[REVIEW] Lesney Matchbox London Trolley Bus

It’s Sunday, and Lesney time again. Today we venture away from passenger cars, and examine a bus. This is 56a, the London trolley bus. This model was introduced in 1958, and must have been popular, as it remained in the lineup until 1965. It’s what you would expect, a then-current trolley bus:

I estimate scale to be around 1:85, just about HO. It’s not a huge model, but the real thing is tall, and the model has to fit in a box. As expected, it is well proportioned and detailed for a pocket money toy model from over 50 years ago:

Front and rear are just as well done - and it kind of has a face:

Base is typical of the era:

This model lives in a very attractive late “B” type box, which along with the silver wheels probably dates it to 1960. Some people like the colorful “D” type boxes, but I think this one has some charm:

There are numerous variants of this casting, with several wheel types. I have 4 variants of this casting. The most sought after variant is the early release with black poles at top. However, this silver wheel variant is just as scarce, and likely just as valuable - I don’t see them coming up for sale too often. I really like silver wheels, so I am glad to have this.

These were apparently in service until the early 60s. Here’s a real one: