Horse Drawn Ambulance, 1910

 

 This very unusual design of ambulance, which looks like a standard horse drawn carriage, was built around 1910 by Messrs. Wilson & Stockall of Bury, Lancashire. It was in fact based on the Brougham private carriage, and appears to have been designed for transporting more well-off patients so they could be moved discretely. A patient on a stretcher would be loaded via the rear door, visible in the photographs, with one end sitting in the box underneath the driver's seat. The attendant(s) would sit alongside the stretcher. Darkened windows added to the privacy

Imperial Model B Typewriter, 1915

The Imperial Model B Typewriter was a hugely successful model which continued to enhance Imperial of Leicester's reputation around the world - they were especially popular in France and Russia, with a special telegraph model adopted and used by the Swedish Government. 

Imperial Model A Typewriter, 1908

 

 The Imperial Typewriter Company came into existence following Mr Moya of the Moya Typewriter Company obtaining financial assistance from two Leicester businessmen in 1908. The Imperial Model A may look awkward and unconventional compared to other typewriters of the era, but was based on new scientific and technical knowledge. It was a widely successful, popular design and launched Leicester's typewriting business more than the previous Moya's did

Kalee No 6 35mm Film Projector Mechanism, 1916

 

 One of a pair used at Radcliffe College, Syston, Leicestershire, this was built around 1916, with the shutter blade originally made of steel but later changed to cardboard for safety reasons

 

Leicester Corporation Tramways Leyland X Type Tower Wagon, 1911

 

This curious vehicle fulfilled a vital role on the electric tramways of Edwardian England, essentially a motorised version of this Manchester Tower Wagon of the same vintage - http://electric-edwardians.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/manchester-horse-drawn-tower-wagon-1911.html . Leicester had electric trams since 1904 and had a horse drawn tower wagon, however a motorised version was ordered from Leyland which arrived in 1911, a Leyland X Type fitted witha  4.5 litre petrol engine and designated Number One and given the registration BC 1078. It worked alongside the horse drawn tower wagon until the early 1920's when a second Leyland arrived in 1923, and a third one came along in 1924. After the Leicester trams were taken out of service, they were used for dismantling the overhead wires and poles in 1950, and the 1911 Leyland survived for longer in the Abbey Park Road Tram depot, now used for busses, for help in changing light bulbs! In 1963 it was repainted and entered preservation, and is seen here on display at the Abbey Pumping Station in Leicester, where it is taken out of storage for special events, and still works from what I can gather

 

Hispano Suiza 8-10hp Type 24 Car, 1918

 

 This is a Hispano Suiza Type 24, built in 1918 but built to a 1914 design, one of three new designs unveiled in 1914 by HIspano Suiza. In 1914, the Type 24, fitted with an 8-10hp sidevalve engine, sold for £320 for just the chassis including engine, wheels etc in 1914, with the bodywork extra, the model remaining in production until 1922. The serial for the engine on this Type 24 dates to February 1918, although the radiator badge design is typically pre-1915 so exterior wise seems to more match a 1914 model. There is little information on the history of this car, except that it had been on display at the Slot Veteran Museum Park in Kvaerndrup, Denmark, before being imported to the UK in 2007. It is believed to be the only Type 24 in the UK, and one of only ten Hispano-Suizas from the Edwardian era in the UK.

 

'Beachy Head' London, Brighton & South Coast Railway Atlantic Express Steam Locomotive Replica

 

 Sadly, the Bluebell Railway missed out on the chance to buy an LBSCR H2 Class 'Atlantic' (4-4-2 wheel arrangement) locomotive when formed, but years ago the boiler of a Great Northern Railway C1 Class Atlantic locomotive was found, which the H2 Class was based on (see the GNR C1 Class 251 here - http://electric-edwardians.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/great-northern-railway-c1-atlantic.html), which the Bluebell Railway purchased and forms the base of a plan to recreate H2 Class 'Beachy Head', built in 1911, one of six of the H2 Class. It appears that it will be completed in post-1948 British Railways lined black livery with the number 32424, but hopefully at some point it will be seen in its original, splended London Brighton & South Coast Railway colours, but either way it will be fantastic to see a large Edwardian express passenger engine in action, especially as, as far as i'm aware, there are none running currently. More information on the project can be found here; http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/locos/atlantic/

London & South Western Railway Lavatory Brake Third Carriage 1520, 1910

This 1910 built carriage was originally part of four-carriage Set 63 for use on the London & South Western Railway for services from London Waterloo down the main line to the south-west coast of England. Brake carriages had a small area at the rear for the guard, brake and space for luggage, however the luggage area on this carriage occupied half of the entire length of the vehicle, as so much luggage was taken on holiday by Edwardian families! There were two of these carriages in one train, so effectively the train consisted of three carriages worth of passenger space and one entire carriage worth of space for their luggage - and even then there would often be an extra luggage van attached to the train. Destinations typically included Bournemouth, Portsmouth and north Devon. After entering preservation it was restored by the Bluebell Railway and relaunched into service in 2010, in its very colourful original LSWR paint scheme, seen here

Taskers B2 'Little Giant' Steam Road Tractor, 1915

This is a Tasker and Sons B2 'Little Giant' steam road tractor traction engine, on display at Milestones Museum, Basingstoke along with two complete 'Little Giant' tractors. It was built as works number 1643 in 1915 for a customer by the name of House in Gosport, and what you see here are all that remains of this tractor, however does help show how a traction engine works.

   

 Firebox, boiler and smokebox. The firebox, on the lower left, is where coal is put in and lit, the fire heating the water inside the boiler, in the centre. The tubes running through the boiler spread the heat along the entire boiler, the smoke from the firebox and tubes coming out in the smokebox where it escapes up the chimney (at the top right is the chimney base). The smokebox door at the front allows access to clean the smokebox.

 

 

 Cylinder and motion works - a lever at the driver's position, which would be near the firebox, moves a valve which regulates the amount of steam allowed into the cylinder (on the left) which moves backwards and forwards, producing power via the pistons which moves the engine or rotates the flywheel which would be attached on the right which could power stationary machinery.

 

 

 Rear axle - the motion work links to the rear axle by gears and levers which moves the rear wheels of the engine, the different gears regulating the speed and direction of the engine.

"White" 30hp Steam Car (Lambert & Butler Motors 17 of 25)

This is 15 of 25 in the Lambert & Butler Motors Series of Cigarette Cards, issued in 1908. From the back of the card;

"A magnificent 30hp "White" Steam Limousine car is here illustrated. No more luxurious motor carriage can be found than this, which, with its well-known charateristics of absense of noise, absense of vibration, absence of smell, dustlessness, extreme comfort, and the maximum of flexibility, has attained a high place among the motor carriages de luxe"

Taskers B2 'Little Giant' Steam Road Tractor, 1917

This is Taskers B2 'Little Giant' steam road tractor 'Blossom', works number 1726 and registration SR 1294, built by Tasker and Sons of Andover, Hampshire in 1917. The B2 steam road tractors, smaller than most traction engines and designed for road haulage. They were a 'light' engine developing five nominal horsepower, first introduced in 1902 and eventually over three hundred of the 'Little Giant' type were built, so it was a popular design. 'Blossom' is fitted with thick solid rubber tyres over the metal wheels for use on roads, and is one of two 'Little Giant' Taskers tractors on display at the Milestones Museum, Basingstoke 

 

Siemens Electric Locomotive E2, 1909

Those who are frequent visitors to the blog may think this locomotive looks very similar to another Edwardian electric locomotive that has featured before - that's because it's very similar to Siemens E10 of 1913, featured here - http://electric-edwardians.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/siemens-electric-locomotive-1913.html . Both were supplied to the Harton Coal Company who operated electric locomotives from the Edwardian era up until the 1980's when they stopped operating. This is locomotive E2, and apart from being built in 1909 is otherwise identical or nearly identical to previously featured E10 of 1913. E2 is located at Beamish Open Air Museum and is on static display outside near the Tram depot, somewhat tucked away but being located next to a giant steam excavator makes it easy to find for those that wish to. Another Harton electric locomotive is the very different looking AEG built E9, featured here - http://electric-edwardians.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/aeg-electric-locomotive-1913.html