Benbros Mighty Midget No.45 Articulated Timber Lorry

Benbros Mighty Midget No.45 Timber Lorry

Variation 3 : blue trailer with ribbed floor, umw, yellow cab with red trim

Variation 4 : yellow trailer, umw, dark-red cab

Estimated Price Guide

(MINT models in MINT boxes)

(1) (2) : £125+
(3) (6) : £50-60
(4) (5) : £60-70
(7) : £200+

No.45 Articulated Timber Lorry

Trailer variations (with usual cab colour)

All models had a wooden dowel and were in Mighty Midget boxes

(1) BEIGE smooth floor umw green cab
(2) BLUE smooth floor umw red cab
(3) BLUE ribbed floor umw yellow cab (red trim)
(4) YELLOW ribbed floor umw dark-red cab
(5) BEIGE ribbed floor bpw red cab
(6) DARK-RED ribbed floor bpw green or cream cab
(7) DARK-RED ribbed floor spw pale-blue cab (spw)

At first sight, Benbros Mighty Midget No.45 Articulated Timber Lorry looked much like the second version of No.44 Low Loader and there were similarities but it was in fact a new casting. It also had a load in the form of a wooden dowel which was a simple way to improve the play value. It always had a Bedford cab which could be in a variety of colours.

Unlike its predesessor, there were not many changes to the Timber Lorry except for variations to the trailer floor. The first version of the trailer was a one-piece casting with a smooth load-bed floor and two low cradles on which the log rested. The wheels were unpainted metal on flat-or round-head & crimped axles. As with most other Benbros articulated models, there was no identification on the trailer

This first variation of the trailer was issued in two colours, beige (usually with a green cab) and blue (usually with a red cab). The blue version had a dark-blue underside. With the Bedford cab, the whole model measured about 62mm in length.

It wasn't long before Benbros made a second casting of the trailer, this time with a ribbed load-bed floor. This was coloured blue like the first version, had metal wheels and a log dowel and it was made brighter by often being coupled to a dark-yellow cab which had unusual red trim.

Another variation of the ribbed trailer was coloured a rich yellow, had unpainted metal wheels, and the usual log dowel. This colour seems to have been sold with a red Bedford cab.

When Benbros began using black plastic wheels, the trailer of No.45 Timber Lorry was recoloured again to beige, and then to dark-red and this last colour was the most common.

A final version of No.45 trailer was also red but fitted with silver plastic wheels which were rare for Benbros. It came with a pale-blue Bedford cab with similar wheels.

No.45 Articulated Timber Lorry is not too hard to find although the first two issues with the smooth floor and the last one with silver plastic wheels are rare.