Benbros Mighty Midgets

No.47 Articulated Wagon

The name which Benbros gave to Mighty Midget No.47 was Articulated Waggon (with 2 'g's) but in fact it was an articulated dropside lorry and correctly illustrated as such on the box.

The trailer was a one-piece casting with the addition, on the first version, of a separate rear tailboard hinged at the base. This variation had a smooth floor and there was nice detail in the casting of the dropsides but with the tailboard being so small it must have been difficult to assemble. It was painted beige with unpainted metal wheels and when coupled to the cab the whole model measured about 62mm in length. The Bedford cab was usually red. The trailer had no identification.

Not surprisingly Benbros soon re-cast the trailer with an integral rear tailboard and this time gave it a ribbed floor. The colour changed to pale-blue or dark-red and it was fitted with metal wheels and usually came with a red, yellow or beige cab.

Later the model was fitted with black plastic wheels and a final colour of mid-blue was added to the existing ones. The axles were flat-head & crimped and the cabs red, beige or blue.

The Articulated Wagon was rather dull and probably not a popular toy because it is quite hard to find. Mint models can fetch a premium.

Variation 1 : beige with tailboard, smooth floor, umw, red cab

Variation 1: Tailboard closed (left) and open (right)

Variation 2: pale-blue trailer, integral tailboard, umw, red cab

Benbros No.47 Articulated Wagon

Trailer variations (with usual cab colour)

All models had Mighty Midget boxes

(1) BEIGE             smooth floor    hinged tailboard    umw    red cab

(2) PALE-BLUE    ribbed floor      integral tailboard   umw    bright red cab

(3) DARK-RED     ribbed floor     integral tailboard    umw    yellow or beige cab

(4) PALE-BLUE    ribbed floor      integral tailboard    bpw     red or beige cab

(5) MID-BLUE      ribbed floor      integral tailboard    bpw     red or beige cab

(6) DARK-RED     ribbed floor      integral tailboard    bpw     beige or blue cab

Variation 3; dark-red trailer, umw, yellow cab (red trim)

Variation 4: pale blue trailer, bpw, red cab

Variation 5: mid-blue trailer, bpw, red cab

Variation 6: dark-red trailer, bpw, blue cab

Benbros No.47 trailers : ribbed floors and colours

Underside and coupling

(mid-blue with beige cab)