Progress is fine, but it's gone on for too long.

Thursday, January 26, 2023

I always thought the Rob North Triumph frames looked "correct" with those top tubes wrapping around the engine heading in a straight line to the swingarm pivot, allowing a great big triangular tank to sit on top- perfect for roadracing. With all the mechanical and cosmetic things removed it almost looks modern.

But, bottom pic, how well did it work as a dirttracker, I wonder?

Lindsay Brooke, Triumph Racing Motorcycles in America, Motorbooks 1996

Wednesday, January 25, 2023

Gold Wing project

Ran when parked?

Von Ruden Hydra-flex chainsaw

We visited the Wheeler Maple Products (located slightly south of the middle of Nowhere, Ontario) on the weekend. Certainly a backwoods business done right. Pancakes and sausages were great but part of the attraction is the forest-farm (chainsaw) museum. Lots of old mechanical things to admire and ponder.

This device is a whole ungainly saw system that would attach to the back end of a tractor. The pump would be run by the PTO, tank hung wherever was convenient and any log within 10 or 15 feet could be cut. Setup time would suggest it would not be for casual use, but if you were the kinda guy that hated pulling starter cords... Made by the Von Ruden Manufacturing company in Claremont, Minnesota, which is still in business today, located in Buffalo. Another one here.

Ebay

Tuesday, January 24, 2023

Cycle Canada, Magic of Motorcycling 1975

A little tattered maybe, but this must have been Cycle Canada Magazine's first Buyer Guide. I'm not sure when the magazine started but at that point it was in a glossy-covered newspaper format (I'll ask John Cooper the next time I see him). This magazine continued the newsprint-quality pages but was mostly a directory of all the 1975 model year motorcycles available in Canada. A big deal!

The lineup was pretty much the same as the US except there was a special name for a Yamaha for the Quebec market. (Bottom)

Empress of Britain

The Empress of Britain was constructed over a three year period at John Brown Shipyard in Scotland. Owned and operated by Canadian Pacific, the ship was launched in 1931 and was used for Transatlantic service between Quebec City and England for three seasons of the year, becoming an all first class cruise ship in winter when the St. Lawrence was frozen.

At the beginning of the war it was painted grey and did duty as a troop ship until being attacked on Oct 26, 1940 near Ireland by a patrolling German Condor. The ship caught fire and was evacuated. The next day a German submarine arrived to attack with torpedoes and the Empress of Britain sank at 2:05 on October 28.