The Classic Machinery Network

Good solid Bray shovel still at work on Isle of Wight Railway. Luxury cab !

Can anyone help please ? .... the next model I shall be making (earlier models here Weatherill and here 1961 JCB - 3d CAD Model Picture and animated here http://www.facebook.com/v/103220516362066, and here http://www.facebook.com/v/103129706371147 will possibly be a Brayloader BL25 or HL21 from the mid 1950s - but what colour were they, pale yellow ?, and what colours were used on the little six sided logo - it appears in the black and white photos I have to be 'BRAY' on a body coloured circle with a white ring and the six sided, uneven length sided shape in a darker colour, maybee red ? .... has any one any ideas ?

PS, was the 'British BRAY Built' logo just black and white ? .... any help appreciated - Thanks Andy

I am sure some of the Brays were painted in a blue-grey colour. My father had on in the late 50s, only seen a picture of it which, sadly, has gone missing.

no colours but From another thread-

International Construction Equpment 1961

Bray did make some models in a two-tone blue and grey colour scheme, which was a bit odd when every other manufacturer used some shade of yellow.

The two 400 Series machines in the top row of Craig's leaflet would be in these colours, while the one in the lower row is in a single light colour - probably yellow!

Interesting Bray backhoe loader. It appears that several UK manufacturers offered the Sherman backhoe. But where's the outriggers?

Dave. S.

.... the picture I have of a BL25 crawler shovel (ref. Ford Tractor Conversions-Stuart Gibbard) it appears to be a single all-over shade, lighter than similar B&W pictures of what I presume to be Fordson Blue with Orange wheels, and as the County Crawler upon which it was based was available in a pale yellow it might stand to reason that the rest was finished in a similar colour ? .... I will keep looking but it might have to be an educated guess in the end .... the above mentioned book says that the 1956 range was finished in two tone Cream and Maroon, but its not that for the BL25, although there are pictures of a BL30 and BL35 in a two tone scheme that could be that .... but I did think the BL430 and BL440 picture in the book, look a bit light in B&W for Maroon and Cream, perhaps they are the Grey and Blue as you say ?

Hi Andy,

I forgot all about the maroon period. I'll need to dig out my Bray literature, and in it there is, as you mention, machines in maroon - one might even be the County based shovel.

There is footage of it at work in one of the County Tractors DVDs too but it's so long since I saw it I cannot remember the colour. Bray and County thought that it would be a competitor for the Drott. Yeah Right!

Dave. S.

Their was BL25 in a hedge near me for 15 years at least , until i went to take a photo of it with my first digital camera !! could see where it had been dragged out. Anyway the colour was blue , but wether it was original or not i don't know.
Fortunately the 1950's JCB nearby was still there , but not for long.

Had a search through some Bray literature, and found the photographs below.

Bear in mind that these were never 'colour' pictures, but re-touched black and white (long before the days of Photoshop trickery!) and the coulours may not be true-to-life, but it's a starting point for Bray paint schemes.

Dave. S.

Thanks Dave, they are good, and will be a great help - I did two or three terms of airbrush photo re-touching at college ! ....those were the days ! thanks for taking the time to scan them in, one other question if I can be a bit of a pest .... in those brochures are there any versions of the Bray 'seal' logo?, I just can't get the outer shape right - I have had a stab at making one (seen below) and/or the 'British BRAY Built' logo (also seen below) -


URL of the original image: http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f137/kemplen/BRITISH_BUILTcopy.jpg
URL of the original image: http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f137/kemplen/bray_logocopy.jpg

my first atempts - good decals make a model I feel.