Minic Motorway

[jbilton]

Very cool! I like it, but how would you 'set a route' at the junctions?

Ali

Hi Ali
Its difficult to see but they have small brass blades.... like on railway points .... they're isolating as well.
Fantastic engineering for the day.
Controllers also do reverse.

Cheers
Jon

[spartacus]

Don't know if anyone's seen it, but in the British Transport Films collection there's a film from 1961 called 'Modelling for the Future', which is basically a working model of a channel tunnel terminal, which as well as moving trains has what looks like this system for getting the cars onto low loaders, heading through the tunnel, coming back and driving off again. Really is fantastic to watch!

[jbilton]

Hi

Success of the weekend was getting this Porche going.
I really thought it was dead to start with .... I love it when a motor starts to turn for the first time in 35 years.
Its the smallest chassis and I'm pleased I was able to make the brush springs from some wire for it





Also managed to get the Humber going ... but not so well


Cheers
Jon

[jbilton]

Hi

Now have it set up on a board
Managed to obtain a few others of my favourites.
Also have added a little bit of Railway.























I love the Old Bedford Coach





And the Tow Truck





I can't afford a mint Car Transporter.... but this is OK







I think the Fire Engines are superb











Cheers
Jon

[douglee]

Hi Jon,
As usual a great collection Jon.

I notice you have no Rail in Road sections. Are they hard to find?

Good luck
Doug

[jbilton]

Hi Jon,
As usual a great collection Jon.

I notice you have no Rail in Road sections. Are they hard to find?

Good luck
Doug

Hi Doug

Thanks.
Yes they are in demand... so fetch a premium price.
What I've done is looped back behind the Goods shed.... so I can put in 2 straights, which I'll cut in the track.
The other expensive bits are the Road/Rail wagons and Lorry ..... so I have nothing to run on it
Maybe if I win the lottery ...

Cheers
Jon

[douglee]

Hi Jon,
AH! I wondered, as you have most of everything else. No Green RM (BUS) though.
I started in a small way with Triang Minic Motorways but it really was pocket money purchaces. So you can guess how far I got.

Good luck
Doug

[jbilton]

Hi Doug
I know what you mean..... it was quite expensive to most people.
I think that is why it never really took off.
However it would have been worth buying the Car Transporter at 25 shillings..... they go for around £250 now.

I would love a Greenline Bus .... but they are rare too.

Cheers
Jon

[rufuskins]

Jon

Talk about "Nostalgia rules OK"! My only concern is where will this retro mood take you?

Alec

PS If only I had hung onto my clockwork railway set!

[jbilton]

Hi Alec
Your right.... I've regressed into my Childhood ... happier times.

"Flickering through pages of a bye gone age
looking through the pictures, memories I have saved
childhood reflections ,drifting through time
words of remembrance,in this world of mine.

Stones that skimmed rivers, newts and tadpoles caught
dreams and wonders,that could not be bought
swift dogs and carriages,trains that bellowed steam
twisting trails of countryside, scenic views serene

Trees that I climbed once,many years ago
summers were long then, winters freezing snow
All of these precious memories
can never o'er be bought. "

Cheers
Jon

[rufuskins]

Sighs . . . as I drift back to those long gone days. But as SWMBO would say

Yesterday has gone!

Tomorrow never comes!

We can only live for today!

Alec

PS Please arrange for this thread to be back on topic!

[michaelhendle]

Hi,

Just had a look at to days equivalent car system,the Faler HO one, and the basic start set is £75.00,cheapest car £ 86.00 and the cheapest coach is also £86.00,mind you another coach was £ 103.00
I wonder what the 1960's price would be to day bearing in mind when I started work at 15 in 1964 I got £ 4.10s (£ 4.50p) per week

[jbilton]

Hi Michael

Its an interesting question.
The Coach in 1960 was 25 Shillings.
So that was about a quarter of a weeks wage ? ..... so £86 / £103 is a bit more expensive I suppose

Cheers
Jon

[rufuskins]

A quick check on line suggests that 25 shillings in 1960 is £21.39 today!

Alec

[jbilton]

A quick check on line suggests that 25 shillings in 1960 is £21.39 today!

Alec

Hi Alec
That does seem widely inaccurate. .... is it based on the Governments Office of Statistics....
I looked at their Petrol prices ..... and they suggest that £5.60 a gallon is a bargin...

I want to meet this Mr Average who earns £600 a week and lives in a £375,000 house....

Mind you the Faller Coach is subject to 20% VAT ..... imagine going back to someone in 1960 and trying to explain that.... an extra 1/5th in Purchase Tax.

Cheers
Jon