Insure Your Auto - Car Insurance and Loans

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Abby Hill Steam Rally 2012 Report

Abby hill is one of the first steam rally's of the year and it certainly has shown promise of the year to come. With good turn outs for the various sections, steam engines, commercials, military, motorcycles and tractors.

1922 Wolf 3 1/2hp (digitally painted ink sketch)

First up I decided to start with the motorcycles as I had been sketching bike all last weekend I thought I might as well go with something familiar to warm up.

1914 AC6 Traction Engine (digitally painted ink sketch)

I couldn't visit a steam rally and not sketch a steam engine. Here is an Averling and Porter General purpose engine. I must say it was great to sketch around machines of this caliber. The smell of burning coal and the sounds of the engines steaming up was a fantastic atmosphere to sketch in the engine itself added to the sketch by spitting some oil on the paper. The current owner of this general engine is the second owner of the engine since new and has lovingly restored this engine after it was decommissioned in the 70s.

1919 GMC water bowser (digitally painted ink sketch)

As I was sketching the steam engine this incredible machine pulled up. This was imported from California and was then put into running order and nothing else. It certainly was drawing a lot of attention as I was sketching it. I think this was mainly down to the fact that it as a lot of character, and this has not being removed by a full restoration.

4 Cylinders and a magneto what more do you need?

A separate pump for the water tank mounted directly behind the seat.

There certainly was a lot to see at Abbey Hill. Here is a selection of my favourites from my visit on Sunday.

Steam

Commercials

Motorbikes

Tractors

For more information on the Abbey Hill Steam Rally please visit their website:

Www.abbeyhillrally.co.uk

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

New Prints Available at Wiscombe Park Hill Climb this Coming Weekend

Bentley 8 litre

Cooper

500 J.A.P

Here are 4 new digital paintings which I will be displaying at Wiscombe Park this coming weekend at both the 500 Owners Club event on Saturday and the VSCC event on Sunday. For more information on the event please visit the following websites:

www.vscc.co.uk
www.500race.org

Thursday, May 3, 2012

32nd Carol Nash Classic Motorcycle Show, at Stafford Showground 2012

Vintage and Verteran (www.vinandvet.eu) Invited me back to sketch on their stand at the Classic Bike show. Yet again the Purveyors of fine motorcycles put on a good show of old and unusual bikes, it certainly kept me busy over the weekend.

1913 J.E.S. (digitally painted ink sketch)

Made in Gloucester in 1913, by JES Motorworks this 116cc engined bicycle has been a successful entrant of the Pioneer Run many times, and is now offered for sale by Vintage and Veteran.

1924 AJS V-Twin Model E
(digitally painted ink sketch)

This great 800 v twin was sat behind my display and so was a real must for the sketchbook. It is part of an outfit with a very good size sidecar. I especially like the gas powered headlamps on these early veterans as the hooded headlamps always have a very aesthetically pleasing appearance.

1909 Veteran Triumph (digitally painted ink sketch)

A bit of a mystery. A 1909 Trumph with a clutch and 3 speed gearbox fitted.

This very early Triumph received a lot of attention over the weekend and was sold by the end of Saturday. There were so many lovely little bits of history on this bike as it had been laid up since 1927 and nothing had been touched. I do hope whoever bought it is sympathetic to it's history and does not take the restoration too far.

BSA G12 1000cc V Twin outfit (digitally painted ink sketch)

This BSA & sidecar was delivered new to Bath City Police force in 1932.

1920 FN 4 Cylinder

A lovely of this shaft driven FN model

1903 227cc Royal Enfield pioneer motorcycle

Laid up since 1920, until it was found hidden away in the 1970’s, the ultimate barn find. This is billed as possibly the earliest running Royal Enfield. Restoredin the 90's this fine pioneer motorcycle has taken part in 10 Pioneer Runs and several Banbury entries and has been used on a regular basis.

1910 Douglas Model D

I'm always intrigued with the horizontal douglas engine, it constantly make you look twice. Apparently there are only 3 older Douglas motorcycles surviving.

All the above bikes are listed on the Vintage and Veteran Website. If you want to know more, the website has a lot of lovely photographs of all of these machines and many more.

www.vinandvet.eu

The Rudge Enthusiats Club Stand

Congratulations to the Rudge Club on winning the 1st place in the Club Stand category, from the bikes below you certainly can see why.

www.rudge.co.uk

1911 Rudge Whitworth Brooklands

This is a gorgeous restoration of the production model based on the Brooklands bike that was the first to cover 60 miles in 60 minutes. The owner was kind enough to take it out from the club stand so that I could take some good photographs of it.

1951 1000cc Bailey Rudge

This is the only high-camshaft twin Rudge left in existence.

Rudge Ulster

The N.A.C.C. Stand

After recently being featured in the N.A.C.C. club magazine "Buzzing" I was glad to see their stand at Stafford. There were some lovely examples of Autocycles and cycle motors on display. To find out more about the club please visit their website:

www.thebuzzingclub.co.uk