BC's Other Britain's

[BC]

Well I purchased a couple of older Britains which was eluding my collection at Lanark last weekend. I already have both of them but different coloured models this time.

No 9533 A Green roller in a Straw box

No 9555 Animal trailer green and yellow in a Rainbow box

[MPR Models]

Wow mate :o What a collection you have,fantastic :)

[texas]

Great collection you have there with some rare items.

Texas

[BC]

Thanks chaps... I really do prefer the older Britain's model especially the straw box ones so that is the ones I'm planning to add to my collection... must be boxed offcourse ;D

[CMB]

BC: Was that green roller with the segments supplanted by the red one-piece type you posted earlier, and do you know when (because both are in straw boxes)?

The green type must be ancient because I've seen it in the 1st big farm set with the E27N Fordsons (134F from 1950)

[BC]

CMB...too good a question for me but I'm sure some of the Britains experts with more knowledge than me on the older ones  on here will know.

On the spreadsheet I have I have noted both as being issued in 1962 and the red and solid one ceasing in 1976. I'm not sure when the green one ceased. The earliest pocket cat I have is 1978 so I guess I got the dates out of the small Britains blue book the authors name eludes me at present I'm afraid.

[super6]

Segmented roller issued from 1950, according to my source, in various colours through the years. Deleted at the end of 1976 when replaced by the set of gang rolls, which uses a two piece casting for the rolls. I suspect that the two piece casting roller, as 9533, used up any existing stock of frames.

[CMB]

That makes sense. Thank you both

[BC]

Last weekend at the Lakeland Show in Penrith managed to add some more older Britain's to my collection.

First was this one No 4710 a Milking parlour that has never been out of it's box

I'm leaving the cows in the tissue and the accerories in the plastic bag

[BC]

Another unopened box

This time No 7160 Sheep Dip

[BC]

Although I have a Ford 5610 in my collection it is the one in the Cheveron Rainbow box and has the unglazed cab.

This one No 9527 is in a BANDED box. The cab is glazed. The driver is attached by an elastic band and the wheels are the pinned type.

The next one I bought was in a Authentic Farm Box. The cab is clazed and driver is stuck to the seat with a sticky pad. The tyres both front and rear are larger than the previous ones.

[BC]

Next a few in Cheveron rainbow boxes

9600 - Post hole digger in Green

9552 - Transplanter

9567 - Chafer sprayer in yellow

Will need to renew the cello

[BC]

The final ones

9538 - Rotary tedder

I have one in a straw box but it is red and blue

9532 - Farmhand Round Baler in green and white  in AFM box

I have this one already in a AFM box but it is a ratehr faded pink box. I also have a Red and white one in a cheveron rainbow box and a green and white one in a Banded box

9604 - Milk transporter Blue Dairy Crest in a cheveron Rainbow box. Box is a bit worn for my liking but it will do until a better one comes my way

[CMB]

Some nice purchases there. You can get early versions of the red& yellow Rotary tedder with the "Lely" decal, though I've never myself seen one.

[BC]

The other Tedder I have in my childhood collection is in a straw box

But it has a different number No 9541 and was first issued in 1971 at a cost of 35 pence ;)

[ploughmaster]

Very nice array of Britains there BC, and good to see that they can still be found in decent boxes. 

The blue/red Lely Snipe Tedder was deleted in 1981 and re-issued in red and yellow between 1989 and 1992.  Keep your eyes peeled when you see any other red and yellow ones because some were issued with a small red decal with 'Lely' in yellow in the same place as the white decal with the Lely name in red was placed on the blue and red model.  There are also distinct variations in the shade of blue on the earlier model.

Going back to the two-piece rolls, I would agree with Super 6 that these appeared on the single roll at the end of production when the Gang Rolls came out.  A similar situation exists with the single Disc Harrow (late ones have a two piece casting the same as the ones on the Tandem Disc Harrow issued in 1977).  These later single discs also had the gangs fixed and the upper part of the pivot (together with spring and pin) removed. Both the Rolls and Discs were issued in many colours and shades, and particular shades of red, green and blue were used through much of their production, which makes them difficult to date by colour.

The issue of he MF590 decal is a little more complex than simply being issued in 1977.  The model itself is certainly of a 590 (it isn't long enough in the bonnet for a 595), but it was shown in the Britains catalogue at the start of 1976, and in the shops by Easter (I remember buying one as soon as it came out), whereas the real 590 didn't become available until late summer IIRC.  My own theory is that Britains used the 595 decal to get round this anomaly as the real 595 MK1 had been available since early 1975 (perhaps MF themselves insisted on it??). 

We now know (it was discussed in another thread on FTF a year or two ago), that a batch of Britains MF's were sent to France for the launch of the 550, 565, 575 and 590 in 1976.  This batch had the 590 decal and the standard 595 box, except for having a description of the 590 (in French) on a stuck on label put over the normal box description of the 595.  Judging from the numbers of other special/promotional issues produced by Britains, there were possibly only a couple of thousand of these.

The 590 decal is also found in the normal 595 box without the French sticker (as BC's example), and to my knowledge has also been found in the large boxed set (9592), and I believe the MF & Front Loader System set (9595).  As the latter was not released until 1979, it makes the issue of the 590 decal a more open ended phenomenon (were they actually used at a specific time, or was it a case of Britains policy of using things up in operation, or did someone in the factory simply use use the 590 decals without noticing the difference? - sadly we will probably never know for sure). 

I always feel that the caption in the 1977 catalogue of "Massey Ferguson 590 Tractor" is a red herring. When I saw that in the catalogue at the time (as a tractor mad 13 year old), I wanted one, but was never able to find one in a shop, so I don't think they were issued as a general release at all.

I do know of one collector who was shown one with a 590 decal on a toy retailers stall at a county show (probably Beecrofts), and went through their entire stock and found only two more, which suggests a more intermittent (or slapdash!) use of the decal, rather than a specific issue. 

[BC]

Some nice purchases there. You can get early versions of the red& yellow Rotary tedder with the "Lely" decal, though I've never myself seen one.

Thanks CMB the 542 mile round trip to Penrith and back was enjoyable and worthwhile experience ;)

[BC]

Very nice array of Britains there BC, and good to see that they can still be found in decent boxes. 

The blue/red Lely Snipe Tedder was deleted in 1981 and re-issued in red and yellow between 1989 and 1992.  Keep your eyes peeled when you see any other red and yellow ones because some were issued with a small red decal with 'Lely' in yellow in the same place as the white decal with the Lely name in red was placed on the blue and red model.  There are also distinct variations in the shade of blue on the earlier model.

Going back to the two-piece rolls, I would agree with Super 6 that these appeared on the single roll at the end of production when the Gang Rolls came out.  A similar situation exists with the single Disc Harrow (late ones have a two piece casting the same as the ones on the Tandem Disc Harrow issued in 1977).  These later single discs also had the gangs fixed and the upper part of the pivot (together with spring and pin) removed. Both the Rolls and Discs were issued in many colours and shades, and particular shades of red, green and blue were used through much of their production, which makes them difficult to date by colour.

The issue of he MF590 decal is a little more complex than simply being issued in 1977.  The model itself is certainly of a 590 (it isn't long enough in the bonnet for a 595), but it was shown in the Britains catalogue at the start of 1976, and in the shops by Easter (I remember buying one as soon as it came out), whereas the real 590 didn't become available until late summer IIRC.  My own theory is that Britains used the 595 decal to get round this anomaly as the real 595 MK1 had been available since early 1975 (perhaps MF themselves insisted on it??). 

We now know (it was discussed in another thread on FTF a year or two ago), that a batch of Britains MF's were sent to France for the launch of the 550, 565, 575 and 590 in 1976.  This batch had the 590 decal and the standard 595 box, except for having a description of the 590 (in French) on a stuck on label put over the normal box description of the 595.  Judging from the numbers of other special/promotional issues produced by Britains, there were possibly only a couple of thousand of these.

The 590 decal is also found in the normal 595 box without the French sticker (as BC's example), and to my knowledge has also been found in the large boxed set (9592), and I believe the MF & Front Loader System set (9595).  As the latter was not released until 1979, it makes the issue of the 590 decal a more open ended phenomenon (were they actually used at a specific time, or was it a case of Britains policy of using things up in operation, or did someone in the factory simply use use the 590 decals without noticing the difference? - sadly we will probably never know for sure). 

I always feel that the caption in the 1977 catalogue of "Massey Ferguson 590 Tractor" is a red herring. When I saw that in the catalogue at the time (as a tractor mad 13 year old), I wanted one, but was never able to find one in a shop, so I don't think they were issued as a general release at all.

I do know of one collector who was shown one with a 590 decal on a toy retailers stall at a county show (probably Beecrofts), and went through their entire stock and found only two more, which suggests a more intermittent (or slapdash!) use of the decal, rather than a specific issue.

Thanks ploughmaster  I was very happy with the ten model's I purchased with perhaps the exception of the box of the Blue Dairy Crest milk tanker however it was not expensive and I may well be able to pick up a better one in the future since I really do try and get as mint in box as I can.

Thanks for the information on the badged Lely I will keep my eyes peeled out for one like that in the future.

On the MF 590 / 595 I suppose we could speak about this one until the cow's come home ( not into my parlour though that one remains boxed  ;) ). A chap from Newmachar actually bought an unboxed 590 at Penrith too and various discussion's were being had on the subject of why the 590 had such a short life ;D

[The Tractor Twitcher]

Some very nice older Britains purchases you have there Bill, a few of those bring memories of my own carpet farming operation in days gone by, particularly the two versions of the 5610. Remember having the blue Milk Tanker and also vaguely remember taking mine apart and blue tacking the  tank to an old Siku trailer to create a make-shift a fuel bowser. 

[BC]

Thank's David I was well pleased with my Lakeland purchases despite missing a Britain's Gray's of Fetterangus Aberdeenshire buckrake which must have been sold before the official 10 am trading start time >

I was fortunate to be in before 10 am and managed to see what I wanted to purchase but did not offer to buy until the official 10 am start time.

[ratholderen]

8)  nice collection , love to see older items in the original box. The rubber band on mine muck spreader has gone

[BC]

Thanks Erik I must admit I do prefer the older Britain's and they are of no interest to me if not boxed.

[Lord Ferguson]

Lovely collection Bill... it's great to see so many rare items all mint in box..

Now then.... On the subjct of the 590... Ertl also made a model of the 590 in 1:16th scale... (some of which can be found with 595 on them)... I wonder what possessed them to do such a model when the states never had the real thing on offer (well... to the best of my knowledge anyway) - you see... we had the 500 series... the states (having more relaxed rules on noise and safety in most if not all states) had the 300 series models.

Can anyone shed any light on that for us  \

[BC]

Thanks Mark...I was very pleased with my Penrith acquisitions. ;)

[BC]

Today the postman delivered a box of these special additions to me

The Gun metal Ford 5000

Limited to 300....I assumed they were actually numbered but I cannot see a number.

Anyone help me out

And the Ford Highwayman