Sidecar Sunday

RM Sotheby's auction

 

Safety first

   The Vanderbilt Cup was held on Long Island between the years 1904 and 1909. It was very popular with a quarter million spectators attending and only 16 police officers per mile to control the crowds. Here fans have taken up residence on buildings, fences and a telegraph pole to watch Louis Wagner corner on his 110 hp Darraq.

Ratchet action Speed Wrench

This wrench was based on 1973 patent number 3762244 for a wrench with ratcheting action accomplished with the shape of the jaw rather than moving parts. In other words, they lock while turning one direction and slip the other. The name SW seems to stand for Speed Wrench, not much info on the company name Specialty Tools Inc. mentioned in the patent.

 

Bonneville speed record machine, The Quiet Kid

Speed record contender in the early 1960s. This machine is built around a Scott Atwater outboard motor (displacement unknown) and apparently achieved a speed of 145 mph. No footpegs, the rider laid prone with his legs dangling out back like the famous Rolly Free bathing suit pic.

ebay  Larry Mandreal

Post drill by Champion Blower and Forge

These old flat belt-driven devices show up on occasion. Heavy and awkward, with too many handwheels, levers and cranks etc. for me they're too much work to hook up to a motor and try them out. And what is that escapement device on the top face gear in the image below? One day I will actually spend some time to experiment with one. This one is from Champion Forge and Blower, this well-known maker of blacksmithing machinery was founded 1875 by 17 year old Henry Keiper to manufacture the rotary forge blower he had invented. They started manufacturing drill presses by 1889; the first models were hand-powered post drills.

 These drilling machines were popular in the early part of the last century, electric motors and self standing drill presses replaced them. 

Ascott Pullen

 Probably not much of a motorcycle (it wasn't a commercial success and in business only from 1928-1930).  The company closed up after the manufacture of about 500 units, but it's a great name, isn't it...?

Schermuly rocket flare cross section

 

Canadian Pacific wooden cabooses

Nicholas Morant's Canadian Pacific, Footprint Pub. 1992

Apparently the name caboose is derived from the Dutch word Kabuis meaning ships galley. When we were kids we always counted train cars on a train and the caboose was the period on the sentence.  Sad to see them replaced by the awkward acronym EOT, End of Train device. In Canada that probably happened about 1990, someone will know exactly when...

 

Blackhawk Nugget bullet toolbox

 That's a distinctive shape for a toolbox. From what I've been able to find these sets were first manufactured in the 1930s and on sale through the 1950s, but that's not confirmed, more info welcomed. 

They are understandably desirable today, these pictures came from an ebay listing a few years ago, the set sold for $1650.

 

 

Planes in formation, Otters

 de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otters with skis, flying over Yellowknife...