Benbros Mighty Midgets
No.45 Articulated Timber Lorry
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 (some with darker blue underside), 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.
To continue the colour variations, Benbros next painted the trailer dark-red and coupled it to a yellow cab with red trim, or a green cab. Both cab and trailer had metal wheels on flat-head and crimped axles.
Eventually Benbros switched all the models to black plastic wheels but continued with dark-red for the trailer and this was the most common colour for later models. Beige, green or bright yellow cabs were used.
Finally, there were two short runs of models to end the range, first, a beige trailer with a red cab, and then a dark-red trailer fitted with silver plastic wheels which were rare for Benbros. It came coupled to a pale blue Bedford cab with similar wheels.
No.45 Articulated Timber Lorry is not too hard to find although some variations are scarce and the first two issues with the smooth floor and the last one with silver plastic wheels are rare. The boxes, as usual with all the late models, are scarce.
Variation 2 : blue trailer with smooth floor, umw, red cab
Variation 3 : blue trailer with ribbed floor, umw, yellow cab with red trim
Blue trailers : ribbed floor (left), smooth floor (right)
No.45 Articulated Timber Lorry
Trailer variations (with frequent cab colours)
All models had a wooden dowel and 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) DARK-RED, ribbed floor, umw, yellow (red trim) or green cab
(6) DARK-RED, ribbed floor, BLACK pw, beige, green or bright yellow cab (silver trim)
(7) BEIGE, ribbed floor, bpw, red cab
(8) DARK-RED, ribbed floor, SILVER pw, pale-blue cab (spw)
Variation 4 : yellow trailer, umw, red cab
Variation 5: dark-red trailer, umw, yellow cab (red trim)
Variation 6 : dark-red trailer, bpw, with green cab
Variation 6: dark-red trailer, bpw, with bright yellow cab (silver trim)
Variation 7: beige trailer, bpw, red cab
Benbros No.45 : some colour variations of ribbed trailers
Cab & trailer coupling system
Blue underside colours :
smooth-floored trailer (left), ribbed trailer (right)
