The Matchbox Two Packs TP-25 Long Haul Pipe Truck was first released in 1979 and was produced in at least 5 variations, with differences in the cab color and flatbed color. This example with a dark green cab and metallic gray flatbed is an eBay find.
The Matchbox Long Haul tractor cab is based on a two-axle Peterbilt. It was issued in red, green, bronze and yellow, and though the cabs were not packaged individually, they were designed to detach from their trailers so that the pieces could be intermixed. Click here to compare to the Matchbox Peterbilt Conventional Tractor from 1982.
The trailer used with the Long Haul cabs has a versatile metal flatbed base that can be fitted for a variety of different functions. The Pipe Truck has a pair of plastic rails attached to the bed for the pipes to rest on. In case you’re wondering, those flecks of dirt inside the blister are the remains of the rubber bands that used to hold the pipes in place.
Matchbox | 1979 | TP-25 | Long Haul Pipe Truck | dark green cab with amber windows, black plastic base, metallic gray flatbed with orange pipes | England | Superfast 5-arch wheels
The back of the card has beautifully rendered line art illustrations of some of the other models available in the Matchbox Two Packs.
Other Matchbox Two Packs in my collection include the TP-1 Mercedes Truck and Trailer, the TP-14 Military Tanker and Radar Truck, the TP-16 Military Dump Truck and Bulldozer, the TP-19 Dodge Cattle Truck and Trailer and the TP-23 Long Haul Covered Container Truck.
The Race Case MBX 