might be rerun. Where suitable some of the 1:43 scale models that have not been made to 1:76 scale might be used as a basis to create a smaller model. But it will be some time before that can be done.

Visiting Daryle and seeing his workshop full of additional moulds and boxes was an exciting experience. Daryle has also acquired masters/moulds from some other ranges but at the moment absorbing these will have to be done alongside his current work on Auto Replicas. Given the expansion of his business Daryle is actively considering re-branding as Daryle Toney Models with his various ranges, like John Day Vehicle Scenics, under that umbrella but that is also something he will not rush into as time for all the effort needed to modify his website is simply not available!

MAR Online would like to thank Daryle for allowing us to visit his workshop, and for talking to us about these exciting developments in his model ranges.


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Parker 1:76 scale Models – A clarification

By Maz Woolley

Text and photographs copyright of the Author(s) unless otherwise stated.

Both Rod Parker and Daryle Toney of John Day Models have been in touch with us to clarify the details of the transfer of Parker 1:76 scale Masters to Daryle Toney for incorporation in the John Day Vehicle Scenics range. Our original article implied that Rod Parker was ceasing to make and issue models to 1:76 scale. Both Daryle and Rod have told us that this is not the case.

The masters of previous 1:76 scale Parker models will be gradually acquired by Daryle Toney and new castings from these masters will be incorporated into the John Day Vehicle Scenics range. Rod Parker will continue to develop new 1:76 and 1:148 scale releases going forwards.

MAR Online is glad to clarify the situation and to wish them both good luck with their future releases.


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John Day Models News

By Maz Woolley

Text and photographs copyright of the Author(s) unless otherwise stated.

Daryle Toney who owns John Day Models has been in touch with MAR Online to share the news that negotiations with Rod Parker have produced an outline agreement for Rod Parker to sell the masters for his 1:76 scale range of model kits to Daryle. Rod Parker has released fewer models in recent years as his sales were badly affected by ready made models from Oxford Diecast and others. Rod will continue to develop and market his UK N gauge range which is not included in the sale.

Parker Models – Standard Vanguards Phase II

Daryle says that he intends to incorporate the Rod Parker models into the John Day range as they naturally complement the existing models, indeed several of the existing John Day Models were mastered by Rod Parker in any case. He says that the Parker models will be incorporated into the range a few at a time over the next few years.

Parker Models Wolseley

Asked why he had acquired the masters he explained that he felt that there was considerable scope to sell the models more widely. He explained that as the range has never been sold systematically on eBay, or on a direct sales website, many people were not aware of the models or even if they heard of them were unsure how to get hold of them. He believes that making them available in his eBay shop and via www.johndaymodels.co.uk will find buyers who missed out on them before.

Daryle also pointed out that although Oxford Diecast and others had made models of many of Rod Parker‘s subjects they were often not as good models, or were of a slightly different version. This means that there will be people who want to buy them as the ready made models are not what they want. In any event he believes that his experience with John Day Models Vehicle Scenics shows that there are enough people who like making model kits, or who want a unique version of a vehicle, to sustain a small scale artisan range like his.

We wish Daryle well with this new venture and look forward to seeing the first fruits of this acquisition.


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Converting a John Day Sunbeam Rapier

By Maz Woolley

Text and photographs copyright of the Author(s) unless otherwise stated.

John Day Vehicle Scenics SRV24 Sunbeam Rapier has appeared before in the fomer printed MAR magazine. It is a fair model of a Series II though the side chrome is slightly incorrect lacking the twin lines forward of the tail section. A photograph of one that I made several years ago is shown below.

Recently whilst browsing pictures on the web I came across pictures of the Sunbeam Rapier Convertible with its hood up. I thought that it was an interesting variant so I set about making one based on the standard John Day casting.

The key differences between the standard car and the convertible were the rear side windows which were similar to the ones used on the contemporary Hillman Minx convertible and the rear window which is a small panel in the hood and not the wrap round shape of the hard top.

The hood was created by layering on Humbrol modelling filler and shaping it do represent the shape of a hood and filling in the original wrap round rear window. Once all was dry the hood was filed to represent creases and folds and the rear window was drilled out and shaped. The window was then glazed using Micro Kristal Klear.

The hood was painted in matt red to represent one of the colours which seems to have been an option on the original cars.

The profile of the rear side windows was reshaped using a file to remove the lower part of the rear edge which curves back on the hard top.

The model was painted in a dark grey often seen on Rootes cars at the time to contrast with the hood and all the chrome painted on using a Molotow chrome pen . For those wondering who made the garage behind it is a Dapol kit based upon the old Airfix railway accessories series model which is to the same 1:76 scale as the car and is very ‘period’. This model is still readily available through model railway shops and online. The John Day Rapier Kit is also available from John Day Models which may be found at johndaymodels.webplus.net/ though this site is being replaced shortly by one under development at www.johndaymodels.co.uk .

I will one day produce a hood down Rapier, though I may choose to base that upon an Oxford Diecast model as the John Day model has no dashboard or steering wheel which would be rather obvious on an open car!

As usual my modelling skills are rather rough and ready but I think that the result is an interesting addition to my collection of Sunbeam Rapiers.


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A Car Transporter Conversion

By Maz Woolley

Text and photographs copyright of the Author(s) unless otherwise stated.


Car transporter at Standard Triumph’s Canley Factory in Coventry in the early 1960s
Copyright owner unknown.

My conversion was inspired by finding the black and white photograph of a Progressive Deliveries transporter collecting Standard Triumph cars from the factory in Canley in Coventry shown above.

Car transporters are a good way to show off a group of models, especially if you collect 1:76 scale models. Collectors will be familiar with the EFE transporter, shown below, which was produced over many years in several liveries with either an Atkinson or Bedford TK tractor unit. Although slightly simplified the trailer does capture the look of period transporter trailers from Carrymore and others. A model like the one below provided the chassis of the tractor unit and the trailer.

Photograph by Hattons copyright acknowledged

My first challenge was finding a suitable Leyland cab unit to fit on the tractor unit chassis. Here I had the choice of two different 1:76 scale Leyland Comet cabs from small suppliers here in the UK. One from Langley in white metal and one from Road Transport Images (RTI) in resin. After careful comparison of the cabs and the black and white photograph I decide to use the RTI cab unit. This was a nice clean unit which came with a simple interior and vacform. I was lucky that I bought this cab several months before Frank Waller passed away. Since his death RTI products have not been available as his family has not yet been able to find someone to take the company on as a going concern.

The RTI cab is a 1:76 scale Leyland Comet short door LAD (Leyland/Albion/Dodge) cab from 1958 when it was introduced as the third geneneration of the Comet. This cab was made by Coventry Motor Panels for the truck makers and was styled slightly differently for each manufacturer.

Starting from a black and white photograph did not make things easy. My initial guess was that the unit could have been painted in yellow and black but a fellow member of CDMC (Coventry Diecast and Model Club) was kind enough to ask fellow modellers in the Coventry area and not only was the colour of the original livery identified but suggestions for suitable spray paints to match were supplied too!

The steps in the conversion process are described below. Unfortunately I didn’t think to photograph the work in progress.

  • EFE tractor and trailer stripped and completely disassembled
  • Front bumper cut off tractor chassis
  • Paint stripped from trailer and chassis
  • All spray painted in Acrylic grey primer
  • Repainted Cab in Ford Olympic Blue (Light blue)
  • Masked upper part of cab
  • Sprayed lower part of tractor cab with Ford Royal Blue Acrylic spray paint and removed masking.
  • Spray upper part of trailer in Olympic blue
  • Spray lower part in Royal Blue
  • Spray tractor chassis in Royal Blue
  • Cut dash and sterring wheel from Atkinson tractor unit interior to re-use
  • Glue Atkinson wheel/dash to the RTI cab interior
  • Spray RTI seats and cab interior in primer and then in satin black
  • Decals designed and printed on injet decal paper – clear for items on cab and upper part of trailer and printed on white backed decal for lower trailer as clear deacls with light blue lettering did not work.
  • paint lights and fill with acrylic to make main headlight lenses
  • Apply decals on cab and trailer and overspray with clear acrylic paint
  • Glue windows in Cab
  • Glue interior in cab
  • Cut plasticard packing to attach cab to chassis at correct height and spray black
  • Glue plasticard insert into cab chassis
  • Glue Cab onto plasticard insert in chassis
  • Re-assemble rest of components

The conversion went well though I did manage to break one of the small lugs that holds the folding rear ramp in place trying to get it back into place. It was finished in time for a chop night at CDMC and I was lucky enough to win one of the awards on the night for my efforts.

The car shown on the transporter is also a conversion. It started life as a John Day Vehicle Scenics Standard Vanguard Phase III. This has been altered to represent a Standard Ensign which used the Vanguard body but had a smaller four cylinder engine and much simpler grille as well as a more basic interior. They sold quite well to companies and to the Armed Forces where the Fleet Manager was happy with lower costs than the Vanguard but the same durability.

The conversion consisted of:

  • remove the Vanguard’s protruding grille unit
  • open out the grille area to create a flat recess and file off wing side light area
  • remove all overriders from bumpers
  • file off Triumph badge from bonnet
  • make a decal printed on ink jet paper of the ensign grille and badging from an image found on the web.
  • Clean and paint model
  • Highlight lights and sidelights in silver/silver/red, and white
  • Fit vacform glazing
  • Assemble model
  • Finish wheels off
  • Apply decals

So here we have a couple of models which display well together with a conversion I did of the John Day Vehicle Scenics Standard 9cwt van into a Standard Triumph Livery shown many years ago in the printed MAR magazine. This was also created from a black and white photograph and it is possible that the van should actually be in dark green rather than black.

Both the base John Day models shown in this article are still available from Daryle Toney who owns the John Day Vehicle Scenics range, his website can be found at http://johndaymodels.webplus.net/ . The EFE transporter model is not shown on the Bachmann website so is now presumably obsolete, but it is frequently available on eBay. For the moment the Langley X27 Leyland cab would have to be used to do a similar conversion as the RTI one is not currently available.

More googling has uncovered the Rootes Group transporters run for them by British Road Services and pulled by Commer tractor units. This will be my next challenge!


John Day Vehicle Scenics 1948 Riley 2.5 Drophead Coupé

By Maz Woolley

All text and photographs by, and copyright of, the Author unless otherwise stated.

It has been some time since I have completed a John Day Vehicle Scenics (JDVS) kit  but the nice weather here in the UK has encouraged me to complete one I bought some months ago. This kit has had the master updated by Daryle Toney who owns JDVS and so  now consists of a body, a steering wheel on a ‘column’, a base with seats moulded in, and separate wheels that fit neatly to the base with a pin on the wheel and small hole in the chassis. This was first Vehicle Scenics model that I saw made up, and it was on a club stand at a Modellex many years ago. With its SRV03 code number it was one of the earliest JDVC kits made.   I have had to wait till now to buy one as it sold out quickly and remained out of production for many years.

The Riley RM series was one of the last cars developed by the Riley company before it was fully absorbed into the Nuffield organisation and moved on to the Gerald Palmer designed Pathfinder. The RMA was a 1.5 Litre engined saloon (also available from JDVS as SRV70), the RMB a 2.5 Litre saloon version, the RMC a 2.5 litre two door roadster, and the RMD (as modelled here) the 2.5 Litre drophead. They were all amongst the earliest “new designs” to be presented after the Second World War though in truth the chassis, engine and much else was largely inherited from the pre-war 1.5/2.5 litre Riley Kestrel.

The RM series was originally made in Coventry, but in 1949 production was moved to the MG works at Abingdon.

The kit all fits together well now the master has been tidied up and improved. The overall shape of the car has been caught well and the hood and hood irons are neatly modelled.

The interior is basic. Seats are moulded neatly but without any door cards the side is very blank and there is a large gap between rear seat and side creating a hole showing the ground through part of the wheel arch.

At the rear the handles, hinges, lights and bumpers are all moulded in well and the hood sits nicely.  To the side the side stripe and hood irons are well reproduced.

Inside the very simple dashboard moulding echoes the real vehicle without being detailed or completely accurate in shape. No floor mounted gear change is fitted and the steering column has no levers fitted either.

Whilst this car is primarily aimed at Railway Modellers it  complements Oxford Diecast‘s 1:76 pre-war Riley Kestrel  Saloon or the even earlier Barry Lester 1:76 BKL3 1935 Riley Kestrel white metal kit (another kit I have waiting to be made!). It also complements the Parker Models Pathfinder which tells the story of the next phase of life of the Riley badge in this scale.


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