Metal Masters Co. Vehicles

great stuff Steve. I thought I had one, but just Tootsietoy,Irwin, and maybe some others.

Steamer posted:

great stuff Steve. I thought I had one, but just Tootsietoy,Irwin, and maybe some others.

These are a bit bigger than Tootsie.

Steve

I went to an estate sale last summer. Guy had a ton of cars and trucks. I managed to get one box, and some of them were bigger than the Tootsietoys I have, but not Metal Masters.

Thanks for posting the photos Steve.  I have been on ebay looking at what is available and I think you have an example of all that Metal Masters produced.

These are the examples I posted in the Weekend Tinplate thread last week.

Here are the rest of the cars marked  Metal Masters that I played with as a child. They were passed down to me from my brother who is 10 years older.

Two trucks

Two of the roadsters

In the box of cars I played with were two other cars that were not marked and they don't look like Metal Masters.  Can anyone identify them?  I think both of them were repainted at some point in their lives.  There is evidence of red paint when you turn them over.

#1

#2

These are incredibly durable toys.  I can't tell you the number of times the were crashed into each other.  

Northwoods Flyer

Greg

I just bought a rough woody wagon. No rear door and this one may get repainted. Clockwork does not work either but  I only want it for display. I’ll update when I get my hands on it.

Steve

I have found some reasonably priced new manufacture from Armindo Morieres Lopes in Spain. Sturdy and nicely painted, they probably could use a little playing with to "weather" them before being displayed with prewar trains.

They make a bunch of trucks and trolleys too. 

and they are the "mystery" manufacturer of all those trolleys you see for sale on eBay so often. 

PS.  I contacted the vendor offering this set of four trolleys and told him who made these trolleys and when and how much they typically sell for but he continues to list them a $325 for the set of four. Still trying to get him to buy some of mine at those prices.  

For the Jeep, I have to amend my comments, I saw one in orange. Looks original.

Steve

I switched to similar old toy cars from scale vehicles for my layout a few years ago due to switching over to old toy trains from more "realistic" postwar plastic trains. I have a small collection of Midgetoy and Tootsie Toy cars and trucks, several of which are like ones I had as a kid.

Still have my collection of Midgetoy trains from back then, mid '60's to early '70's.

Greg J. Turinetti posted:

Thanks for posting the photos Steve.  I have been on ebay looking at what is available and I think you have an example of all that Metal Masters produced.

These are the examples I posted in the Weekend Tinplate thread last week.

Here are the rest of the cars marked  Metal Masters that I played with as a child. They were passed down to me from my brother who is 10 years older.

Two trucks

Two of the roadsters

In the box of cars I played with were two other cars that were not marked and they don't look like Metal Masters.  Can anyone identify them?  I think both of them were repainted at some point in their lives.  There is evidence of red paint when you turn them over.

#1

#2

These are incredibly durable toys.  I can't tell you the number of times the were crashed into each other.  

Northwoods Flyer

Greg

Greg,

your Cadillac looks like a Tootsie toy, I think I had/have one like it.

I know it's heresy, but I've repainted a few of the more common Tootsietoys:

If repaints are heresy, what about rolling yer own fake toy cars? 

Got the Metal Masters woody yesterday. Here’s some pictures for a size comparison. I’ve yet to see one with a rear door.

Steve

that's cause you gotta rip it off to cram more stuff in it! Just like the Matchbox Dodge dump trucks...I have several, and none had the bed, because my Daddy the truck driver drove a tractor trailer, and I'm a life long mopar guy, so the first thing I did as a kid was rip the bed off. I came to my senses several years ago and got several complete trucks, except for the  Superfast example.

spotted this one at a local antique mall. They are asking $27 for it, if anyone wants it, I could pick it up.

If you keep poking around in the boxes that you have under your layout you never know what you will find.  

While I discovered the first batch of Metal Masters cars that I posted at the home of a relative (Its still a mystery how they ended up there.), I still had these in my possession. The green truck is a repaint and that lovely shimmery magenta roadster may have been painted with nail polish.

And here is the entire collection of Metal Masters from my childhood.  

Only 2 styles, but they provided a lot of fun.  With Steve's catalog of styles and colors above I might just have to go looking for a few examples of the other body styles.  Just for examples of course.  

Northwoods Flyer

Greg

I recognize several of those from my childhood, the red fire engine, for example, but have not before seen the red buses, or the Auburns.  Still have a couple of Tootsietoys, but nohing else.

I've not seen those at all...maybe the Auburns..?

  My oldest cast is likely an early version of a Ralstoys, Benkins Moving Co. semi-trailer in need of a truck cab to pull it.

Any Auburns I have are the rubber cars made by Auburn Rubber.  I really liked the old Auburn Rubber toys and figures (made some train crew figures too, cheap on da bay to boot..not sure on the size, but others are 1:32 or maybe 1:43?)

Steamer posted:

that's cause you gotta rip it off to cram more stuff in it! Just like the Matchbox Dodge dump trucks...I have several, and none had the bed, because my Daddy the truck driver drove a tractor trailer, and I'm a life long mopar guy, so the first thing I did as a kid was rip the bed off. I came to my senses several years ago and got several complete trucks, except for the  Superfast example.

 

Another life long Mopar guy here. I have never seen that truck before it’s really cool. Where did you get it and who made it? 

Phil it is made by M2 Machines, it was under $20 at Walmart, and came with a '66 Charger. They have a pretty good line of other trucks, and cars mostly '50s and '60s stuff with really nice details.

I have now acquired 3 woodies, different colors. None have rear doors if they ever came with one. The green one is a clockwork. Note the big difference in the color of the "wood". They will probably get repainted some day.

Steve

More firetruck variations. White, red and natural metal. The natural metal one is a windup. I've seen a yellow one, but it was a repaint I think. The red one has a driver, the white one has a mounting post the does not appear to have ever been peened. The natural one does not even have a post.

Steve

Just saw this thread.  I have been looking for vehicles for the layout and these cars look great!  Will have to search for some.

Steve "Papa" Eastman posted:

I have now acquired 3 woodies, different colors. None have rear doors if they ever came with one. The green one is a clockwork. Note the big difference in the color of the "wood". They will probably get repainted some day.

Steve

 

Is this the same car?

http://www.serioustoyz.com/194...n-wagon-lot6583.aspx

Nation Wide Lines posted:

Just saw this thread.  I have been looking for vehicles for the layout and these cars look great!  Will have to search for some.

Not a lot of styles, but some interesting items. Usually not too expensive 

Steve

BobbyD posted:

Steve "Papa" Eastman posted:

I have now acquired 3 woodies, different colors. None have rear doors if they ever came with one. The green one is a clockwork. Note the big difference in the color of the "wood". They will probably get repainted some day.

Steve

 

Is this the same car?

http://www.serioustoyz.com/194...n-wagon-lot6583.aspx

Yes, real nice one and it has a rear door. First one I’ve seen.

Steve

Steve "Papa" Eastman posted:

Nation Wide Lines posted:

Just saw this thread.  I have been looking for vehicles for the layout and these cars look great!  Will have to search for some.

Not a lot of styles, but some interesting items. Usually not too expensive 

Steve

Thanks.  I am also looking at some of the larger 4 to 5 inch Tootsietoy vehicles, similar to some posted by others here.  I think they look good and are fairly simple in design and do not detract from the trains. 

I have found that it takes more than trains and buildings to make a layout look good.  My layout has had buildings for a long time, lots of tunnels, and few people.  In the past few months several trees have been added.  Now it is time for some cars and more people.    

Here's my Metal Masters fire truck. It had almost no paint and the front was bent when my wife bought it for me in an antiques store for $7.00. Looks good now especially as part of my firehouse scene.

The pickups have a series of holes in the bed. Now I know what they are for.

Steve

Steve,

Thanks for solving the mystery of the purpose of those holes.  I think that wrecker looks great.

Your photo raises a question for me.  Are there two styles of pickup trucks?  I have 4 that look like this:

None of them have the holes.  Only my fire engine truck has holes.

Your pickup looks as if it has a similar cab to the fire truck.

You continue to be a bad influence on me.   I picked up a fire truck to add to the collection.

It came with wire handrails and 4 wire hooks.

Which of course prompted me to hunt down some reproduction ladders.

I wonder if something went in the holes of the bed of the fire truck too.

Northwoods Flyer

Greg

Greg J. Turinetti posted:

Steve,

Thanks for solving the mystery of the purpose of those holes.  I think that wrecker looks great.

Your photo raises a question for me.  Are there two styles of pickup trucks?  I have 4 that look like this:

None of them have the holes.  Only my fire engine truck has holes.

 

Your pickup looks as if it has a similar cab to the fire truck.

You continue to be a bad influence on me.   I picked up a fire truck to add to the collection.

It came with wire handrails and 4 wire hooks.

Which of course prompted me to hunt down some reproduction ladders.

I wonder if something went in the holes of the bed of the fire truck too.

Northwoods Flyer

Greg

 

Greg

where did you get the ladders?

Steve

Another style of the firetruck. This one has no roof and is basically a flat bed with racks for ladders. Ladders are missing as usual.

Steve

Another new one. This has the wrecker type body. My first thought was someone added the decal, but I have since seen another one.

Steve

A new wrecker. This one on the larger fire truck casting.

Steve

 Shame children today don't have toys like these to imagine and play with .

 I've still got some of my Tootsie and Dinky's that I had growing up. And will buy most diecast trucks , cars and especially military vehicles at flea-markets , estate sales and such.

 I guess their just a side hobby of collecting tin-plate and trains in general.

What is the scale of these cars?  For my tastes, they look too small to work well with most Standard Gauge trains and accessories.  However, they should be perfect for O gauge tinplate. 

For SG, I prefer using 1930's era "pressed steel" vehicles in 1/32 to 1/25 scale such as the fire engines by Girard or Marx:

pressed steel buses by Keystone or Kingsbury:

and pressed steel trucks, cars and trailers by Wyandotte:

As for die cast, I prefer 1930's era casting by Arcade:

or their modern era reproductions by Pride Lines:

The size of all these seems to work well with my mostly 1/32 scale SG trains and accessories. 

Some day I may be able to afford a modern era die cast truck or car by Tom Sehloff,

Bob Nelson

Another white wrecker, this one is a windup.

Steve

Bob loves to torture me by posting pictures of his vintage vehicles appropriate for standard gauge.  They are wonderful!

Kirk

www.sgma.us

SGMA1 posted:

Bob loves to torture me by posting pictures of his vintage vehicles appropriate for standard gauge.  They are wonderful!

Kirk

www.sgma.us

I am not sure "torture" is the word I would use.  I think "titillate" would be a better choice.

Bob Nelson

Well here is my "Metal Masters" Bus in Green.  It is clearly marked "Metal Masters Co, Made in USA" in the casting on the inside of the roof. 

Since we have also entered Repair / Tow Trucks genre,  I thought I would add:

My Wyandotte Tow Truck.  The hook is original, but the tow line to the hook is just string, obviously replaced sometime in its lifespan

Here is another truck of about the same size by Marx :

The Marx version of the Tow Truck, note that it has no line to the hook but just a solid pin supporting the hook to boom connection.  Not very realistic but given Marx's penchant for reliable toys probably more durable and able to support a higher load than any string.

Finally just for Fun to make sure that the accidents that these tow trucks are called to are properly reported, a "Dick Tracy" police car, also from Marx (friction drive).

Size comparison:

Metal Masters Bus 7"L  X 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 " W (tapers front to back) X 2.25 " H

Wyandotte tow truck 8 3/4 "L  X  3 1/2" W X 4" H (cab roof) 5" H (top of boom)

Marx tow truck 10 1/4"L  X  3"W (cab) 4 1/4" W (truck bed) X  3 1/4" H (cab roof) 5 1/2 " H (top of boom)

Dick Tracy Police car 6 1/4 "L  X  2 1/2"W  X  2 1/2" H to top of roof but roof slopes to rear

Trucks too big for O but might work for Standard , Metal Masters bus likely OK for O

Best Regards

Don