New blog

Hi all, due to me putting more focus on my interest in the Edwardian era recently, i've set up a new blog for all things Edwardian, covering 1901-1919. I'll certainly be updating this blog more often, especially as I have a lot more material to draw from, however i'll try and update this one when I find something interesting to put up, or even just the occasional picture.

Please have a look at my new blog and follow it, and I hope it will be of interest.

http://electric-edwardians.blogspot.com

REO Speed Wagon

Firstly, my apologies for the long delay in posting - work, moving etc have got in the way so haven't found the time to do so.

Despite the title, this post isn't about an American Rock Band - it's about a bus. REO was an American motor car manufacturer, who later made a type of truck known as the REO Speed Wagon, a name used for over twenty years for various light-trucks and fire engines, busses etc built on the same chassis. This 1925 REO Speed Wagon was given a bus body, and is now owned by the Black Country Living Museum (http://www.bclm.co.uk), where it is seen in these photographs taken on a rainy day in 2008.



This very REO Speed Wagon was used in an episode of 'Jeeves & Wooster', Series 2 Episode 5, 'The Mysterious Stranger', painted blue, seen here;

http://imcdb.org/vehicle_69181-REO-Speed-Wagon-1925.html

Alvis to continue production of 1936 car!

Amazing news from Alvis that they are to reproduce the 1936 Alvis 4.1 Litre sports car. Time to save up the pennies!

Alvis, arguably one of the most innovative car manufacturers in the 1930s, is set to return to business in the 21st century with ownership of the brand name having been formally transferred to Red Triangle, which for the last 40 years has been providing parts and restoration services to Alvis owners and has also been the safe custodian of all the original designs, plans and complete historic record of the cars produced.

With the legal transfer of the Alvis car trademarks, Red Triangle has formed a new company called The Alvis Car Company Limited. There is evidence from the original Alvis company board minutes that seventy-seven of the chassis that were officially sanctioned for production were never fulfilled because car production had to be suspended in 1940.

The newly formed Alvis Car Company will announce details of a continuation series of these cars at Goodwood and will be displaying on their stand a brand new 4.3 Litre chassis and engine. These are the first steps towards the reintroduction of the famous Alvis 4.3 Litre model, 71 years after the last 4.3 Litre Alvis was produced.

The 4.3 Litre Alvis was the fastest non-supercharged production car of its day, and the continuation series will live up to that heritage. Manufactured from the original drawings, the 4.3 Litre Alvis in-line six cylinder engine will be faithful to the 1936 design, in maintaining all its period character and quality, yet by utilising modern technology it will be emission compliant. Moreover, by using modern materials, fuel injection and engine management, this powerplant will deliver even more horsepower.

Image and quote from http://www.alviscars.co.uk/alviscars.php

Railway Air Services Winter Timetable, 1938

Fantastic cover from Railway Air Services winter timetable, published September 12 1938, showing a de Havilland DH.86 Express



From the collection of Björn Larsson at Airline Timetable Images http://www.timetableimages.com/ttimages/ras.htm

Esso Advert, 1936

Morall's Gentlemans' Outfitters

A recreated building at the Black Country Living Museum depicting a menswear shop typical of the 1930s



To see the building, and others, visit the Black Country Living Museum website http://www.bclm.co.uk

Great Western Railway Air Services Part Two

The GWR Air Services were very succesful, and was one of the forerunners of the UK Domestic Airlines that operate today such as easyJet and Flybe. However, they only operated for a single season - in 1934, the airline Railway Air Services was formed, a collaboration of all four main railway companies - the Great Western Railway, the Southern Railway, the London Midland and Scotland Railway and the London North Eastern Railway