buslady

no idea, but my old machine did same thing. machine sews like a dream, but no reverse.

Rainybug

There is a possibility that an inner spring has given out. Some older machines actually have some springs which control the switching from forward to reverse. At this point be brave take the machine apart inspect what you can see, look for any thing which appears unattached or broken. Try the reverse on the machine with it apart and see what parts move or do not. This should help to determine what has happened.