Yesteryear Collection - 1924 Fowler Big Lion Showmans Engine

The (Y9-1) 1924 Fowler "Big Lion" Showman's Engine is probably the most popular model in the whole of the Yesteryear range. It was introduced in 1958 and it sold by the hundreds of thousands in the UK but proved difficult to sell abroad.
Being as it had such a long lifespan and went through so many colour schemes there are numerous minor variations that will keep the avid collector busy for many years trying to find them all.

Livery: (Transfer)
'LESNEY'S MODERN AMUSEMENTS' in yellow with green shadow effect on maroon on both side edges of roof.
Yellow and green coachlining on watertank (near underside of boiler) and piston rod housing.
Yellow and green coachlining to sides of piston cylinder.
Yellow seven pointed star on red/maroon within yellow circle in middle of piston cylinder.

Variations/Rarities: The body, flywheel and baseplate were initially painted in dark maroon, then in light maroon, dark purple, red and finally bright red.
The roof was originally cream which was later changed to white. It had a small amount of the usual gold trim which was reduced as the years went by.
The wheels were yellow or orange-yellow and it is not uncommon to find both colours used on the same vehicle.
The spiral roof supports at each end of the canopy can be found in gold, gold and white or bare metal and the chimney extension mounted on the roof can be very dark grey through to black.
The smokebox door at the front was plated with either gold, copper or silver and finally the sides of the canopy were adorned with decals proclaiming "Lesney's Modern Amusements" while body lining detail decals were fitted elsewhere.
Apart from ejector rings being added to the inside of the canopy it had just one major casting modification which was to the underneath where it had a block cast in just behind the baseplate which gave it a 'T' shape when viewed from below.
The small baseplate can be fitted either way up and is usually found in body colour but black baseplates were used on a few issues.

The ones to look for - With gold trim to the cylinder block, in purple or models issued with black baseplates are all hard to find.

Information as from "The Yesteryear Book 1956-2002"
Issue	Year of Release	Colour	Roof	Cylinder Block	Boiler Door	Spiralled Roof Supports	Wheels	Roof Ends Plates	Fire Box Ends	Name Plate Colour	Baseplate	Rarity	Box
1	1958	Dark maroon body, flywheel & base	Cream	Gold	Copper	Gold	Yellow 12 spoke front, 18 spoke rear	Cream	Square	Dark maroon	LESNEY ENGLAND	R	A
2		Dark maroon body, flywheel & base	Cream	Dark maroon	Copper	Gold	Yellow 12 spoke front, 18 spoke rear	Cream	Square	Dark maroon	LESNEY ENGLAND	S	A
3		Dark maroon body, flywheel & base	Cream	Dark maroon	Gold	Gold	Yellow 12 spoke front, 18 spoke rear	Cream	Square	Dark maroon	LESNEY ENGLAND	S	A
4		Light purple body, flywheel & base	Cream	Gold	Copper	Gold	Yellow 12 spoke front, 18 spoke rear	Cream	Square	Light purple	LESNEY ENGLAND	VR	A/B
5		Light purple body, flywheel & base	Cream	Light purple	Copper	Gold	Yellow 12 spoke front, 18 spoke rear	Cream	Square	Light purple	LESNEY ENGLAND	VR	A/B
6		Pale maroon body & base, dark maroon flywheel	Cream	Pale maroon	Gold	Gold, white or silver bare metal	Yellow 12 spoke front, 18 spoke rear	Gold, white or silver bare metal	Square	Pale maroon	LESNEY ENGLAND	R	A/B
7		Pale maroon body, flywheel & base	Cream	Pale maroon	Gold	Gold, white or silver bare metal	Yellow 12 spoke front, 18 spoke rear	Gold, white or silver bare metal	Square	Black	LESNEY ENGLAND	D	B/C
8		Pale maroon body, flywheel & base	Cream	Pale maroon	Gold	Gold, white or silver bare metal	Yellow 12 spoke front, 18 spoke rear	Gold, white or silver bare metal	Square	Pale maroon	LESNEY ENGLAND		B/C
9		Pale maroon body, flywheel & base	Cream	Pale maroon	Silver	Gold, white or silver bare metal	Yellow 12 spoke front, 18 spoke rear	Gold, white or silver bare metal	Square	Pale maroon	LESNEY ENGLAND		B/C
10		Pale maroon body, flywheel & base	Cream	Pale maroon	Silver	Gold, white or silver bare metal	Yellow 12 spoke front, 18 spoke rear	Gold, white or silver bare metal	Square	Black	LESNEY ENGLAND	D	B/C
11		Pale maroon body, flywheel & base	White	Pale maroon	Gold	Gold, white or silver bare metal	Yellow 12 spoke front, 18 spoke rear	Gold, white or silver bare metal	Square	Pale maroon	LESNEY ENGLAND	D	C/D1
12		Pale maroon body, flywheel & base	Cream	Pale maroon	Copper	Gold, white or silver bare metal	Yellow 12 spoke front, 18 spoke rear	Gold, white or silver bare metal	'T' shaped	Pale maroon	LESNEY ENGLAND	S	C/D1
13	1965	Bright red body, flywheel & base	Cream	Bright red	Gold	Gold, white or silver bare metal	Yellow 12 spoke front, 18 spoke rear	Gold, white or silver bare metal	Square	Bright red	LESNEY ENGLAND		D1/D2
14		Bright red body, flywheel & base	White	Bright red	Gold	Gold, white or silver bare metal	Yellow 12 spoke front, 18 spoke rear	Gold, white or silver bare metal	Square	Bright red	LESNEY ENGLAND		D1/D2
15		Bright red body, flywheel & base	White	Bright red	Gold	Gold, white or silver bare metal	Yellow 12 spoke front, 18 spoke rear	Gold, white or silver bare metal	Square	Black	LESNEY ENGLAND	S	D1/D2
16		Bright red body, flywheel & base	White	Bright red	Silver	Gold, white or silver bare metal	Yellow 12 spoke front, 18 spoke rear	Gold, white or silver bare metal	Square	Bright red	LESNEY ENGLAND	D	D1/D2
17		Bright red body, flywheel & base	White	Bright red	Silver	Gold, white or silver bare metal	Yellow 12 spoke front, 18 spoke rear	Gold, white or silver bare metal	Square	Dark maroon	LESNEY ENGLAND	R	D2/D3
18		Bright red body, flywheel & base	White	Bright red	Gold	Gold, white or silver bare metal	Yellow 12 spoke front, 18 spoke rear	Gold, white or silver bare metal	'T' shaped	Bright red	LESNEY ENGLAND	S	D2/D3
19		Bright red body, flywheel & base	White	Bright red	Silver	Gold, white or silver bare metal	Yellow 12 spoke front, 18 spoke rear	Gold, white or silver bare metal	'T' shaped	Bright red	LESNEY ENGLAND	S	D3
Rarity: D - Difficult; S - Scarce; R - Rare; VR - Very Rare; ER - Extremely Rare
Box: A - Line drawing, black number on end plate; B - Blue number on a white circle on end flap; C - Red number and white lettering on end flap; D1 - Plain yellow background to front panel illustration; D2 - Pictorial background with MOY banner; D3 - Pictorial background with 'Matchbox' banner


Fowler "Big Lion" Showman's Engine		Gold cylinder block	Black baseplate (nameplate)