Model Bubble Cars, Scammell Scarab and other fun

[marcus]

In the 1920s and 1930s my Dad and his 3 brothers built up a fine collection of Hornby clockwork tinplate trains, track, stations, signals etc but it was all thrown out in the 1970s after his Mum dies and her house was cleared.

But 2 week ends ago I found that one Loco HAD survived in a box. It was missing pistons and connecting rods so I made new ones and gave it a good service, then I bought an almost perfectly matching Tender, then a Brake Van (1928) exactly like the one in the old collection off eBay for about £12, then Goggo of this parish kindly gave me some track. I soaked the track in 3 in 1 oil for 3 days then wire brushed it, then set it up for these clips. The first shot is slowed down a bit. Sit back and enjoy a Magical Mystery Tour through my workshop and some of my creations, riding on The Captain Bubble Light Railway on the Train Cam Wagon I made for it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbpvrpmI_AU&feature=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2ZwLhYDDSQ&feature=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idCnJ0hDORw

[Barry]

And in the late 1960's I bought one of these big clockwork train sets from the Scouts jumble sale. Two bob it cost me. (£0.10 in today's money)
A lovely black engine with red detail, I remember some rods sticking out the back to reverse the drive direction and probably one to engage drive?
Loads of track with pressed steel sleepers and several carriages.
It was duly set-up in the back garden and worked really well.
Then the fun started - I am not proud of this next stage.
My brother and I took aim with his Rellum tornado twin spring under-leaver air rifle and proceeded to re-enact a train escape during WWII.
From a great distance the train and carriages managed to survive the onslaught taking many direct hits to the carriages but after a few .22 pellets in the clockwork motor the train died and was scrapped along with the track.
Two bob well spent.  I wonder what the train and track would be worth now?

I suppose it was back to lighting bangers in Airfix model aircraft after that I think I have some std 8 movie film of various Spitfires meeting their end somewhere.

[marcus]

Well the locos now fetch about £50 for basic ones, up to £100 for reasonable ones like mine, and £300 for fancy ones. Coaches, wagons and track still fairly cheap. Horrifying what we all do when young!

[Big Al]

Bob Parry has a fantastic collection and layout of this stuff. He bought all my pre war stuff, including a very good double rail engine shed, for enough to enable me to buy a Messerschmitt I collected from Telford and still own. The post war stuff I sold to Prewitt, a trader, including one of those black and red tank engines.

Much of my stuff came from a huge set in the cellar of the bankrupted New House, Southmoor, which was then sold and bashed to merry hell by two politicians. Sounds about right but at least I got the good stuff away. One of my first 'house clearances' at about age 14, I guess. Encouraged by my Uncle Cliff at the displeasure of my folks. As usual Unc was correct and I got great use and an earner out of my initiative to get in before the rest. Cannot remember what I paid but it would not have been more than £50.

I still have a Bing? Binks? three rail sub OO set I kept back somewhere. Very collectable now. Also a Bassett Lowke red KIng George the V triple rail with spare mech and a set of rails. Probably do not need either.

[marcus]

Those Basset-Lowke models are beautiful, look after it! One of the locos in my Dad's and Uncles' train collection was all unpainted brass and steam powered, however it was incomplete by the time I first saw it, wheels and connecting rods missing, but would have been restorable.

I think it would be very sensible for me to acquire more track, about twice what I currently have, and do another take of a journey around my whole workshop, taking in all my timpani, the BIG drum kit, and my lathe, bandsaw, pillar drill etc., but of course with toys and curios beside the track.

[Jonathan Poll]

I thought it was a Bandai TG500 at first, but then I remembered you made it out of tinplate!

I just finished my schmitt model, photos attached.

By the way, your floor looks as messy as my bedroom!

JP

EDIT: Its annoying that the paint is reacting with the metal for the boot... I didnt remove the rust lol. Gives it patina

[Big Al]

Those Basset-Lowke models are beautiful, look after it! One of the locos in my Dad's and Uncles' train collection was all unpainted brass and steam powered, however it was incomplete by the time I first saw it, wheels and connecting rods missing, but would have been restorable.

I think it would be very sensible for me to acquire more track, about twice what I currently have, and do another take of a journey around my whole workshop, taking in all my timpani, the BIG drum kit, and my lathe, bandsaw, pillar drill etc., but of course with toys and curios beside the track.

Track is normally cheap so that should be a possibility.

The Basset-Lowke is not in its best condition unfortunately. I suspect about £100 rather than the good prices they can fetch as condition is everything with this stuff. Indeed a buyer might be a collector/trader who would use the good bits to create another minter out of some iffy examples.

I also have a brass steamer and two brass 'piddlers' from an earlier age. These rather basic brass steam engines tend to be fired by meths soaked rockwool in a shaped container and free ran on the Victorian floor. As the steam was only passed through a simple piston it condenses and leaves a trail of drips, hence 'Piddler'. One is a classic version designed to go in a circle by having slightly differing size wheels. All rather dangerous with meths burner going under flammable curtains and chairs.

The brass loco is probably the most collectable thing of the lot and is very well made though requires restoration work. I kid myself I will do it one day as I will my Mamod based steam powered workshop and ski lift. I made this set up with my Grandfather and it used to run to a huge tree some 100 foot down the garden strung by a pulley under a long copper Ariel he had for his radio activities. The pulley meant it was simple to demount the attached gondolier assembly when not in use. No doubt all these toys would be banned as dangerous etc now. Used to stink the place out and smut up the bedroom but because Grandad was involved that was OK. The workshop has a band saw, drill and so on. All collectable but worth little as it is all hard used so no point in selling. We have had several BUMS steaming Momods days and I have got part of the thing working.

It would be an option to move a place where I have enough garden to have a proper garden steam layout instead of some classic cars I will never drive. So many interests how do folk become bored?

[marcus]

I too have a Mamod TE 1 Traction Engine which an Aunt and Uncle gave me in about 1965. It still works perfectly. My Nephew bought one of the much fancier German ones and challenged my Little Piddler to a race. All money was on the German one, but mine was twice as fast, YAY! Mamods ARE still made, and with a bigger range. I do plan another more spectacular Train Cam video, and TE 1 will certainly be by the track, as well as my large scal Fokker DR1 Tripe model.

[Barry]

I had to save and save and save to buy my Mamod Steam Roller (I couldn't afford the traction engine version).  Must have been just after 1969 (decimalisation) because I still remember the vast sum of £5.50 changing hands.
Had many hours of steaming fun and water everywhere.  Given to my younger brother at some time and probably long gone.
For my 50th birthday I got a new one just the same - well not quite, gone is the lovely meths burner in favour of safer fuel tablets.  It was a little bit more than £5.50!

[marcus]

I was taken to Hamleys to get mine. They tried SO hard to persuade me to get the cheaper Steam Roller. I loved Steam Rollers and ordinarily would have bitten off my own head to have one, but the Traction Engine had that extra feature which made ALL the difference. It had a roof! The horse trading took a long time, and I felt I was starting to loose the fight, but at the last minute the deal was finally done. No Birthday or Christmas presents for 5 years.

I would have accepted 50 years!

[Rob Dobie]

Here's a picture of some of the collection of Mamods I bought in 1976-7 when I had my microcar collection. Got rid of the engines in 2005 when I started collecting piggy banks, bells, teddy bears and books. Now slowly giving all of these away to bring some sanity back to my home.  Trying to find all of my photos and negatives of the microcars and other vehicles I owned in the 60s to 80s to put on ebay sometime.   

[marcus]

Great collection Rob!