SS 'Turbinia', 1904

Built by Hawthorns and Leslie in 1904, the SS 'Turbinia' is not the more famous experimental steam turbine boat that was built in the 19th Century by Charles Parsons, but is instead a passenger ferry. The 'Turbinia' name was very popular as it was by then strongly associated with speed and smoothness. This ferry was used in the Great Lakes of North America, later working in the West Indies, and then converted to a hospital ship for use in the Great War

North Eastern Railway Poster, 1909

North Eastern Railway poster dating from 1909, advertising services to the various ports on the River Tees. A reproduction of the poster can be bought from - http://www.past-reflections.co.uk/Tees_ports.html

Daimler 48hp Limousine (Lambert & Butler Motors, 10 of 25)

This is 10 of 25 in the Lambert & Butler Motors Series of Cigarette Cards, issued in 1908. From the back of the card;

"We here illustrate a Daimler model "H" "Daventry" detachable Limousine. This firm have had the honour to supply their cars to HM King Edward VII, the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Duke of Connaught, and Princess Henry of Battenberg, as well as to many Royal personages abroad, including the King of Siam, the Nizam of Hyderabad, and the Maharajah Ranjitsinhji Jam Nawanagar"

Electric Construction Co 5hp Motor, 1912

I know very little about this small, uncredited exhibit at the Museum of Brewing at Burton-upon-Trent, apart from that it is an electric motor built in 1912 by the Wolverhampton based Electric Construction Company, who specialised in electrical plant such as motors, dynamos, switchboards etc, apart from a brief foray in 1897 when they made a small electric dog-cart (small car)

 

Steam Dredger 'Thames', 1904

1:48 scale model of the 1904 built twin screw Steam suction Dredger 'Thames', built in 1904

Eilean Glas Lighthouse Light, 1907

Since the 1780's there has been a Lighthouse on Scalpay to protect the Minch, the name given to the channel between the Isle of Lewis and the Scottish mainland. This equipment was fitted to the Lighthouse in 1907 by the Stevenson family, a four generation engineering family which included writer Robert Louis Stevenson, who managed engineering and design of Scottish lighthouses. The glass in this light weights three tons, and uses three panels of prisms to provide as much power and size as possible, focused using the Fresnel principle.

Lily Pond, Victoria Embankment Gardens, 1915

 In the nineteenth century, the Embankment was built along the north edge of the River Thames through London, to improve sewerage and, through the building of a road, to relieve traffic congestion - the underground District Railway was also built underneath the roadway. A series of gardens were also built further inland than the roadway, and a number of memorials were built here amongst the paths and greenery. It's a very pleasant part of London, and amongst the features of the gardens is this Lily pond, built in 1915 and paid for by Alfred Buxton, one of four Councillors who represented the City of London for London County Council who went on to be the Chairman of London County Council from 1916 to 1917.

 

London & North Western Railway poster, 1909

London & North Western Railway poster dating from 1909, advertising Wicklow on the Irish coast, via Holyhead. A reproduction of the poster can be bought from - http://www.past-reflections.co.uk/Wicklow_Coast.html

Blackburn Type D Monoplane, 1912 - Airborne!

 

 The world's oldest flying British aeroplane, doing what it was made for just over 100 years ago

 

Blackburn Type D Monoplane, 1912

 

 This is the world's oldest flying British aeroplane, and the world's oldest flying British aero-engine. Built by Robert Blackburn, who was by then an established aeroplane manufacturer, the Blackburn Type D Monoplane was built in October 1912 for Cyril Foggin and was fitted with a 50hp Gnome rotary engine, first flying in December 1912. Despite Foggin receiving the aircraft in March 1913 following Blackburn's pilot Harold Blackburn using it for demonstration flights before then, it was still used by Blackburn for demonstrations through Foggin's ownership, for example between the 23rd and 25th July 1913 it was used to fly copies of the Yorkshire Post newspaper from Leeds to York.

 

 

 It was later sold to Montague Francis Glew but crashed it at Wittering, Lincolnshire in 1914, and was not flown again. It was abandoned with the outbreak of the First World War and found in 1937 by Richard Shuttleworth hidden under a haystack - he had to buy the haystack to acquire the aircraft. Restoration was started in 1940 but the death of Shuttleworth in the Second World War meant it was not completed until 1949, by his chief engineer. It is kept airworthy and still flies at Shuttleworth Collection when the weather is suitable enough for such a unique, historically important aircraft. Visit the blog in two days time to see photos of the aircraft airborne