Lancaster production line

 We see lots of pictures of American bomber production lines, British Production lines less so. Here are some of the 7377 units (430 built in Canada) being made.

Lawn chairs

Remember these? These rickety folding aluminum and nylon web chairs were convenient and everywhere in suburbia. 

 

Merlin cutaway

 I've seen several Merlin cutaway drawings but this one is monumental. I hope the artist has incorporated his name somewhere in all that linework. From the Aviation magazine Yearbook Feb 1942. 

Monday Mystery

 

Thisa came from an old house in Amsterdam, no idea what it is. It came in a box, packaged as shown. Assembled, it turns into a strange tower-like thing. The bulb is hard like a ping pong ball and is connected to that rocket-like head.Any ideas?

Norton factory at the IoM

 Year 1920 Isle of Man TT Petty #61, Brown #56 and North #63 work on their Norton motorcycles in the garage.

Sidecar Sunday

 Isle of Man TT, 2017

More modern than usual but the photo couldn't be ignored. Explanation here.

Casting a chain

ICS Reference Library, International Textbook Co. 1901

 The preliminary text to this chapter points out that it would be quite difficult to cast a length of chain, the sand mold would be complicated as would the system of gating each link. The solution is to cast individual links, place them as shown and then pour each connection link. These days to make a link, we form wire into a loop and weld the ends.

Suzuki Dual purpose 125

 Lovely styling.

Family mystery/history

  In 1964 the family flew to Holland to visit family. Everything was amazing to an 8 year old boy and the cool uncle gave us kids a ride on his motorcycle. It was almost certainly my first motorcycle ride but I don’t remember being blown away or anything. It was fun cruising through the rural landscape beside canals and fields. 

Fast forward a lot of years, and I’m trying to piece together the events that led up to this motorcycle affliction I suffer/enjoy. I figured the uncle’s motorcycle had been either a Harley or a BMW but no one else remembered. 

    Well. We’re back in Holland to clean up an aunts estate, this photo appeared in an old album. Mystery solved! Cool uncle and his sister posing with the mystery motorcycle.

Volkswagen Bus

 

That’s an extravagant and aerodynamic roof rack system. The van is 1969 or 70. I think?