@Mushroomman
Can you just imagine it, a mobility scooter through Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan?
No real problem back in the '60s, but I think I might pass on that this time.
You’d never get that far! How would you ever get a mobility scooter over the first level crossing you got to in Romania?
Never touched there, went via Belgium, Germany, Austria, Yugo and Bulgaria to Istanbul. Then, as mentioned above, diverted from the traditional route directly to Iran, south through Syria and Lebanon, then south again into Jordan and along the pipeline to Iraq. No trouble at the crossings for a 1956 Regent so I reckon a modern mobooter could manage it.
That’s alright then. It was Rumo that had the dodgiest railway crossings because the rampwork would rot away, which left unmaintained, would expose the raised ironwork ready to rip off diesel tanks, mudflaps or anything it could get hold of!
The other obstacle across the Middle-East and North Africa was super-high kerbs. I remember taking a very low-ride artic to Morocco and having to build ramps out of debris to access factories that hadn’t got drop-kerbs (plenty of those!).
Now here’s a question CF might be able to answer for us. When did London ambulances start to have sirens and blue lights? I’m reading a novel at the moment, set in 1959. In it there’s a road accident at which the attendant ambulances have sirens and lights. I remember ambulances having bells and no blue lights in the '50s, so when did the change come about. I’ve tried googling it and searching online but most of the references are for America, not here.
I remember those Daimlers, they had a concrete weight in the chassis for a smoother ride. Don’t know about London but when I was working on Berkshire’s LD and Princess ambulances in the mid seventies they only had bells fitted. I remember carrying out an MOT on one of Reading Corporations LD ambulances and all went well until we did the brake test with a Tapley meter on a local housing estate and the bell dropped off! FAIL.
As far as Fire Service vehicles using ‘Blues and Two’s’ together this would have came about in the 60’s but a single or double (one each side of roof) blue light seems to have been fitted very early 60’s used along with bells which were still fitted to appliances into the 70’s. Some 1960/61 Appliances such as the Commer had two small blue lights next to each other on the front of the roof, One Commer engine supplied to Northumberland Fire Service in 1961 shown in one of my books had flashing lights and a large roof mounted searchlight which the author stated was unusual at that time. Of course emergency services held onto vehicles much longer than the average transport operator so their vehicles from the 1950’s and even post war that were still in use into the 60’s would have lights, sirens etc fitted at these later dates so making it difficult to pinpoint from photo’s but those I have of new vehicles that date from the 50’s show no blue lights only bells. The Ambulance below dates from Nov 1959 to March 1960 and has blues and siren fitted but are they original or later fittings, they do appear original so maybe late 50’s is around the time they were in use. Franky.
Is that a Princess, Franky, very smartly turned out, as is the Daimler that Robert put up? That was one of my favourite Dinky toys, I had lots of them but the other 2 favourites for whatever reason were a purple Austin Devon and a Yellow American estate car, probably a Ford. One which sticks in my memory but not as a favourite was the yellow dumper I got to take with me into Urmston(?) hospital for something or other. I was playing with it on the floor when somebody opened the door and trapped my fingers underneath. I can feel the pain still, 74 years later.
Dig, when did Sandfire burn down, 2005-6? First time I stopped there was on the way to Port Hedland, when I moved from Cairns. They were selling soft drinks out of an old donga.
It was always a good place to stop and stretch the legs and make sure no wheels had fallen off.
Geordielad:
As far as Fire Service vehicles using ‘Blues and Two’s’ together this would have came about in the 60’s but a single or double (one each side of roof) blue light seems to have been fitted very early 60’s used along with bells which were still fitted to appliances into the 70’s. Some 1960/61 Appliances such as the Commer had two small blue lights next to each other on the front of the roof, One Commer engine supplied to Northumberland Fire Service in 1961 shown in one of my books had flashing lights and a large roof mounted searchlight which the author stated was unusual at that time. Of course emergency services held onto vehicles much longer than the average transport operator so their vehicles from the 1950’s and even post war that were still in use into the 60’s would have lights, sirens etc fitted at these later dates so making it difficult to pinpoint from photo’s but those I have of new vehicles that date from the 50’s show no blue lights only bells. The Ambulance below dates from Nov 1959 to March 1960 and has blues and siren fitted but are they original or later fittings, they do appear original so maybe late 50’s is around the time they were in use. Franky.
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I worked at an Austin distributor in the 60’s. In 1966 we delivered a load of Mini Coopers to Essex police. They had large blue rotating beacons on the roof and sirens fitted.
Spardo:
Is that a Princess, Franky, very smartly turned out, as is the Daimler that Robert put up? That was one of my favourite Dinky toys, I had lots of them but the other 2 favourites for whatever reason were a purple Austin Devon and a Yellow American estate car, probably a Ford. One which sticks in my memory but not as a favourite was the yellow dumper I got to take with me into Urmston(?) hospital for something or other. I was playing with it on the floor when somebody opened the door and trapped my fingers underneath. I can feel the pain still, 74 years later.
I think its an Austin Sheerline, the posh version of which was the Princess, as you rightly say.
Spardo:
Is that a Princess, Franky, very smartly turned out, as is the Daimler that Robert put up? That was one of my favourite Dinky toys, I had lots of them but the other 2 favourites for whatever reason were a purple Austin Devon and a Yellow American estate car, probably a Ford. One which sticks in my memory but not as a favourite was the yellow dumper I got to take with me into Urmston(?) hospital for something or other. I was playing with it on the floor when somebody opened the door and trapped my fingers underneath. I can feel the pain still, 74 years later.
I think its an Austin Sheerline, the posh version of which was the Princess, as you rightly say.
Spardo:
Is that a Princess, Franky, very smartly turned out, as is the Daimler that Robert put up? That was one of my favourite Dinky toys, I had lots of them but the other 2 favourites for whatever reason were a purple Austin Devon and a Yellow American estate car, probably a Ford. One which sticks in my memory but not as a favourite was the yellow dumper I got to take with me into Urmston(?) hospital for something or other. I was playing with it on the floor when somebody opened the door and trapped my fingers underneath. I can feel the pain still, 74 years later.
I think its an Austin Sheerline, the posh version of which was the Princess, as you rightly say.
Austin A135 Princess, the Sheerline was less streamlined with rather large headlamps.
Oily
This is a 1920’s FWD 4wd hauling cacks of corn to a station in Western Australia, lots of ■■■■■■■ there. The outfit is apparently in the Wyalkatchem museum and it said the trailer is in good condition but the FWD is not so good, Buzzer
That’s alright then. It was Rumo that had the dodgiest railway crossings because the rampwork would rot away, which left unmaintained, would expose the raised ironwork ready to rip off diesel tanks, mudflaps or anything it could get hold of!
I can feel the pain still, 74 years later. 
