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| Schofield Holden ( Toronto) |
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miro
Senior Member
Username: miro
Post Number: 232
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, July 13, 2006 - 12:50 pm: | 
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Last weekend, I was at an engine show and saw this 2 cylinder beauty. I've never seen a reference to this engine builder.
The intriguing feature is the worm drive that feeds the timer, oiler, magneto and ( presumably) the water pump. The water pump is missing. There is evidence that nickel plating was used on the heads bolts.
The worm drive off the crankshaft. The magneto is a MEO ( its name plate was still attached)
Here is the worm drive to the oiler and the lever that changes the timing ( the magneto rotates to change the time when the spark occurs). The timer is seems to be fixed and does not move.
Here is the name on the cast crankcase cover
Because of the oiler ad the elaborate mechanics to drive it and the ignition, I would put it into the 1905-1910 time frame. |
foxman
Visitor
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 18, 2006 - 10:21 pm: |
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I'm surprised you've never heard of Schofield Holden. SH apparently took over some of the plant and machine shop assets of the failed Canada Launch Works enterprise at 2 Carlaw Ave. ?? Schofield and Jack Holden may have been former employees of CLW. SH set up business about 1905-1906, so your year guess is probably correct. They wer primarily an engine builder, although Jack Holden did have the company build a racing boat for him, a displacement hulled craft called Blue Streak. He installed a H-S engine, which was a 4 cylinder and probably a 2 cycle, somewhat larger version of the engine shown above which put out 25-28 HP. Blue Streak won the Canadian Cup in 1907, which was held at the CNE in the little rock lagoon down by the fairgrounds waterfront. The Challenger was Canada's first raceboat, built by the Nicholls Bros in 1906, known as Little Star II. IN the fall of 1907 Holden drove Blue Streak all the way up to Brockville and beat the local racers. IN 1908 the Gilbert Boat Works built their own pencil racer, drove down to the CNE and beat Blue Streak.
I don't have much info on HS after that they may have gone under in WWI, like so may other boat and engine builders. |
richarddurgee
Senior Member
Username: richarddurgee
Post Number: 1178
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 18, 2006 - 11:12 pm: |
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Foxman
I have Schofield Holden in my list of pre 1930 North American Marine Engine Mfgrs, but they are a very obscure mfgr and very liitle information seems to exist about them ! the latest info I have on them is 1913 so WWI probably was their ending ??
The Canada Launch Works is a new name to my list if they were marine engine mfgrs ?? Do you have any info on them ? photos of their engines etc ?
Miro Big Thanks for posting engine photos ! Cool old engine ! |
foxman
Visitor
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 19, 2006 - 10:55 pm: |
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The Canada Launch Works was a very big and well financed enterprise set up on the aforementioned Carlaw Ave, Toronto, Ontario location. This was a full service boat and engine builder and employed many future boat and engine figures, such as Bert Hawker, the designer for Ditchburn and later Greavette. The company was set up about 1898 and advertised in almost a daily basis in every newpaper and magazine in Ontario up until 1904. I think their advertising expenses killed them. A lot of money went into this enterprise, but it must have had some success as Toronto was listed as having 100 motor boats in the harbour 1905. most of them were CLW or Nicholls Bros, the other main Toronto builder (Nicholls only built boats and used Loziers for power).
I've seen only one small CLW engine. I vaguely recall It was a 3hp-ish single with a flat topped detachable head with six bolts. This was a long time ago. It has been restored and is around somewhere.
I presume you have Canada's oldest marine engine builder listed- this would be Robert Davis & Sons of Kingston, Ontario. I have an ad for their gas marine engine for 1895- it appears to be a 2hp Daimler copy so maybe Davis paid the licence fee.
I still need to get a digital camera. |
richarddurgee
Senior Member
Username: richarddurgee
Post Number: 1179
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, July 20, 2006 - 09:39 am: |
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The Davis name is on file but very little substantiated info. You mentioned advertising, its very interesting that these early Canadian Marine engine Co's rarely advertised in U.S boating publications- I have never seen an ad yet for Davis or Canada Launch Works in U.S boat magazines, engine Mfgrs list etc. ??
Any ideas as to where to find the Canadian marine engine mfging lists or what boating magazines/ publications of those days that they would have been listed in or placed ads in ? |
keith
Senior Member
Username: keith
Post Number: 128
Registered: 02-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, July 20, 2006 - 10:29 am: |
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FOXMAN
Could you email me? I expect to be in Clayton in August and would like to visit you, if at all possible.
Keith Billet |
hercklc
Visitor
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 27, 2007 - 05:28 pm: |
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Can anyone tell me what the gap is for points on a KLO Hercules?
Thank you. |
bgoss
Member
Username: bgoss
Post Number: 7
Registered: 12-2007
| | Posted on Saturday, January 12, 2008 - 11:44 am: |
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Thanks to all for the company information on the Scholfield-Holden. We're always interested in collecting more history on these old Canadian firms.
Regarding the 'Canadian Launch Works' discussed above, was this a separate company from the 'Canadian Gas Power & Launches Limited' (Toronto) or just a name change?
Thanks, Blair |
robert
Senior Member
Username: robert
Post Number: 197
Registered: 07-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, January 13, 2008 - 03:21 am: |
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That is a beauty indeed. Nice to see it restored some day. |
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