Yes, once more I find myself at work sitting in front of a PC with absolutely no enthusiasm for what I should be doing, so I shall inflict myself on you lot.
During a very pleasant and much needed week out of the office I cleared up the workshop to see if I could find a little more space, tinkering to no real purpose with engines etc as they were unearthed, did a few jobs around the house and still somehow found time to get away for a few days.
Down in The Forest of Dean we dropped in on Forest Classics to p.ex some SEL and Multum workshop models which I seem to have accumulated for one of their Newcomen engine kits:-
Also visited Westons cider farm in Much Markle, can't say I'd recommend the tour but the restaurant was nice. Amongst other things, there is an engine on display described as an approx 1930/40's Alvis but which appears to be a Douglas of the teens or twenties. It is the first I have seen with a cowling to make better use of the limited amount of air stirred up by the crude flywheel fan and also sports yet another type of lubrication system. I wonder if this could have started life driving a WWI trench pump which would have required better cooling than for the low duty cycle operation of the Marconi's W-T Co. units? Pics at end of 'Infernal Combustion' album:-
Finished up with a trip to the Morgan factory in Malvern Link, now that's a tour I can recommend!