Part 3 of this occasional series ponders on some of the questions raised as I begin to research EE067 and start the first tasks in its restoration to as close to as-built as I can get it – likely to be a lengthy process, the biggest challenge being the location and restoration of a suitable Peter Brotherhood BB petrol engine…

A question of identity

The insurers require EE067’s identity – not just its works number, which is very clear, but also any registration carried.  A registration number has been applied to the roller, which I take to be FL 7925. But a couple of well placed scratches do sow a slight doubt re this  as this photograph shows.  FL was the Peterborough code, where the roller was manufactured in 1929, and appears widely on Barford & Perkins motor rollers in preservation.  Today FL is used for the region ‘Forest and Fens’, the local office being Nottingham.  I will rub this down gently to see if any further clarity is possible, before preparing the area for repainting. Fortunately my wife is a budding sign-writer so she has offered to carry out the lettering itself, in the appropriate style.

The agonies of deciphering colours from fragments of paint

The build record for EE067 reveals that the roller was supplied in ‘red’.  B&P A series rollers tend to be either red or green.  What I am not sure of is what shades these are, or where they specified by the customer?  Looking beneath the green on the headstock (seen below), the red is more an Indian Red or Red Oxide (but not primer) – a colour seen on other preserved rollers from B&P.  Further digging will be needed to see exactly what shade this is and what paint I need to order.  Bit of a shame as I like green rollers – so maybe an excuse to have two!!!

*Updated* The seat and toolbox

Below: I have now spent many hours staring at photographs of preserved A Series rollers (very few photos of them at work exist, or that I can find) to work out if the seat I have is the original.  There is only green paint on it, no red below, suggesting it is either a replacement in the life of the roller in its green guise, or that it wasn’t painted until repainted from red to green.  I’ve dismantled it as much as needed to accurately measure it.  As there is evidence of long-departed woodworm, plus it is very wet, I am inclined to make a new one, or at least replace the base and lid and dry/harden the rest.  This would also deal with some of the problem of removing all traces of the green paint to get it back to original, probably varnished, spec.  We shall see!

Below: I originally thought the position of the engine plate might suggest the box wasn’t original – now I think it was just a handy place to put it when the engine transplant took place (and amazing that it survived – it would suggest the original engine was scrapped though). The simple construction and corner brackets are consistent with other A Series that I have photographs of.  No fancy dovetails or joinery, just a simple, strong and workmanlike box, with hinged lid and lower front lip to throw water away.

Below: The other side of the seat, with the number removed (this is where the red paint had come from that can be seen here).

Below: The lid, made of ply and with the hinges somewhat crudely fastened – the lid is certainly not original on this evidence.

Below: This is another A Series roller, AA048, in unrestored condition and preserved in Leicestershire.  It is in very original condition and still has the remains of its seat as seen here.  Comparison of this with mine shows a great number of similarities and reassures me that a replica of the one I have will be per B&P’s original design.

Below: Just for interest, here is a Brotherhood BB engine, not the original fitted to AA048 but a later factory fitted replacement.

Below: Also of interest on AA048 is this gear selector gate – with hinged lock to enable the roller to be set at one speed (I’m not sure why this is needed and it doesn’t seem to be fitted to all of the A Series).

Shedding light on the subject

Below: I would like to put oil lamps onto the roller, and have looked at the brackets on other examples for a style for these.  I have also purchased a number of box shaped lamps, two of which have now been restored for EE067, seen here.  I am also working on some examples by Miller of Birmingham, which are very substantial and well made.  Here we see a front and rear lamp, both of unknown make, after being restored for this project.  Lamps were often offered in painted or Japanned finish.  I have used modern primers and gloss paints from Halfords rattle can ranges, these being superb quality and very durable (used extensively in model making too – something else I occasionally fit in around work and a young border collie!). Neither would win any prizes but they are good enough to work and use on the roller.