Well things have taken a decidely left turn. As some may have spotted, thanks BB
, a Steamer with chair recently came up on Fleabay. After a chat with the vendor and more than a chat with the other half, it seemed like too good an opportunity to miss. It was all in one piece, already had leading link forks, was already colour matched and was a proven article, unlike my project
Some waiting and I finally made a bid in the closing hour, after some nail biting and calling up as much Karma as I could I was lucky enough to win. I managed to get down to Bromley South after the weekend to collect it from a very helful vendor who had a huge amount of paperwork from the original (who kept a detailed log) and previous owners, I have come to the conclusion this is the same rig that started me off on this journey (see pic in first post), having featured on an earlier version of Hedingham's website (not there now).
After getting my sh1te together and mustering a fair bit of courage, not having operated a combination since I was in my teens and then only around a field and farmyard, I set off through the streets of greater London just as the evening rush hour was starting to build in search of petrol, the M25 and Scotland. I know, mad as a box of
and asking for trouble
Well the Gods must have taken pity on me because I managed it without any collateral damage but not without scaring myself on a few occasions, stopped for a break part of the way home and to cut a long story short ended up in a hotel that I hadn't planned on much later than I would have liked, thanks Laterooms.com (not).
Pure coincidence but the bar in the hotel as you see below
I don't think I will be getting approval to redecorate with a similar theme anytime soon. Since I was near enough to Hinkley I couldn't resist the temptation to indulge in a little spiritual homage before heading North, I think I caught a glimpse of John Bloor closing his curtains and taking the phone off the hook as I rocked up at his front door, the custom SUS end cans are loud
It's hard to believe but the engine in this thing is the sweetest of the three I now have, and the quietest, I wasn't expecting that after the PO admitting that he had drilled a few extra holes in the end plates because the single outlet had a whistle that he found irritating and the airbox has been truncated on one side to accomodate the subframe but she pulls like a good 'un without a hiccup or flat spot anywhere
Serious recalibration has been required, I need to overhaul the brakes, I think the suspension may be getting a bit tired, I will need to do some setting up to suit my loading, after 500 miles in a little over 24 hours, I now know why regular sidecar pilots have neck and shoulder muscles like a Welsh Scrum Front Row but I am seriously hooked and importantly so is the Boss, anybody want to buy a low mileage Trophy SE, I'll throw in a spare sidecar I happen to have lying around?
Topic: Steam Driven Chair (Read 20247 times)
