Oxford Diecast 76DT006

Diamond T Ballast Wynns

Manufacturer catalogue image - please note that pre-release images may be CAD renders or CGI images rather than photographs

Prototype Eras
Era 3 (1923 to 1947) The Big Four (LNER, LMS, GWR and SR)
Era 4 (1948 to 1956) British Railways Early Crest
Era 5 (1956 to 1966) British Railways Late Crest
Era 6 (1967 to 1972) British Rail Blue (Pre-TOPS)
Era 7 (1972 to 1982) British Rail Blue (TOPS)

Manufacturer description

The Chicago based Diamond T Company had a long history of building heavy vehicles for the US Army for military use and tank transporting, A modified version was also used extensively by the British Army during WWII. The 12-ton half cab 6 x 4 vehicle proved to be one of the most successful in its class, powered by an engine with a maximum 240 bhp capacity. The very low gearing allowed it to pull a trailer load of up to 120,000 lb, the weight of the heaviest tank. After the war, many Diamond Ts were sold into civilian service and would have been just the job for Wynns, the doyenne of heavy haulage at the time and whose haulage activities would have used its strength to maximum effect.

Here we see it as used by Wynns, registered GDW 313 and decorated in their familiar two-tone red livery with black mudguards and chassis. The slogan "Wynns For All Types" is printed in yellow on the cab doors and along the sides, together with the colourful Road Haulage Association crest. An unusual detail sees the front bumper ends and the front part of the mudguard finished in white. The back of the Diamond T featuring tan planking also houses the spare wheel. Wheel hubs match the bright red body colour.

Enthusiasts of this famous South Wales heavy haulage firm will be pleased to add another workhorse to their Wynns fleet.

Catalogue listing

Oxford Diecast Diamond T Ballast Wynns is a scale model bearing the manufacturer part number 76DT006. The model represents the British Railways Early Crest period.

The vehicle depicted is a 12‑ton half‑cab 6 × 4 Diamond T, originally built in Chicago for the US Army and later modified for extensive use by the British Army during the Second World War. It was powered by an engine capable of a maximum 240 bhp and featured low gearing that allowed it to tow a trailer weighing up to 120 000 lb, sufficient for the heaviest tanks. After the war many examples entered civilian service, including those operated by Wynns, a prominent South Wales heavy‑haulage firm.

In this version the vehicle is shown in Wynns livery, registration GDW 313, with a two‑tone red body, black mudguards and chassis, and a white finish on the front bumper ends and the front part of the mudguard. Yellow lettering on the cab doors and sides carries the slogan “Wynns For All Types” together with the Road Haulage Association crest. The rear shows tan planking that houses the spare wheel, and the wheel hubs are painted to match the bright red body. Enthusiasts of Wynns may consider this model a useful addition to a collection of the firm’s historic haulage fleet.