EBay madness

[TinTracks]

1 hour ago, Paul H Vigor said:

How about this one!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/305280942879?hash=item471429831f:g:Og8AAOSwasRlYfw9

Is it by any chance the GBL version? (Great British Lunacy)

  Regards, Rich

[Hacksworth_Sidings]

1 hour ago, Paul H Vigor said:

How about this one!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/305280942879?hash=item471429831f:g:Og8AAOSwasRlYfw9

Triang Rocket by any chance? Certainly looks it, but with any luck it’ll be one of those cheap magazine locos which happened to take measurements from the Triang model.

[Paleopotato09]

2 hours ago, Hacksworth_Sidings said:

And it’s a Rosebud by the looks of things! Would’ve been worth far more if he just left it alone!

 

Edit: I’m personally a bit mixed on Halden, on one hand he finds a decent use for those static loco models that were in every magazine store in the 2010s, you all know the ones I’m on about, on the other hand, as you said, he butchers perfectly useable locos.

 

Won’t lie, I’m honestly tempted to buy one of the Triang locos he’s done up, slap a motor into it and see if I can make it run, just for a giggle.

 

2 hours ago, Hacksworth_Sidings said:

And it’s a Rosebud by the looks of things! Would’ve been worth far more if he just left it alone!

 

Edit: I’m personally a bit mixed on Halden, on one hand he finds a decent use for those static loco models that were in every magazine store in the 2010s, you all know the ones I’m on about, on the other hand, as you said, he butchers perfectly useable locos.

 

Won’t lie, I’m honestly tempted to buy one of the Triang locos he’s done up, slap a motor into it and see if I can make it run, just for a giggle.

I just tend to call them kit bashing fodder. They might have various useful bits for a cheap enough price even if they have no working chassis.

[PhilJ W]

3 hours ago, MrWolf said:

Austin did sell cars into America, certainly the Devon, Dorset and Atlantic models in the late 40s, but I think that the deal with Nash-Kelvinator in the mid fifties to sell the Metropolitan in the USA and over here would be a conflict of interests, I'd have to do a bit of digging to see if the A30/A35 van was exported stateside.

 

I can tell you from first hand knowledge that they actually rust like this:

 

 

Flickr 

 

The Metropolitan (it was never sold/badged as an Austin) was produced by Austin on behalf of Hudson/Nash to their design specifically for the US market. The greasy bits were pure Austin for economy. It sold pretty well initially but as sales (in the US) dropped off it was agreed that Austin could market the surplus. The smallest passenger car that Austin sold in the USA was the A40 but the A30/35 was sold in Canada.

Edited November 26, 2023 by PhilJ W

[MrWolf]

57 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

The Metropolitan (it was never sold/badged as an Austin) was produced by Austin on behalf of Hudson/Nash to their design specifically for the US market. The greasy bits were pure Austin for economy. It sold pretty well initially but as sales (in the US) dropped off it was agreed that Austin could market the surplus. The smallest passenger car that Austin sold in the USA was the A40 but the A30/35 was sold in Canada.

 

I didn't think that anything smaller than the Dorset/ Devon A40 was sold in the US, but didn't know for certain. The two door Dorset is a very rare car in the UK, but still has a big following in the US as something that could take on the likes of the 1941 Willys gassers.

 

http://www.austinworks.com/gas-west.html

[kevinlms]

10 hours ago, Sjcm said:

Interesting. Have to admit I thought there was more to PAT testing than a visual inspection so pretty useless for a controller on ebay.

Absolutely the device needs to pass a high voltage test on the mains cord etc - unless it's double insulated and or sealed, like a plug pack.

There are other tests too, like an extension lead or power board, needs the Earth wire to test less than 2 Ohms, end to end. I've rejected power boards, where the Earth on one socket was high resistance. Probably bent contact pins inside (but could be corroded), but once they fail that's it - not worth fixing, just replace. Extension leads MUST be correctly wired end for end - an all to common fault is active/neutral reversed, which means if a switch is included somewhere, it ain't actually OFF!

A friend of mine found that for a while, a number of IEC cords (like you find on computers) were reversed - a factory error, since they were moulded like that! He wasn't impressed. Failure rate about 1%.

[The Johnster]

7 hours ago, John M Upton said:

and amongst the horrors is this sad specimen:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/305265332507

 

 

I'd say the scrapyard existence of the sad specimen is a lot more anomalous than it's accompanying A35; the NYC ensured all of it's steam locomotives were destroyed as a result of being under the control of a very anti-steam pro-diesel general manager.

[Hroth]

2 hours ago, Hacksworth_Sidings said:

Triang Rocket by any chance? Certainly looks it, but with any luck it’ll be one of those cheap magazine locos which happened to take measurements from the Triang model.

 

Definitely the GBL offering, the coach came with it.

 

[Hacksworth_Sidings]

4 hours ago, Hroth said:

 

Definitely the GBL offering, the coach came with it.

 

That always baffled me, I’ve seen a few of those models that take measurements from the 5-to-7 decade old Triang locos, pretty sure the Britannia they made did such, even though I’m certain there were newer-tooled Britannias on the market by that point.

[Hroth]

5 hours ago, Hacksworth_Sidings said:

That always baffled me, I’ve seen a few of those models that take measurements from the 5-to-7 decade old Triang locos, pretty sure the Britannia they made did such, even though I’m certain there were newer-tooled Britannias on the market by that point.

 

I don't know what the IP rights situation regarding the copying of various models was.  I suppose any licencing fees were less for an early 1960s Britannia "replica", and similar relics, than for a recent tooling.

 

Or that the IP holders wouldn't go after them if they just blatantly copied a very old model without permission, though that would be a risky strategy!

 

Edited November 27, 2023 by Hroth
A slight spelin problemette, and euphonity...

[PhilJ W]

11 hours ago, MrWolf said:

 

I didn't think that anything smaller than the Dorset/ Devon A40 was sold in the US, but didn't know for certain. The two door Dorset is a very rare car in the UK, but still has a big following in the US as something that could take on the likes of the 1941 Willys gassers.

 

http://www.austinworks.com/gas-west.html

I meant the Dorset/Devon A40 when I said that the A40 was the smallest* Austin sold in the USA. Incidentally the Americans preferred small cars like the A40 to have only two doors hence the introduction of the Dorset of only a few were sold in the UK, there's only seven known RH drive Dorsets in existence. *Thats not counting the Austin-Healey Sprite.

[Dunsignalling]

13 hours ago, MrWolf said:

 

I didn't think that anything smaller than the Dorset/ Devon A40 was sold in the US, but didn't know for certain. The two door Dorset is a very rare car in the UK, but still has a big following in the US as something that could take on the likes of the 1941 Willys gassers.

 

http://www.austinworks.com/gas-west.html

I think the Dorset was primarily aimed at the Australian market, with assembly taking place over there.

 

Which direction did US imports come from, I wonder?

 

Edited November 27, 2023 by Dunsignalling

[MrWolf]

6 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

I meant the Dorset/Devon A40 when I said that the A40 was the smallest* Austin sold in the USA. Incidentally the Americans preferred small cars like the A40 to have only two doors hence the introduction of the Dorset of only a few were sold in the UK, there's only seven known RH drive Dorsets in existence. *Thats not counting the Austin-Healey Sprite.

 

I realised that was the model you were talking about, I've no idea if any of the Farina series were sold stateside, although there was a two door, short boot Cambridge in the range for 1955. I think that the A40 Jensen Sports was sold there too. I expect the Dorset was in competition with US oddities like the Crossley? 

The Sprite was a big export winner with those who couldn't afford or didn't want a big Healey, most of those seem to have been exported too.

I could listen to your car knowledge all day, my main interest has been in GM products and Standard - Triumph, so I'd definitely learn much from you. I think that we'd better get back to overpriced rubbish, silly erroneous descriptions and the downright ridiculous though!

[PhilJ W]

1 hour ago, Dunsignalling said:

I think the Dorset was primarily aimed at the Australian market, with assembly taking place over there.

 

Which direction did US imports come from, I wonder?

 

The Dorset was also the basis of an Australian built A40 convertible. Some, possibly all were shipped from Trafford Park via the Manchester Ship Canal. I have a booklet on Trafford Park with photographs of the cars on the dockside waiting to be loaded

 

[Hroth]

I had a 2 door Devon/Dorset A40....

 

Well actually it was a light blue J40 pedal car with a definitely 2 door body.  I got it for Christmas one year and it was the first new car my father had bought.  It also cost more than his current real car....

 

They were very heavy to pedal!

 

When we sold it, it was like all British cars of its era, rusting steadily...

 

[MrWolf]

35 minutes ago, Hroth said:

I had a 2 door Devon/Dorset A40....

 

Well actually it was a light blue J40 pedal car with a definitely 2 door body.  I got it for Christmas one year and it was the first new car my father had bought.  It also cost more than his current real car....

 

They were very heavy to pedal!

 

When we sold it, it was like all British cars of its era, rusting steadily...

 

 

Pity you don't still have it, it would buy you an awful lot of trains.

[longchap]

Is it my eyesight or lack of prototype knowledge, but are the upper cream panels and above door ventilators way too high?

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/186182970473?hash=item2b595eac69:g:I0gAAOSwWJZlY7bi&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA4OBFwwFPrz12b2IhZRYJc%2F0iAO419ZI82eytgz%2Fp5vbD8LRg%2Brk85PYyw5FGEY6B4SdkimAuMzZnvX3Epl%2F79dJPzFBNr%2BJ0sjO48WijCGmDAhGByz5QVgGHdU5OFvT497KGrCX2SdT%2BIsj%2FICJNqzKwcFbegsEz2mJDD8tgcwSlmDXMB4Ei5p7O9%2FYz8WEYOFnH12jCt38kOptGumDZoPl3KciCUMkl60tVmIA7hemJu1zxlPAqB4sZPqjmBTS2ZDNQ87rk3Bo0QQvevrIMVJhxxuC3cOaHk6nzMPMv9AE4|tkp%3ABk9SR6S475mCYw

 

 

[PhilJ W]

2 hours ago, Hroth said:

I had a 2 door Devon/Dorset A40....

 

Well actually it was a light blue J40 pedal car with a definitely 2 door body.  I got it for Christmas one year and it was the first new car my father had bought.  It also cost more than his current real car....

 

They were very heavy to pedal!

 

When we sold it, it was like all British cars of its era, rusting steadily...

 

Have you seen the price of them now?

[Hroth]

1 minute ago, PhilJ W said:

Have you seen the price of them now?

 

No....  😕

 

[PhilJ W]

59 minutes ago, longchap said:

Is it my eyesight or lack of prototype knowledge, but are the upper cream panels and above door ventilators way too high?

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/186182970473?hash=item2b595eac69:g:I0gAAOSwWJZlY7bi&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA4OBFwwFPrz12b2IhZRYJc%2F0iAO419ZI82eytgz%2Fp5vbD8LRg%2Brk85PYyw5FGEY6B4SdkimAuMzZnvX3Epl%2F79dJPzFBNr%2BJ0sjO48WijCGmDAhGByz5QVgGHdU5OFvT497KGrCX2SdT%2BIsj%2FICJNqzKwcFbegsEz2mJDD8tgcwSlmDXMB4Ei5p7O9%2FYz8WEYOFnH12jCt38kOptGumDZoPl3KciCUMkl60tVmIA7hemJu1zxlPAqB4sZPqjmBTS2ZDNQ87rk3Bo0QQvevrIMVJhxxuC3cOaHk6nzMPMv9AE4|tkp%3ABk9SR6S475mCYw

 

 

Some of the old broad gauge stock had that kind of panelling some of which was rebuilt to standard gauge.

[Paul H Vigor]

1 hour ago, longchap said:

Is it my eyesight or lack of prototype knowledge, but are the upper cream panels and above door ventilators way too high?

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/186182970473?hash=item2b595eac69:g:I0gAAOSwWJZlY7bi&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA4OBFwwFPrz12b2IhZRYJc%2F0iAO419ZI82eytgz%2Fp5vbD8LRg%2Brk85PYyw5FGEY6B4SdkimAuMzZnvX3Epl%2F79dJPzFBNr%2BJ0sjO48WijCGmDAhGByz5QVgGHdU5OFvT497KGrCX2SdT%2BIsj%2FICJNqzKwcFbegsEz2mJDD8tgcwSlmDXMB4Ei5p7O9%2FYz8WEYOFnH12jCt38kOptGumDZoPl3KciCUMkl60tVmIA7hemJu1zxlPAqB4sZPqjmBTS2ZDNQ87rk3Bo0QQvevrIMVJhxxuC3cOaHk6nzMPMv9AE4|tkp%3ABk9SR6S475mCYw

 

 

Now you mention it, yes it does look a bit odd?

[PhilJ W]

5 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

Have you seen the price of them now?

 

2 minutes ago, Hroth said:

 

No....  😕

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/176027797147

[Paul H Vigor]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/335138201996?hash=item4e07cb218c:g:X64AAOSwWollYQmJ&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA0J5GcZKT8boX%2Fq8DT7QZlWnd6jB0Ogq5K70NweN5mnVFPvT%2Bi4xlMUZkr8I6Fj65Vw0SwPAIrsJdlKA3os6nE0qai3Zt4VFm7vV%2BBUXsB6Ta5KB2UycqOpThg9X9OJKUpKq10L1%2BFm%2B0DhbGKP3zXhmnU%2F2W3Kd4QeCQYICDzsHDO4t%2F8cmoNmsG9fGhmRSf%2BdYChTckI2WSUcgWzOiFeCyn3zTZu3ByccYFlYlWsdh7NN1nB%2FgQkZeRi51rTgJlMZl10blinSex3Tw9S0zJDoU%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR8rD9KGCYw

 

"A rare model that needs fettling by an experienced modeller. It looks to be well made and painted."

 

"Fettling" - now, there's a classic, catch-all word! 

[MrWolf]

32 minutes ago, Paul H Vigor said:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/335138201996?hash=item4e07cb218c:g:X64AAOSwWollYQmJ&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA0J5GcZKT8boX%2Fq8DT7QZlWnd6jB0Ogq5K70NweN5mnVFPvT%2Bi4xlMUZkr8I6Fj65Vw0SwPAIrsJdlKA3os6nE0qai3Zt4VFm7vV%2BBUXsB6Ta5KB2UycqOpThg9X9OJKUpKq10L1%2BFm%2B0DhbGKP3zXhmnU%2F2W3Kd4QeCQYICDzsHDO4t%2F8cmoNmsG9fGhmRSf%2BdYChTckI2WSUcgWzOiFeCyn3zTZu3ByccYFlYlWsdh7NN1nB%2FgQkZeRi51rTgJlMZl10blinSex3Tw9S0zJDoU%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR8rD9KGCYw

 

"A rare model that needs fettling by an experienced modeller. It looks to be well made and painted."

 

"Fettling" - now, there's a classic, catch-all word! 

 

The problem with kit built locos is that many have spent their entire life on a shelf. Perhaps that is why they don't work and need "fettling", or perhaps they never worked due to a construction fault, which is why they have spent their entire life on a shelf.

I certainly wouldn't risk £300 on it.

[MrWolf]

2 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/176027797147

 

When I was about twelve my friend and I spotted a battered example of a J40 in a builder's yard near where we lived, they were becoming collectable even in the eighties.

 

We were interested in old vehicles already, so found the yard the yard owner and asked if we could have it.

 

Answer: No. **** off.

 

Next time I saw it, it was crushed flat under a pile of rubble.

 

We should have just pinched it and said nothing. 😕