RMweb Gold NHY 581 Posted February 15, 2021 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted February 15, 2021 13 minutes ago, JustinDean said: I noticed the other day someone asking Alan at Modelu to scan and produce some vintage motorcycles. I've previously mentioned it to Alan. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold JustinDean Posted February 15, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 15, 2021 (edited) 15 minutes ago, NHY 581 said: I've previously mentioned it to Alan. We probably need to gang up on him then ;-) Although I think his child is due to be born today so maybe give him some time! Edited February 15, 2021 by JustinDean 1 3 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrWolf Posted February 15, 2021 Share Posted February 15, 2021 15 minutes ago, JustinDean said: Correct! The old boy has currently has about 13 FBs in his garage; they’re all green apart from a red and white Fulmar Sport which he did some of the R&D on - never seen any maroon ones though. I however haven’t a clue about motorbikes but agree there’s a lack of decent model ones available to us! For years dark green was FB's trademark colour. In the mid 1950s they teamed up with James to produce several identical bikes that differed only in paint colour. Only the James bikes were ever painted maroon, which was their trademark colour. Later both companies upped their game against Italian imports with sportier bikes with more bling. 11 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold NHY 581 Posted February 15, 2021 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted February 15, 2021 3 minutes ago, MrWolf said: For years dark green was FB's trademark colour. In the mid 1950s they teamed up with James to produce several identical bikes that differed only in paint colour. Only the James bikes were ever painted maroon, which was their trademark colour. Later both companies upped their game against Italian imports with sportier bikes with more bling. And its models like that which would be useful. Numerous examples around the country used to go to and from work. I'm sure there is a viable market for these. 1 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrWolf Posted February 15, 2021 Share Posted February 15, 2021 1 hour ago, NHY 581 said: And its models like that which would be useful. Numerous examples around the country used to go to and from work. I'm sure there is a viable market for these. Quite. How often is there a discussion on how many ordinary 5 plank open wagons (or the ratio of those to other wagons) make up a typical train? It's exactly the same with road vehicles. We have seen some real progress in recent years with at least a few workaday cars, particularly for the 50s through to the 70s. But I still think that a lot of it is aimed at the "collector market". Pre 1950 cars are particularly badly served in this respect. The problem being that so many of them were still on the road up to four decades after being built, so would be appropriate (therefore economically viable to produce) for a very wide time period. I wanted a few thirties cars for my layout, but most are those which were produced for a year before WWII and two or three years afterwards. Amongst the prewar cars there is still a huge imbalance between ordinary cars and exotica. Lots of Rolls Royce, Alvis, Bentley and Jaguar. Do you know what a tiny amount of SS100 Jaguars were made? I was surprised and impressed when Oxford produced a Standard Flying 12. More Austins, Ford's, Vauxhall's and Hillmans of the 1930-55 period would be much appreciated! 5 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold jollysmart Posted February 15, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 15, 2021 2 hours ago, NHY 581 said: And its models like that which would be useful. Numerous examples around the country used to go to and from work. I'm sure there is a viable market for these. I passed my motorcycle test on a 3 speed 125 James which belonged to a friend after my 175, D14/4 bantam broke its clutch cable on the way to the test. happy days. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrWolf Posted February 15, 2021 Share Posted February 15, 2021 20 minutes ago, jollysmart said: I passed my motorcycle test on a 3 speed 125 James which belonged to a friend after my 175, D14/4 bantam broke its clutch cable on the way to the test. happy days. That sounds like a pre 1955 bike. I had a 1955 James J15 with a 150cc engine but the old tubular frame that got replaced with the pressed steel Francis-Barnett collaboration the following year. Passed my test on a nearly new Yamaha and that afternoon I went out on my 250 BSA C10, with its girder forks, drum brakes, no indicators and the gear and brake levers reversed. That might seem daft, but if you're concentrating on driving, it makes no difference. I find bikes very handy for hunting down the remains of closed railways, it's not so easy to turn a car round, find somewhere to park etc, just to take a photo of an old gate post. Or even a crossing house - which I MUST get finished! 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold jollysmart Posted February 15, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 15, 2021 It was a James Cadet 125, very slow as these old bikes all were and I doubt my friend paid as much as £10 for it. He used it for about 3 years and would have got about the same when he sold it, but he did a good few miles on it and never broke down so excellent value.. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold NHY 581 Posted February 15, 2021 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted February 15, 2021 7 minutes ago, MrWolf said: That sounds like a pre 1955 bike. I had a 1955 James J15 with a 150cc engine but the old tubular frame that got replaced with the pressed steel Francis-Barnett collaboration the following year. Passed my test on a nearly new Yamaha and that afternoon I went out on my 250 BSA C10, with its girder forks, drum brakes, no indicators and the gear and brake levers reversed. That might seem daft, but if you're concentrating on driving, it makes no difference. I find bikes very handy for hunting down the remains of closed railways, it's not so easy to turn a car round, find somewhere to park etc, just to take a photo of an old gate post. Or even a crossing house - which I MUST get finished! I am determined to get over to the Midford area on the bike. A couple of years ago, on the way back from Warminster, I came through that neck of the woods via Monkton Combe. We were in a car and I vowed to return on the bike. 3 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrWolf Posted February 15, 2021 Share Posted February 15, 2021 Over the years I have managed to walk / motorcycle quite a few old branches and cross country lines. Usually I have managed to combine this with vintage bike rallies, biker rallies, music festivals, beer festivals 40s / 50s weekends. We tend to be a bit selective nowadays, because Miss Riding Hood does NOT do camping. It's not the roughing it, she gets claustrophobic. (When the weather isn't great I am secretly relieved, done enough sleeping in hioles) She's quite happy climbing through stinging nettles and over piles of rubble to get a photograph though. I think that I have just listed about 80% of what I am missing during lockdown! I enjoy looking at the fragments of the railway network and making sense of what went where. It's really handy for model making. Especially if you are making up your own piece of railway history. 3 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold phil_sutters Posted February 15, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 15, 2021 (edited) 5 hours ago, MrWolf said: Agreed, there's a real shortage of 4mm motorcycles and most seem to be rather crude and generic white metal lumps dating back forty years or more. There's Oxfords AA combination iirc, which should be a BSA M20 I think, good for 1938-55. But that's about it. The Francis-Barnett looks like a 150cc Falcon, in the new swing arm frame for 1956, developed in partnership with James of Greet, Birmingham. Their 150cc machine was called the Cadet and painted in their traditional maroon finish. Although I have yet to make my pair up, I have bought a couple of 1/76th WW1 Clyno motorcycles from this wargames company. http://www.wdmodels.com/www.mrsite.co.uk/usersitesv18/62996.mrsite.com/wwwroot/USERIMAGES/IMG_4877(1).jpg My great uncle was, after frostbite at Gallipoli and a stint in the Imperial Camel Corps, a RFC despatch rider at British HQ near Cairo. His sister had a Douglas and then a Harley. Mind you great-grandpa started it all with this Edited February 15, 2021 by phil_sutters 17 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrWolf Posted February 16, 2021 Share Posted February 16, 2021 That's a wonderful selection of flat tankers. Always fancied something that early. I have repaired / restored / ridden quite a few over the years, but the closest I have owned was a coffin tank Francis-Barnett. A friend had a 1914 Yale 1000cc V twin and a "Baby" Triumph. At least the Yale had a clutch of sorts. My grandfather had all kinds of oddball bikes, I wish he'd kept a few! I'll have a look at those Clynos, probably build a couple just because! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Gilbert Posted February 16, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 16, 2021 11 hours ago, NHY 581 said: I am determined to get over to the Midford area on the bike. A couple of years ago, on the way back from Warminster, I came through that neck of the woods via Monkton Combe. We were in a car and I vowed to return on the bike. Well worth the effort - and don't forget Tucking Mill. 10 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bgman Posted February 16, 2021 Share Posted February 16, 2021 Seems I not gonna get a look in with my "bike" ! 6 3 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Mick Bonwick Posted February 16, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 16, 2021 16 minutes ago, bgman said: Seems I not gonna get a look in with my "bike" ! Nice backscene! 2 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bgman Posted February 16, 2021 Share Posted February 16, 2021 28 minutes ago, Mick Bonwick said: Nice backscene! All done using Robs weathering techniques ! Leon Ardo 1 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonB Posted February 16, 2021 Share Posted February 16, 2021 Can't offer a photo, but a classmate at grammar school arrived riding his father's Brough Superior ... a real monster of a bike, although he looked ok on it being about 6ft 5inches tall and 17 stone heavy. by far the biggest pupil in the school, in much demand by the Rugby team for second row scrum duty. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Captain Kernow Posted February 16, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 16, 2021 12 hours ago, NHY 581 said: I am determined to get over to the Midford area on the bike I don't think that you would be allowed to ride a powered vehicle through the two tunnels, though, although it would undoubtedly be rather exciting! 3 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrWolf Posted February 16, 2021 Share Posted February 16, 2021 49 minutes ago, bgman said: Seems I not gonna get a look in with my "bike" ! At least yours didn't sneak into the house! 2 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrWolf Posted February 16, 2021 Share Posted February 16, 2021 5 minutes ago, Captain Kernow said: I don't think that you would be allowed to ride a powered vehicle through the two tunnels, though, although it would undoubtedly be rather exciting! Motorbike + Tunnel = Instant hooligan. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Captain Kernow Posted February 16, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 16, 2021 3 minutes ago, MrWolf said: Motorbike + Tunnel = Instant hooligan. Just add water and mix? 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrWolf Posted February 16, 2021 Share Posted February 16, 2021 3 minutes ago, Captain Kernow said: Just add water and mix? Just add the nut holding the handlebars. 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted February 16, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 16, 2021 4 minutes ago, Captain Kernow said: Just add water and mix? Plenty of wet tunnels in the railway age. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Mick Bonwick Posted February 16, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 16, 2021 Oooh err, Missus. 1 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold NHY 581 Posted February 16, 2021 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted February 16, 2021 2 hours ago, MrWolf said: Motorbike + Tunnel = Instant hooligan. Indeed, with the obligatory change down immediately prior to spirited acceleration being undertaken. Or to put it another way......giving it the beans.... Rob. 3 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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