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Here is a period advertisement which I have not seen before. The machine appears in HMG but not this ad :

It looks similar, if not exact, to the Victor schoolhouse machine.

Curt A wrote: ↑Mon Sep 06, 2021 2:55 pm It looks similar, if not exact, to the Victor schoolhouse machine.

That's because it's the same machine.

Curt A wrote: ↑Mon Sep 06, 2021 2:55 pm It looks similar, if not exact, to the Victor schoolhouse machine.

In the past I’ve wondered about this but came to the conclusion they were identical right down to the hinged serpentine under shelf. I tried spot the difference! Perhaps the Victor has a bit more height to the feet and the stretchers seem slightly further from the ground.

I use to have a Humpbacked Victrola and I tried the same with that comparing it to the HMV Humpbacked Console 265. Apart from the obvious badging they looked like identical twins.

I need to pull my finger out and finish restoring my Schools Model. I've only had it 10 years now!

I recall reading somewhere that the lid hinges differ between the US and the English models, but I cannot confirm as I never saw the English model. One subtle difference is the motor: when the spring of my US machine broke and I tried to replace the whole Victor motor with an identically-looking HMV nr 32 I noticed that the spindle heights were not the same. I had to end up replacing springs, something I try to avoid.

I've noticed the same. When you switch British and American motors you have to switch turntables as well, and readjust the heigth of the brake lever. I've done the same during a time... But one comfortable thing you can switch is a complete barrel with the springs inside. They fit the same. In case you want to keep track of the change, just mark the barrel with a black pen, HMV or Victor... That's what I did to my HMV 194 instead of taking out the broken spring, etc, so I'm using parts of a Victor surplus motor, except the spindle, which is longer on Victor motors. Governors are interchangeable, as the intermediate gears, the spindle gear, the speed regulator and indicator set, etc.
Another notable difference, the only other thing I've noticed, it's the winding great train: my HMV has more multiplication than my Victor motor. Just the two gears, the small idler gear and the one that engages the first spring into the barrel. I've been doing this as springs broke, until I got out of spares, and had to dismantle one barrel... They are interchangeable with both types of motors, no32 and 34.