Doc 2:

The second of the two cars built by Dr Rankin in Barnoldswick was very different in concept to the previous version having swing axle independent front suspension controlled by very large leaf springs. The gearbox is a truly massive unit designed by Edgar Westbury. The original motor was another DC Wildcat on a solid steel radial mount, replaced at some stage by a Westbury 10cc Ensign. Unlike the 1066 tyres on Doc 1, the ZNs had really suffered over the intervening years so needed replacing. Apart from from a great deal of cleaning and a set of bridles, the car is as the good Dr built it the late 1940s. The motor started and ran well but the fuel tank is still too high for the venturi on the Ensign. As with Doc 1, a surplus 1066 body completed the renovation.
                                                         Thanks to Hamish Rankin for this item and information. OTW photo.   December 2019

Sea Devil III
 
Southampton was the scene of a great deal of experiment and work on flash steam hydros in the 30s and 40s with Pilliner, Martin and Marsh all producing a series of boats over the years. Marsh's 'Sea Devil III' followed on from the Crebbin Trophy winning Sea Devil II but did not share any components as they were both run at the same time. The twin cylinder motor was unusual in having a shuttle piston valve for the steam inlet and a rotary valve for the exhaust, hence the three exhaust pipes for two cylinders. The twin burners were pressure fed from the large tank on the right, water from a pump on the motor. The boat had effectively vanished from sight from the late 1940s until it appeared on ebay recently. No idea of where it has been or who applied the coverall paint.                                                                                               Thanks to Jack Bell for this item and photos. November 2019

A long time competitor from Switzerland in Class 2 was Georg Fausch. A great Ferrari fan, his cars and engines were called 'Dino' although the motors were predominantly Rossis and SuperTigres. In the late 80s there was a trend to lengthen the wheelbase of cars by moving the front wheels forward on a sprung extension. Not an attractive development, especially when the bodies were extended to cover the wheels as well. This car dates from the late 1970s when the front wheels were within the pan, the slots still exist. Thanks to Stuart Robinson for this item. OTW photo Oct 2019

'Doc 1'

In the late 1940s, a doctor up in Barnoldswick built a couple of tethered cars using stock materials and his own thoughts on chassis design. Both chassis have the entire drive train sprung like some of the pioneer designs published. The doctor also lived just round the corner from the Davies Charlton factory so both cars used DC Wildcats, direct from Effyn Davies. The doctor had no machine tools at this stage, so all work was carried out with hand tools. The machined parts were by courtesy of the local model engineering group. After nearly seventy years, a thorough cleanup and a body, the car ran again at Great Carlton earlier in the year.

 Thanks to Hamish Rankin for this item and information. OTW photo.   Sept 2019

G E Jackson's 10

Ernest Jackson was a long standing member of the Derby Club and, for a while, Secretary of the Model Car Association. This is the only car that can be positively identified as being run by him as it is pictured and described in Model Cars whist he was competing at the Rolls Royce Trophy meeting. The car is Swedish and very similar to a McCoy Railton, even down to the gearbox, although slightly smaller as the Dooling motor fits snuggly. The car recorded speeds around 115/117mph for a season, but then seems to have struggled a bit as Jackson was downgraded to a B competitor and the last confirmed run for this car was 105mph. After 1951 Jackson relinquished his post with the MCA and in not mentioned any further in race results.
                                                                                                  Thanks to Michael Young for this item and photos. Aug 2019

This unusual hydro was owned by Richard Dalby's father and we understood that it was raced by him, but we can find no evidence of this. Even Richard cannot provide any more information. The hull has an Italian look to it with the after planes and we are guessing that it dates from the late 1950s or early 60s. May actually be from one of the clubs in the North East, according to Peter Hill, who featured it in a Model Boat article some years ago.
                 Thanks to Alan Whitehead for the photos. July 2019

The motor of choice for 5cc cars in Britain was the Dooling 29, yet the ETA 29 was equally popular, especially in hydroplanes, probably due to the fact that it was much easier to obtain and not the subject of import restrictions.  This example came directly from the Bedford family and is notable for the location of the motor on the mount making it a very tight squeeze in a body shell and the turned axle shrouds. The supposition is that these were to allow Raylite style wheels to be used without any tapers, keys or commercial hubs. Quite how they were to work is as yet unknown. This motor and mount is destined to be installed in one of John Goodall's replica ZN chassis/body sets.

                                    Thanks to Miles Patience for this item and photos.     June 2019

The Hawk was only in production for just over a year, initially for export only and then in 1948 for the home market. Only ever available as a factory made engine it came in two versions, HA for planes with a balanced crank and short crankshaft collet and the HRC for cars with a full circle crank and long collet. It is what purpose this engine served that is a mystery as it has a very clever speed and mixture control as well as a huge fuel tank and cooling fan. It may have been a power unit in a large boat according to the vendor. The serial number is 1061, twenty higher than seen up to now, but it also has a heavily stamped 1 over the factory marks, curious?        
                                                         OTW photo    May 2019

This is one of only two of the 10cc versions of the 1066 Falcon that are known to exist. Released and shown on the 1066 stand at the 1946 Model Engineer Exhibition, early adverts gave little more detail other than that there were three engines in the Falcon series, 5cc, 10cc and 15cc and that 'prices and delivery dates will be announced later'.  The 15cc version vanished without further mention but the 10 was scheduled for delivery on 31st May, complete with plug, coil and condenser for £7-5-0. That was the last heard of it, raising the question as to whether it ever existed? It was to be fifty years before this set of castings was discovered and Gordon Williams produced the rarest of the 10cc motors, at that time believed to be unique, but proving that the dies did get made but adding to the mystery of why it never made it into production.

                          Thanks to Eric Offen and Miles Patience for this item.             April 2019 

One of those, how much is it worth, enquiries that exceeded all expectations. In 'found' condition with a distinctly non original McCoy motor and no other internals, number 1168 made a remarkable £2015 on ebay in Dec 2018. Comparing this with what other ERA models have made and it would have been impossible to anticipate this result. Over £1500 more expensive that the complete and restored one sold at Bonhams
Thanks to David Horner for this item and photos Mar 2019

This was one of the 35 or so 15cc, Magpie engines built by Gerald Smith between 1947 and 1949. At some stage it arrived on the ground at a great rate of knots, destroying the front half of the crankcase. The owner then cast up a new front housing that more or less matched and machined it to fit the existing parts. All the twiddly ignition bits and mounts were presumably damaged at the same time and not replaced. The current mounts are fabricated from steel. 

Once worth a considerable amount of money, but what price now, other than as a curiosity? The original engine plate was retained and the engine bears the serial number 297.

                                      Thanks to Dick Roberts for this item. OTW photo Feb 2019

The first bit was easy, most of a Westbury designed Atom 3 with a V cylinder, missing the rotary valve and case. The others, a nicely made, spark ignition, RRV two stroke and the other, possibly a high speed flash steam motor. Can anyone help further please?

Thanks to Peter Gane for items and photos.  Jan 2019