AJW Super Four

Along with the gorgeous V-twins the company was making, AJW decided that they would chase speed records. This streamlined bike with supercharged Coventry Climax (or Anzani) engine and funny front end was shown at the Olympia motorcycle show in 1928 catching George Brough quite by surprise. It was a huge hit, though when actually out on the track, it handled so badly, the attempt was abandoned and nothing was heard of it again.

 

April 1996

Monday Mystery; Compact wrench set

This looks like a nice little emergency set of wrenches to throw in a glove compartment or? The mystery comes in when trying to find anything about the manufacturer, L and R Mfg., New York.

Nothing comes to light in a Google search, my guess is it was a small company on Long Island who, after the close of WW2, lost their market for the airplane parts they made and tried to make their fortune from one of the guys' ideas...  Any information/corrections welcome!

 

SS Alberta

This postcard sent to Annie Griffin in 1908 displays a view of the Steamship Alberta. What's with her and boat postcards? The boat was part of Canadian Pacific Railway Great Lakes fleet, built in Scotland in 1883, it sailed the upper lakes carrying freight and passengers on Lake Huron and Superior till being converted to freight only in 1916. The boat was sold off in 1946, by then thoroughly obsolete, I would think. 

Trainweb.org has the whole story of Canadian Pacific's steamships here. 

More importantly the Annie Griffins story continues, no news on the Willis situation but what to do with tomato pickles?

 

Sidecar Sunday

 I can see your house from here! 

Great picture, great climb.

 

1927 Delage GP car

In 1924 Louis Delage made a V12 for the GP 2 liter class and supercharged it for 1925. The formula was changed to 1.5 litre for 1926 so a new engine was built, this time a straight 8 enhanced with 2 superchargers. The next year refinements to the engine included a DOHC head with a single supercharger helping to produce about 170 horsepower while revving to 8000 rpm. It was the leading engine of the year and was competitive even 9 years later. The car was fitted with a 5 speed transmission and 4 wheel mechanical brakes and weighed about 1800 lb.  Beautiful pictures here.

 

Belond Equa-flow Exhaust

thanks, Ski!

I'm sure she has all the answers. More info on Sandy Belond and his Equaflow exhaust empire here. 
 

Pommel horse

Not being particularly athletic, this was not one of my favorite pieces of equipment in high school gym class. 

This beautifully detailed pommel horse by Top Erhardt Sport and Gymnastic Equipment is in the window at a local vintage shop. Seems a lot shorter than I remember them to be.

Dazzletesting

John Graham Kerr, a zoologist specializing in the embryology of lungfishes, in 1914 proposed to the British Navy that they paint their ships in black and white stripes as a camouflage. Testing was done demonstrating limited success but further research discovered that ships painted with random geometric patterns were harder to track for distance, direction and speed.  This scene must show some early tests of dazzle camouflage using model ships, 

Apparently the man on the right is peering through a device that simulates a submarine periscope to try to estimate speed and direction.  Reddit.  

The bartender on the left is hoping business will improve. (Mr G.)

Here's a whole different take on Dazzle camouflage. Wolfsonian-Fiu library

Pioneer chainsaw NU17

I'm not really a fan of old chainsaws, much like old outboard motors they're fun to look at but when I pull that cord it has to start and run. I'm not going to put up with cantankerousness, and with a non-starting outboard out on a lake there's not much option to walk home.

 But saws of a certain age, like this 1961 Pioneer NU17 belong in the so-far-fictitious Museum of Die Casting, being made up of multiple beautifully diecast aluminum parts. This model saw was made in Peterborough, Ontario by Pioneer, another long gone manufacturer. Previous post here.

Looking into the specs of the saw, the engine is 90cc, horsepower unspecified but it was supplied with blades 16-20 inches in length. The weight, though also unlisted in the specs here, is substantial.

 

Learn to fly with a Herring Curtiss aeroplane