For anyone else with similar problems, my solution is to store the .PO files in GIT and use "weblate" to provide a GUI. Not as pretty/friendly as launchpad, but it works.
If it was just my project having these problems, then feel free to close this bug report.
I last checked a couple of days ago. It was timing out roughly one time in four.
Previously, it was timing out four times out of five.
However, I'm afraid I've recently given up - and moved my project's translations off launchpad, due to a combination of this bug and also https:/ /bugs.launchpad .net/launchpad/ +bug/1186610
For anyone else with similar problems, my solution is to store the .PO files in GIT and use "weblate" to provide a GUI. Not as pretty/friendly as launchpad, but it works.
If it was just my project having these problems, then feel free to close this bug report.