Oxford Diecast 76TRF001

Thompson Refueller BP Aviation Service - 1:76 Scale

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

Prototype Eras
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)
Era 8 (1983 to 1994) British Rail Sectorisation
Era 9 (1995 to 2004) Initial Privatisation

Manufacturer description

Brand new tooling brings the Thompson Refueller into the Oxford 1:76 scale range, adding a very unusual support vehicle for a model airfield diorama right through from the 1930s to the 1990s. Decorated in a bright green, yellow and black BP colour scheme, the model features service hoses with silver taps, handles and spout for pumping fuel into the aircraft. Its three wheels are also painted bright yellow. The cabin interior is black with black seating and black steering wheel. Two small headlights are sited on each side of the wiped black radiator grille whilst on the centre back of the vehicle a single light has a brass Thompson logo above it and the BP shield beneath it.

The Thompson Aircraft Fueller, introduced successfully in 1935, was a small three-wheeled, airfield refueling vehicle, powered by a 10 hp Ford petrol engine. It had a three forward speed and one reverse speed gearbox and a chain-driven rear axle. The three wheeled, low slung design made it easier to get as close as possible to the aircraft to refuel. The left side tank held 500 gallons of petrol, while the right hand side tank held 50 gallons of oil. Each tank had its own pump driven by a power take off engaged by levers in the cockpit and each was fitted with an indicator gauge, hose and nozzle.

This unusual vehicle was first used for servicing light aircraft at civil aerodromes but was put to important use during World War II when several variants were adapted for military use. Following the conflict, many continued in use at civil aerodromes and airports in Britain well into the 1960s and 1970s, with a few still in use e.g. at North Weald and Leicester East into the 1990s. At least 20 examples are known to exist in museums and private ownership worldwide.

Catalogue listing

Oxford Diecast Thompson Refueller – BP Aviation Service is a 1:76 scale model (manufacturer part number 76TRF001) representing the vehicle in British Rail blue livery prior to the introduction of TOPS.

The model has a bright green, yellow and black BP colour scheme, with silver‑tapped service hoses, yellow wheels, a black‑finished cabin, and small headlights on either side of the black radiator grille. A central rear light bears a brass Thompson logo above the BP shield. The original Thompson fueller, introduced in 1935, was a three‑wheeled, low‑slung refuelling vehicle powered by a 10 hp Ford petrol engine, with a 500‑gallon petrol tank on the left, a 50‑gallon oil tank on the right, and separate pumps operated from the cockpit.

The vehicle was initially used for light aircraft at civil aerodromes, later adapted for military service during the Second World War, and remained in operation at British airports into the 1960s, 1970s and, in a few cases, the 1990s. At least twenty examples are recorded in museums and private collections worldwide.