JCB 3C no.2

Yes the Puffer is typically Scottish and in the main seen in the West of Scotland but small coasters like above were seen all over UK. Here is the 'Basalt' making an unintended visit to Redcar beach!

Harbour looking really good . I don't know how hard it is to do but always thought swapping the Puffer funnel and wheelhouse position around so wheelhouse is forward of funnel like most vessels would give a much more 'any port, anywhere ' small coaster. A bit of photoshopping-

Yes when I started construction work in late 70s there was masses of big civil engineering projects going on in my area ( new steel plants and chemical plants ). RMC was THE player in ready mix concrete (probably ringed!!) and there were dozens possibly hundreds of their orange mixers around . These were nearly all Ford D Series that had replaced the previous Albion Reivers . Although there was still the odd Albion in service.

Two flickr galleries here new and old coal lorries, click on photos for more pics-

Tales of Iron Fairies , Jumbos and Pelicans The grab crane is a Taylor Jumbo Hydracrane, these were popular from the outset for coal loading with all the early ones having no slew capability which must have meant a lot of shuffling around the yard. In fact Taylor invented the rotary slew hydraulic coupling which is now used on every 360deg crane and excavator see- http://tonyonthemoon.co.uk/Coles-history-taylors-story.html and also , (note many of the cranes in photos here have grabs.) https://tractors.fandom.com/wiki/F_Taylor_%26_Sons The good old Neals Pelican was also a very popular coal loader , probably because I would imagine they were comparatively cheap as they looked liked something the local blacksmith could knock up grafted onto a Fordson Major see- https://tractom.com/wiki/Neal_Pelican_Loader Matchbox made a decent model of one of the later Taylor Jumbo cranes in 1-75 range , not sure what scale it is though.

Superb model , very nice subtle 'weathering'.

Nice , just decided to buy one myself , seems very reasonable prices on Ebay compared to an original ! ( I know originally they were a magazine promotion)

Re. The RHD and right hand entrance Danish buses -- Many pre war Bedfords in Denmark were RHD as RHD was preferred for delivery vehicles as thought easier to alight on kerb. I don't know whether this was common there in other decades but looks like it also was applied to buses where I can see the logic of close views of passengers entering / exiting,

Bedfords never popular in mixer trade , suppose they were seen as light/middle weight trucks although they did have the KM .

Nice imcdb pic of Slough Station with a collection of rather grand 1960's cars and a BR Morris FF tractor unit . https://www.imcdb.org/vehicle_1295775-Morris-FF-1960.html

You used to be able to pick up the Joy City / Automax 1.72 scale MAN F2000 trucks everywhere for buttons. They seem to have disappeared now but they still come up on Ebay . The F2000 was current 1994-2005 so would suit any of last three decades. They came with a variety of bodies and could be transformed with a bit of matt paint on wheel centres etc.

Very informative thanks , if I may quote from it - Still I suppose if you plonked an Opel on your layout most people would think its a foreign interloper

Seem to remember an article in Vintage Roadscene saying that these Opels were imported into UK just before war . (4X2 versions )

1950's Bedford and Opel both clones of the Chevrolet 'Advanced Design ' from 1947 See- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Advance_Design

The Escort Kombi was quite popular in its time in the construction game , lots of tradesmen with smalller gear like sparkys and foreman/supervisor/ engineer types loved them as really did drive just like the car. Craig

Excellent TL tipper , so often scratch builders and manufacturers get the body proportions wrong in their tipper models. Matchbox got it right with all their tippers but the newer boys often don't.

In a strange turn of fortunes Carmichael 's successful conversion of normal 109 in Land Rovers to Forward Control Fire Engines led them to making a few civilian FC Land Rovers including a 7 door Station Wagon ! Now where is my hacksaw ,Matchbox Land Rover Fire Engine and Safari Land Rover !

Problem is they were considered under powered by 1960's standards !

As Philjw pointed out the Husky model is a good 'un and playworn items are cheap as chips on ebay. I have heard varied reports about the real thing , most people say they were terribly under powered but some fire service users reckoned they were a useful machine in fire engine guise . They were quite a rare sight in real life so am curious as to why you want one ?

Looks like a tricky bank for 38 tonners

See the box art has a pick up . The similar Polski Fiat pick up was quite common in it's day . Very popular with builder types as they were cheap as chips but they did not last long !