Drive Train?

The Horseless Age Masthead.

I want to take you to the pages of the American magazine “The Horseless Age". The worlds oldest publication covering the automobile industry. First published in 1895, it changed its name to "The Automobile" in 1904 and then in 1917 to "Automotive Industries" the name by which it is known today.
Though more of a trade magazine than the English magazine "The English Mechanic" it did share articles with its transatlantic cousin. For example, the car construction writings of Thomas Hyler White were often featured.
As it was an industry magazine, there was little emphasis placed on home builds like in the Mechanic. However, I found this image tucked away in the letters column the other day. It grabbed my attention because as well as being interested in old cars, I am a railway enthusiast too.

The image that grabbed my attention.

These days it's not unusual to see people make up their cars to look like Thomas the Tank Engine. A quick internet search will bring up all kinds of creations. But this must be the great, great, grand-daddy of them all. Built by a man called R H Gunnis, he wrote to the editor of The Horseless Age describing his project.
R H Gunnis was a clerk at First National Bank in San Diego, CA. He may also have served on the city council in some capacity at some time, and in later years he was the Manager of the San Diego clearing house association. Intriguingly, his name is also attached to a patent for a "rotating explosion engine" in the US Patent office.
Clearly, he was a remarkably creative and ingenious man. For this parade float he didn't just build the locomotive body, he also built the wagon/car that the loco runs on too!
In his letter to the editor he stated that he had also included a photograph of the running gear/wagon underneath everything. Sadly the editor lacked the foresight to publish that image.  So we'll never know how everything went together.
The "wagon" was powered by a three cylinder engine. The cylinders were 4" diameter and 5" stroke giving a capacity of 188.5 cu.in. or almost three litres. There was no mention of the transmission other than each of the four wheels were chain driven. The front wheels were 33" diameter and the rears 37" and they ran on steel tyres. Top speed of 12 mph was claimed, though I expect that in the 4th July parade it only ran at the other published speed of 4mph.
In detailing the vehicles performance,  Mr. Gunnis writes that the "wagon" weighed in at 2,300 lbs, the superstructure and the carriage a further 2,000. During the parade, which lasted 2 hours the train hauled a coach load of 15 people (one who apparently weighed 300lbs) A later test showed the vehicle was capable of hauling 8,500 lbs.
The locomotive body was formed from a framework of 2 x 4s that were bolted to the car and then covered with a black cloth. The stovepipe chimney was a galvanised iron pipe. The bell, sat atop the boiler came from a real locomotive, and steam dome and sand boxes to the front and rear of the bell were made from hat boxes.
I expect you're looking at the engineer in the cab and thinking that that’s Mr Gunnis proudly driving the vehicle. You'd be wrong. For the actual driving position is in the car. The drivers head would be underneath the bell. Which apparently caused problems during the parade because of the over zealous bell ringing of the engineer!
All the discomfort must have been worth it because the creation won the most original float prize in the San Diego Fourth of July parade. Then at the end of the year "The Automobile Review" magazine selected the project as the grand prize winner in its "Automotive Curiosities" competition, winning a grand prize of $5. Which doesn't sound much today, but in 2019 terms is almost $150.
Congratulations Russell Hoopes Gunnis. I raise my hat to you.

I found his signature attached to some online bank documents.
To me it helps to make the whole thing real.

Racing cars could have been so different

For this post I delve into the pages of “The English Mechanic and World of Science” magazine again. The magazine is a rich resource of material, it’s hard to resist the temptation to visit its pages once in a while.

The latest in racing car proposals in 1902

It is March 1902, there is no organized motor racing in England. The first proper “race” in the UK at Bexhill-on-Sea is still a few months away. It is on the mainland of Europe that road racing has taken off. Races between major cities are the rage and the famous Gordon Bennett Trophy is now well established. These races on the continent were being won by continental drivers, much to the chagrin of English Mechanic reader, and letter writer, D.W. Gawn who proposed this design of car to compete with the Europeans and win.
The car as described is certainly quite unlike anything else on the road back then, with its futuristic angular lines and streamlining. But what is really sets it apart is the driving position. The driver and mechanic lie down on their fronts on a padded, inclined couch protected on three sides and above by a cab. This brought to my mind parts of the late Sir Peter Ustinovs classic satirical recording "The Grand Prix of Gibraltar"
As the designer states in his letter to the editor. “The car would, behind the bonnet be of a wedge formation, thus reducing windage and vacuum troubles to a minimum”. He seems to know something about the concept of streamlining. The cab area would certainly offer protection from the buffeting winds the speeds would create, and if you required further protection from the elements, a canvas sheet would be drawn across the rear from the cab roof to the end of the car. He surmised that all this protection would make things more comfortable for the crew as they would not have to wear heavy coats, gloves and hats to keep them warm.
What about the pedals? How would you operate this novel vehicle? This is where things get a little vague, Mr Gawn only goes so far as to suggest that slots would be cut into the couch that the driver lies on. He considered that the area below the dashboard would be left open to the engine so that the driver and mechanic could keep an eye on things during running. Perhaps small adjustments and running repairs could be made too. This may well have resulted in quite the noisy cockpit at high speeds and high engine revs though.
As for the engine. What would power this car to victory? A four cylinder 50 HP unit is suggested in the letter. Horsepower to engine size calculations are complicated and way beyond my knowledge to work out. But a 1902 Napier Grand Prix car was said to develop 45 HP from a six and a half litre engine. I think it's fair to assume that the engine would need to be about 7 litres or 427 cubic inches at a minimum. Our designer wanted the power plant to be transversely mounted, with flywheels at each end of the crankcase, claiming that this would lead to greater stability than a similar car with a longitudinally mounted engine. Drive to the transmission, and wheels would be by chain.
The writer even says that he has shown this design to David J. Smith, supplier of parts for the English Mechanic cars. Smith was often referred to in the pages of the “English Mechanic” and was answering questions on the subject of car construction nearly every week. Clearly, he was seen as some kind of expert on the manufacture of early automobiles. Apparently Mr. Smith conceded that the idea had some merit and may well be a “goer” if a working pedal operation can be arranged, but the idea may be ahead of its time. Which in some aspects it is. The streamlined look and driving cab is like nothing else around then. But why Gawn chose to have the driver lay down on his front instead of reclining in a seat is beyond me. But this is the early days of the automobile and anything goes.
In closing, he asked for peoples opinions of the design, but I have yet to find a reply from any other readers of the magazine in the following issues.
The temptation to visualise what the vehicle may have looked like was too much for me, so I decided to dust off my iPad drawing skills and give it a go. The sketches are nothing but conjecture and a little bit of fun.

Artists impression showing the cockpit. Complete with padded couch.

Artist’s impression of the car at speed.

The history of my Model T

All old cars have a history. The older they are, the more history they have. As cars get passed from owner to owner  this history gets added to, sometimes the past history can get lost. Take my ‘76 MGB for example. It’s painted in the colours that a race car from Canada would have been painted in prior to 1965. (Racing green with twin white stripes.) It came with a roll cage too. The person I bought it from told me it came from Canada. But that’s all he knew. Did someone buy it with a plan to race it someday? There might well be some history there but no-one will ever know.

The history of my Model T is different. Quite a lot is known about it. The previous owner, my good friend Jan, is something of a historian, so she had had a good dig around asking questions of the previous owner. 

The very earliest history, little is known about that. Even the Ford Sales records from 1926 were lost in a fire in the 1970's. So we will never be able to confirm that it was first sold in Minnesota, or that the plates the car came with are the originals. Nor will we know how many owners it had. We can only confirm five, including me.

Some scrapbook photos of a Model T in need of care. Probably not my car

What we know do know was that in the early 1950’s a 15 year old lad named Jim Meyer found an old T decaying in a barn in Minnesota and he decided that he wanted to restore it. So he bought it, and for the next however many years it travelled around the Midwest with him as he grew up and began getting on with his life

Jim was a woodworker who owned his own lumber business, and he used his woodworking skills on the restoration of the T. The wooden spokes on the wheels were all turned by hand. 48 all identical. Jim turned them from Oak, rather than the Hickory that is usually used. Perhaps the durability of the oak was preferred over the flexibility of the hickory. The spokes have lasted well over a quarter of a century. 

Teram Menards Indy Car driver Gary Bettenhausen with Jim and the Model T

It was through Jims Lumber business that he met Larry Menard of the Menards DIY store and motor racing family. The two must have become very good friends because we have a picture of Jim and his son stood in front of the T with Indy car driver Gary Bettenhausen who was contracted to drive for the Menards team between 1990 and 1993 so this picture can be dated to then.

The Mendota Bridge in 1926

1994 was a big year for Jim and the Model T. This was the year of the re-opening of the Mendota Bridge in Minneapolis. At 4,114 feet long, it was the longest concrete arch bridge in the world when it was opened in 1926. As time went on, the traffic became too much for the bridge and between 1992 and 1994 it was rebuilt to add an extra lanes of traffic.

The longest concrete arch bridge in the world

When the bridge was re-opened there was a big celebration including a parade of civic dignitaries all in cars from 1926, the year the bridge was built. This car was in that parade. That means this car was one of the first, maybe even the first vehicle across the re-opened Mendota bridge. Reports indicate that Jim Meyer was a very proud man that day and was seen with tears in his eyes.

Sadly Jim was not a well man, and he passed away sometime after the triumphant bridge crossing.

Jims widow did not know what to do with the car, so Larry Menard offered to take it off her hands. Larry had an extensive car collection himself so for a while this car languished among a selection of Chevrolets until he decided to sell it, and that’s where my friend Jan came in.

Jan had always wanted a Model T, she had even told her father when she was younger that one day she would have a Tin Lizzie and this one came up at the right time. She was one very proud owner when we first saw the car about 15 years ago as I write this. Both my wife and I fell in love with the car when we saw it. 
We told Jan that when she wanted to sell, that she should consider us. Not that I ever envisioned that happening. I always thought that it would stay in the family or that we wouldn't be able to afford it.
Jan put the car to good use as a member of the Ashland, Wisconsin Historical Society, offering rides around the town for a donation to the historical society. Many thousands of dollars were raised by this little car for historic projects in the town. 

Then suddenly, quite out of the blue when we were in town visiting one year Jan mentioned that she was getting ready to sell and was I still interested...

Thus begins a new chapter in the history of this 1926 Ford Model T.

Further findings in Victorian automobile construction

As I researched the previous blog post reading the old issues "The English Mechanic" from the early 1900's, I could only be impressed by these Victorian and Edwardian amateur engineers or "Tyro's" as they liked to be known.

Yes, Thomas Hyler White was a professional engineer and draftsman of great skill and vision, but he and his plans helped inspire the ordinary Victorian gentleman engineer to great heights.
This person who signed his letter "FTR", for example. He describes the car he built. "I am not an engineer" he began, "nor have I an engineering workshop". His largest lathe (he must have more than one then) is only 4 1/2". He had the cylinders bored by someone else and he bought the chains, springs and the rear axle.

But it's what he did make that is amazing. The wheels are of his own manufacture. Looking at the rims in this photograph, I'm not even sure that they have tyres on them.

FTR's Home built car

Then there follows a mind boggling description of his home made ignition system using a copper wire and barometer tube! This amazing vehicle could carry the builder and his family on 20 mile rides with a top speed of 10 miles per hour.

Another remarkable contribution came from someone with the non-de-plume "Economy". He doubted that many of the magazines readers had the skills or money to construct such an elaborate vehicle as Hyler Whites first two seater. So he proposed his own design. A three wheeler inspired by the voiturettes of Léon Bollée. The Bolée brothers had finished first and second in the the very first London to Brighton car run in 1896 in vehicles of their own design. So the three wheeler concept clearly had some cachet, and would continue to do so for a few years to come. A Contal three wheeler even took part, somewhat ill-fatedly, in the 1907 Peking to Paris rally that I discussed here.

The three wheeler design of Mr. "Economy"

The design submitted by "Economy" was fairly detailed as you can see, suggesting an ash frame for the car. Wooden frames were popular because it was an easy material to work that the ordinary person would have a lot of experience with. Power came from a single cylinder air cooled engine that he thought could be manufactured from drawn steel tubing with flanges for fittings brazed on, he then goes on to describe a transmission that seems well thought out, if a little complex.

Description of the transmission 

He estimates that the car would cost about 30 Victorian English pounds which in todays money is about 750 pounds or nearly 1000 US dollars. I'm not sure you could build something for that price today.
He then goes on to to invite comment on his design. Needless to say his idea for the cylinder was quickly, but politely, pooh-poohed.
In an issue dated May 24th 1901, I found this letter from David J Smith describing a version of the EM small car.

A professionally built EM car.

Professionally built by a company in Manchester, using the components from Smith's company, this car had a 5 1/2 HP engine and really does look most impressive. The larger, pneumatic tires and big brass headlamps help give the vehicle a whole new look compared to the version that ran on solid rubber tyres.

Compare this to the EM Car above. Same plans, many of the same parts, different execution

The Victorian era was a time of great self confidence in Great Britain and across the empire. The Victorian gentleman thought he could do anything and the content of this periodical prove that. The pages are laden with all sorts of crazy and disproved ideas for all kinds of contraptions as well as more successful inventions and theories. From small scribbles to detailed engineering drawings it was all in here.
All in all, a trawl through the Google books archive of the English Mechanic would be of interest to many a vintage car enthusiast. I'm certain I shall return to the pages of this historic publication soon.

The English Mechanic.

As this is the time of that most English of motoring spectacles, the London to Brighton Run. I thought I'd reflect on a car of that era celebrated every November that fascinates me and has run in the event.

The "English Mechanic" A special car with a place in Automotive history (Bonhams autioneers)

The English Mechanic and World of Science (to give the publication its full title), was a weekly magazine that ran between 1865 and 1926 for the engineering and scientifically minded people of the time. It carried many constructional and engineering articles. Articles about building and improving telescopes were popular. Pieces about lathe turning and decorative woodworking shared pages with articles about gravity, photography and the building of flying machines. 

In 1896 the magazine published a series of anonymous articles on how to build your own three wheeled motor carriage. Written by a gentleman called F E Blake it was little more than a detailed outline of a project compared to what was to come. 
Then in January 1900 they began what is probably the most important of all their constructional series. “A small car and how to build it”. Over the next 31 weeks it described the construction of the two seat small car seen above. That makes this the worlds first Kit Car, preceding the modern "kit car" era by as much as 50 years.

The GA drawing of the side of the car. (Google books)

The articles in the magazine covered everything to enable a reader to make their own version of this automobile. They included full schematic engineering drawings of the major parts of the car. Drawings that would enable a person to make the patterns to cast and make their own single cylinder three horse power engine. If that, or any other, task was beyond them, then it was possible to purchase the parts featured from an engineering company. Otherwise Benz parts were recommended, probably because Benz cars were so popular at the time. The designer was building a car himself as the articles progressed, so changes in the construction appeared as the project developed.
The two speed 3 HP engine would propel you at speeds up to 14 mph carrying two people "over any ordinary route where gradients are not abnormal" according to the then anonymous designer. The "transmission" was an interesting twin belt arrangement. It consisted of low and high speed drive belts that normally ran slack. Drive occurred when one of the belts was tightened by a pulley pressing down on it depending on the gear selected. The designer felt that a belt transmission was quieter than a friction clutch and geared transmission. There was no reverse. The relatively low powered motor was selected because it was felt that a larger more powerful unit would "give rise to unpleasant vibrations and shake the carriage to pieces very rapidly"  The designer also felt that the major key to the cost was the trim and fittings, and these were left to the constructor as was the choice of solid rubber or pneumatic tyres. 

GA and cross section of the cylinder, so simple I can understand it.  (Google books)

In later years, other constructional series followed, in 1901 a 1 1/2 HP motor bicycle. An article about building a steam car followed from June 1901 to March 1902 then almost immediately by a steam tricycle. The original “small car” was upgraded to a two cylinder 5-8 horsepower design in a series of articles that ran from February 1903 to 1904. Then after a few years hiatus, in 1907-1908 a small delivery van was the subject of the articles. Each car was known as an English Mechanic, there being no distinction between sizes and types.

The other remaining "EM designs" The Steam car and the upgraded small car.
(Internet images no copyright infringement intended)

Today, to the best of anyone’s knowledge, only a steam car of 1901, a 1903 two cylinder car and two of the first two seater small cars have survived to this day.

All of the designs were the work of an Englishman. Thomas Hyler White, a 29 year old engineer, who began his career in the automobile industry working at Daimler between 1896 and 1898. He had also taken part in the original emancipation run in 1896. This was the event that marked the end of the notorious ‘red flag’ law and was the precursor of the world famous London to Brighton classic car run. By 1899 he had designed his own petrol engine, and was working for David J Smith & Co.  This was the engineering firm that could supply the parts for these cars in the magazine if you didn’t want to make your own. To that extent you could look on these vehicle projects as marketing exercises. In addition to writing for The Mechanic magazine Hyler White also contributed articles to the American equivalent magazine "The Horseless Age".

The Hyler White Petrol engine of 1899 (Graces Guide)

Sadly, Hyler White passed away in 1920. He was only 48. He was not a well man, he suffered from consumption. He left behind a wife and two children. 
I feel he is under appreciated in the history of British automobile. Though his name isn’t attached to a million selling car like the popular car makers, and it's unknown how many people actually built an English Mechanic. He certainly left his mark, and having read letters to the editor in the Mechanic magazine his designs instilled great loyalty amongst his supporters. On reflection he could be seen as important to the English car industry as people like Rolls and Royce and even WO Bentley.

As can be expected, the technology of a car built in 1900 is extremely simple. The drawings are well within the capacity of anyone who studied geometric and mechanical drawing at school to understand. 
There has been several notable classic car reconstructions lately. Most notably Adrian Wards Jappic recreation and Duncan Pittaways phenomenal "Beast of Turin" So why hasn't anyone had a go at recreating this piece of motoring history?
The manufacture of a 3HP engine should be as difficult/impossible as back in 1900 but with no contemporary castings to fall back on, vintage engines of the period could be sourced. Perhaps modern CAD technology and milling techniques could make parts more easily than early 20th century forgings. Would 3D printing be possible for some parts? I do not know. I can understand the drawings but perhaps the actual building of a car might be beyond me. Perhaps more technically and mechanically minded than I could do it. 
Anyone?