Outlandish drill & other tales

The US Signals Corps generator is very nicely made. Considerable efforts have been made to keep it light and it is certainly the lightest of this kind of generator I've come across. The fuel system appears to be blocked, but petrol dripped into the inlet makes it fire and run. The electric start churns it over nicely and turning up the volts knob loads up the engine, so the electrikery side appears to be working OK at a cursory glance.

It came complete with two spare engines (bare) and a spare generator, so there is the unusual opportunity of exhibiting the complete unit running and having an engine in bits on display alongside it.

I bought it off E-bay and paid fifty quid for it. It wasn't clear in the photos, but it seemed to me from the cowling that it might be yet another Iron Horse derivation - but no, it is completely different.

I'm very pleased with it and it makes an excellent addition to the collection. Just wish I could find a German one!

The Villiers drill is a new one on me - never heard tell of one of they, guv. I've spent an hour or so on the Internet looking for references, but could find none. I believe it is a modification of the Villiers outboard engine. Lumpy thing, too. I cannot see how anyone could start it with the handle provided unless it was fixed to a vertical support. The l-o-n-g petrol pipe indicates a remote fuel tank.

Any information would be most gratefully received.

regards,

Kim Siddorn.

Have a look at Chuggadrill. Still made in more modern form. Plenty of references in Google and old SEM regards Roland

Only seen the 'Chug-A-Drill' monika applied to the Ohls and Rice (or is it Ohlsson Rice) engined type. But I'm pretty sure you are right about a sleeper or rail drill having appeared in SEM some while ago.

I have news, melords! The drill was made by The Howard Pneumatic Engineering Co Ltd between 1937 and 1963. Although it has a Villiers flywheel and carb, the engine was actually wholly built by Howard's and known as The John Bull FWM. There are two illustrations in the "A-Z", page 98, volume 1, one is shown driving a rail saw (10 minutes) and another as a sleeper drill (4-10 seconds).

Although production of the drill ceased in 1963, the company were still in business in 1985.

I'm indebted to Jon Pridmore for pointing me in the right direction.

regards,

Kim Siddorn.