Favourite Astle engines?

Has to be the Reid for me. It was about fifty yards away from me & it's field gun exhaust note was a nice backdrop to the chuffing, whirring, clattering host all around me. I went over and watched them start it following a bottle change. Any two strong, active men could do it, hauling the thin flywheel around until it fired - and off it went.

Apparently, the one way valve between the charging cylinder (it's a two stroke for those who didn't see it close to) and the power cylinder wasn't sealing all that well to start with & it was very hard to start. Sealing it properly fixed it.

Glumly, I looked over the Coventry Victor flat four hydraulic set. Being on hand when the owner walked it up to the club stand behind a tractor, I could have very easily bought it. I was miffed to have neither trailer nor space at home for it. Forty quid, I ask you........ I've got a bare engine, but that was such an interesting bit of kit. Apparently, it was used for opening & closing folding wings on carrier based aircraft & underneath the green paint one could clearly see blue.

I'd been unable to make the ignition work on the Enfield & as it would only have been a static exhibit, I didn't take it. What I had at Astle Park was very much thrown together Friday afternoon! I'd watched it rain all day Friday & thought I'd sleep in me bed & run up to Astle (160 miles for me) in the morning. Good decision, it had dried out by then & I was there by 8.30, plenty of time to set up - even managed to park the car right opposite!

My display was as follows. An ALCO Featherweight driving a spotlight from a

1926 Chicago fire engine through the distribution board originally designated for the Norman T300 charging set,

Plus a neat little US Corps of Signals genny Circa 1954 (I believe) It is a sophisticated little device & when the battery is charged, it operates a solenoid to turn the petrol off. It was a bit puzzled by the steady 75 Watt drain imposed by the halogen bulb in the other spotlamp, history unknown, but we more or less got it sorted by the end of the day.

I only bought a three volume set, "Modern High Speed Oil Engines" dated to

1947 - £5.00. They include a whole chapter on industrial engines (including a rocking-beam Sulzer two stroke with a vertical BIG charging cylinder. - very strange) and even gas turbines. A decent Lucas magneto for the Inter Norton for £15, a thick Permali instrument board & a damn great rheostat fixed to another insulated board, resin, I think, £2.00 each. Also £2.00 each were a pair of shielded leads from The Green Spark Plug company. He also has shielded plugs at £4.00 each.

I had a good time, nice to meet so many newsgroup people.

Photos tomorrow

regards,

Kim Siddorn.

It comes to me now, of course, that the C-V flat four would just be a means to an end. When I'd got it going I'd need a Fairey Gannet in order to demonstrate it!

Hazel? Hazel, why are you packing? Where are you ..............

regards,

Kim Siddorn.

Ah - now I do know where there is a tired Gannet sitting in a barn. Even had a spare engine lying in the dirt outside last time I saw it ...... Hasn't been touched for years. Significant restoration project!

If u find a BTH KD1 mag lying about, need one for my Inter ......

Colin

Hi all, the Reid is a pussy cat to start now we have got the knack !!!It was nice to see it ran all weekend without too many problems. My favourite engine is the little 2 1/2 horse Hornsby in the trailer with the red cover over the top. I know the guy who owns it and think this is a lovely exhibit, on its trailer ready to go and not too big. Sold the National, but bought a nice little hit n miss Fairbanks Z with low tension igniter. Turned out to be a 1917 vintage. Now which one do I start to restore next ???

Cheers, MartinH

I would very much like to have seen (and heard) the Reid, If I concentrate I'm sure I can still hear Ed Bolton's booming away across the years. The C-V hydraulic set may not be to everybody's taste but was undoubtedly a bargain and would add welcome variety to many a rally, should be interesting cooking up things for it to do as well. Anything else of note for sale? - I can see a 'Geryk' vacuum pump in the background of one of Peter Forbes' pics. The club sales area has always struck me as a great feature of Tatton/Astle and don't know why more rallies don't do the same.

I thought the £65 he wanted for the vacuum pump was rather high, so didn't buy it even though it was in the line two engines from me to start with. Especially as the valve had ceased to seal!

regards,

Kim Siddorn.

concentrate

Can't remember what I paid but £65 does sound a bit rich, 'one day' mine should be coupled to a Ky-Ko hot air engine - oh for a ready supply of round tuits!

Hi Nick,

I agree the club stand is a great feature of Astle and I would have bought the Petter Atomic if I wasn't too late. Also present were the normal line-up of Amancos, Petters, Listers and a Fairbanks Z or two, together with a National F and others I've forgotten.

I had hope to find a heat shield for a Petter 8S in the tent, but sadly none were on sale this time. Does anyone know the vendor, who usually has some on offer each year?

Regards, Arthur G

The magneto I bought with no spark turned out to be no more than a dirty earth brush. Although certainly used, I don't think it's seen a great deal of running. Most unusual in that it will produce a decent spark in both directions!

It has a peculiar bakelite points cover with a built in earthing connector. To turn the engine off, you simply move the retaining clip to one side where it makes contact with a copper stud & earths out the points. Never seen one of they before.

regards,

Kim Siddorn.

Post hoc, ergo propter hoc!

bought the Petter Atomic if I wasn't too late.

Fairbanks Z or two, together with a National F

none were on sale this time. Does anyone know