Thomas Toy / Acme Airline Limousine (No. 38, 29, or 55??) - Red HP

Here's a car with an identity crisis. Underneath the hood are engraved two names: 'Thomas Toy' towards the front and 'ACME' towards the back. The number '38' is also present. Normally, when a number is inscribed somewhere on the toy, that corresponds to the item number the manufacturer has assigned to the toy. Apparently not in this case. In "PLASTIC TOYS - Dimestore Dreams of the '40s & '50s" by Bill Hanlon, he reflects two item numbers: #29 (1947-51) and #55 (1948-51). To be sure, this limousine was also available with a trailer but the write-up is unclear if one item number is for the car alone and the other item number is the one which included the trailer. It measures 4.375" (11.11cm) L x 1.25" (3.17cm) W x 1.125" (2.85cm) H. Enjoy! Opa Fritz

Thomas Toy 1950s 'Electric' Style Bus - Red & Blue HP

Well, I've got a couple more buses to post before I get these out of my system. Up next is this nice vintage 'electric' style bus from Thomas Toy. I remember the electric buses which ran down the street right at the end of my block. They made a nice racket as the poles ran along the electric power lines overhead. This bus is a toy so of course doesn't have a pole sticking from it, but the mechanism is suggested. The bus is 4 1/2" (11.43cm) L x 1 1/4" (3.17cm) W x 1 5/8" (4.12cm) H, as such it too - like most of the other plastic buses I had bought - looked real small on the O-gauge train layout but it is still a cool Nifty '50s toy for the collection. Enjoy! Opa Fritz and Oma Bettina

Some comparison shots

(L) Thomas Toy (M) Renwal (R) Marx School Bus

Background: Thomas Toy

Foreground: Empire

Wannatoy Bus - Yellow HP (Customized)

Here's one of the harder vintage hard plastic toy buses to latch on to, the Wannatoys bus. Mine was originally in yellow hard plastic but somewhere during its life it got customized to what you see here. As I've said in previous posts, I don't mind it when vintage toys were customized back in the day by a young owner wanting to personalize their stuff, it gives the toy a special appeal to me. It measures 5 1/4" (13.33cm) L x 1 3/4" (4.44cm) W x 1 3/8" (3.49cm) H and looks nice on an O-gauge toy train layout but is still a tad small. Enjoy! Opa Fritz and Oma Bettina

You can just barely make out that this was originally yellow

Here's some comparison shots

(L) Thomas Toy (M) Renwal (R) Wannatoy