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 but 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?

Stanley Surform.

 

The surform-type blade was patented by a British company, Firth Cleveland in 1949, the first tools were made by Simmonds Aerocessories. Stanley acquired the rights in 1956 and subsequently bought the company. They were a popular home woodworking tool when they were released, they turn up at junk shops everywhere. I’ve found them useful for body filler.

The automobile as part of the ecosystem

 We thought differently in the fifties. Insulation for wires was cotton and beeswax?

Motor Cycling September 8 1955

"The Queen's highway" Still making mileage from Queen Elizabeths's 1952 coronation...

 

Armstrong Whitworth Ensign drawing

 In 1934 Imperial Airways approached Armstrong Whitworth for the design of a new metal multiengine airliner. The chosen design seated 40 passengers and utilized 4 engines as that was seen to be desirable to passengers. Range was 1300 miles, suitable for the Empire routes of the day. Development took longer than expected as Imperial Airways updated the requirements several times but the first commercial flight took place in 1938. Further, the focus of the industry on military aircraft in the late 30s caused further delays. Once the airplane was flying it was found that despite the 4 engines it was underpowered and the engines were later upgraded to Wright Cyclones. However the war had started and production ended with only 14 made. The military took over the planes and they served through the war and retired in 1946. All were scrapped.