Jump to content
 

Recommended Posts

  • RMweb Gold
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. 

  • Like 3
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold
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 by JustinDean
  • Like 1
  • Agree 3
  • Friendly/supportive 3
Link to post
Share on other sites

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.

 

4e5d857beb919c08452e83290ee7e6f1.jpg.4ad374fe39a588db277e67a466a3d964.jpg

  • Like 11
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold
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.

 

4e5d857beb919c08452e83290ee7e6f1.jpg.4ad374fe39a588db277e67a466a3d964.jpg

 

 

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. 

  • Like 1
  • Agree 3
Link to post
Share on other sites

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! 

  • Like 5
  • Informative/Useful 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold
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.

  • Like 4
Link to post
Share on other sites

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!

  • Like 6
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

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..

  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold
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. 

 

 

  • Like 3
  • Friendly/supportive 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

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.

  • Like 3
  • Friendly/supportive 3
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold
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.

Percy Pritchard on a motorcycle combination WW1.jpg

His sister had a Douglas and then a Harley.

Elsie, Marjory, Phyllis & Muriel c1922 front view.jpg

Marjory Phyllis & mother on Douglas motorcycle c1925.jpg

Mind you great-grandpa started it all with this

Walter with Lizzie posing with their new bike c 1903.jpg

Edited by phil_sutters
  • Like 17
  • Round of applause 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

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!

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold
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.

50762445032_f04e2c75d0_z.jpg

50761604968_8118ea271d_z.jpg

  • Like 10
  • Agree 2
  • Thanks 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

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.

  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold
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!

 

  • Agree 3
  • Friendly/supportive 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

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.

  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold
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. 

  • Like 3
  • Agree 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...