Budgie Locomotive with painted wheels and rods?

[eldomtom2]

This has been baffling me for some time now. I have had for a long time a red toy Jinty. In nearly every respect it resembles a late Budgie Locomotive, but there are no stickers for "British Railways" and "7118" - they're painted on. The wheels and rods, while they have been mostly stripped to the bare metal, clearly used to be painted red. It also lacks any information as to the manufacturer as far as I can tell. Anyone have any clue as to its provenance?

Edited April 27, 2017 by eldomtom2

[Gordon A]

A picture(s) would be useful.

 

Gordon A

[eldomtom2]

No means of uploading pictures at the moment, but it looks like any Budgie Locomotive you can find pictures of online, apart from the differences described.

[bertiedog]

"Budgies" came in many forms and seem to still be made in Hong Kong until recently, at least. They vary quite a bit presumably as moulds wore out a new one was made, with changes over about 50 years. The painted over ones are usually late production in Hong Kong.

 

Stephen.

[k9-70]

"Budgies" came in many forms and seem to still be made in Hong Kong until recently, at least. They vary quite a bit presumably as moulds wore out a new one was made, with changes over about 50 years. The painted over ones are usually late production in Hong Kong.

 

Stephen.

 

The wheels and rods on my two Budgie's, weren't painted red, Stephen.

Edited April 30, 2017 by k9-70

[andyman7]

Not my two Budgie's, they speak for themselves, Stephen.

The ones you picture are very late ones, made until the mid 1980s. The first ones didn't come as 'Budgie' models, there was some sort of relationship with Morestone and somewhere I've got one in a pre-Budgie box. The model never had any makers name on it but early ones has 'BRITISH RAILWAYS' cast into the side and not a label.

[Il Grifone]

AFAIK all the British Budgie ones had unpainted wheels and coupling rods (not "con. rods" as it says on the above box!). I can't say for Hong Kong production.

 

Morestone became Budgie later on.

 

http://www.diecastvintagetoys.co.uk/the-story-of-morestone

 

Some of the models appear to have had inspiration from elsewhere (the double deck bus for instance).

 

EDIT

 

Must add a bus to my collection  - LT buses were red, but the coaches were green (the two colours are quite accurate IMHO). I'm not sure there were any Leyland Titan coaches however. ('Coach' means country bus in LTspeak.)

 

Memo:

 

Must get Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four out of my head, but the current political situation does not help at all.

Edited April 30, 2017 by Il Grifone

[Prometheus]

Whilst on the subject.....

 

I was looking for a Gaiety N2 and came across this:

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MORESTONE-BUDGIE-LOT-OF-TWO-ENGLISH-LOCOMOTIVES-BRITISH-RAILWAYS-1950s-/182541825846?hash=item2a80573736:g:kI0AAOSwIWVY~NET

 

I'd not seen the Single before. Could be an interesting buy for a heritage collector.

 

Tony

[Il Grifone]

Whilst on the subject.....

 

I was looking for a Gaiety N2 and came across this:

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MORESTONE-BUDGIE-LOT-OF-TWO-ENGLISH-LOCOMOTIVES-BRITISH-RAILWAYS-1950s-/182541825846?hash=item2a80573736:g:kI0AAOSwIWVY~NET

 

I'd not seen the Single before. Could be an interesting buy for a heritage collector.

 

Tony

 

The Stirling Single I have not seen before. It appears to share the rather crude lines of the Budgie 3F. It's an interesting item but I don't think it's Morestone/Budgie. There's no mention on the erudite site I linked to. (There's lots on the 3F - apparently the green ones are the first issue from Morestone and H. Seener Ltd. made the ones with labels for Budgie.)

 

There are lots of models I never knew existed. (Must not collect! Must not collect! Must not collect!....)

Edited May 1, 2017 by Il Grifone

[Prometheus]

Must not collect! Must not collect! Must not collect!....

 

I know, I know. I repeatedly re-learn that lesson. I bought this the other day [for £17, so not too painful] simply because the original chassis worked and it had its packaging. To be honest, it was the box wot dun it for me.

 

 

 

 

Note the brass safety valve bonnet. Might this have been an optional accessory ? I can't see it as being home-made as someone taking the trouble to turn their own replacement would surely have got the pattern right?

 

I also need at sometime to try to replace the cog at the end of the armature as it has become badly worn by the large side gear - not uncommon apparently. You can clearly see the groove and it affects running in reverse particularly.

 

Tony

Edited May 1, 2017 by Prometheus

[Il Grifone]

I know, I know. I repeatedly re-learn that lesson. I bought this the other day [for £17, so not too painful] simply because the original chassis worked and it had its packaging. To be honest, it was the box wot dun it for me.

 

 

 

 

Note the brass safety valve bonnet. Might this have been an optional accessory ? I can't see it as being home-made as someone taking the trouble to turn their own replacement would surely have got the pattern right?

 

I also need at sometime to try to replace the cog at the end of the armature as it has become badly worn by the large side gear - not uncommon apparently. You can clearly see the groove and it affects running in reverse particularly.

 

Tony

I think that must be a home brew. The first one I had (bought from a friend at school) had a replacement safety valve casing (and a Tri-ang chassis). It was quite decent, but almost anything is an improvement on Gaiety's dreadful effort - it had always put me off acquiring one. The gear problem can be cured by pulling it off the shaft and refitting the other way round as the crown gear does not mesh in the centre of the pinion. The casing from Hornby's pannier can be obtained on eBay. I committed the sin of taking a saw to one the other day. In my defense I can only say the original is horrible.

Edited May 1, 2017 by Il Grifone

[Prometheus]

The gear problem can be cured by pulling it off the shaft and refitting the other way round as the crown gear does not mesh in the centre of the pinion.  

That's a really good idea, I should have seen that.

 

'...I committed the sin of taking a saw to one the other day. In my defense I can only say the original is horrible...'.

 

It is. Truly. But it also has a certain charm. You'd better surrender your passport whilst the matter is investigated further.

 

Tony

[Il Grifone]

That's a really good idea, I should have seen that.

 

'...I committed the sin of taking a saw to one the other day. In my defense I can only say the original is horrible...'.

 

 

It is. Truly. But it also has a certain charm. You'd better surrender your passport whilst the matter is investigated further.

 

Tony

I do have a couple more untouched. This one has been painted black (not by me and I don't think by Gaiety - inside she's green) with unicycling lions. There is reputedly a black version (Hattons used to sell them IIRC), but I have never seen one. They are usually GWR green.

 

She does look a lot better with her new safety valve casing however

 

Tucked away somewwhere I have a similar casting, but made in two halves like the Morestone/Budgie 3F. Unfortunately it's suffered heat damage to one side of the bunker and is part melted. If I can find it, I'll post a picture.

David

Edited May 2, 2017 by Il Grifone