|
| Author |
Message |
    
Gustavo Mariani
New member
Username: hercules
Post Number: 1
Registered: 03-2014
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 04, 2014 - 06:49 pm: | 
|
Please if anyone can point me somewhere or have information on engine
Bruce & Holroyd 2 cyl. marine use approx year 1927. Thanks Gustavo  |
VulcanEngines
New member
Username: vulcanengines
Post Number: 2
Registered: 04-2014
| | Posted on Thursday, May 15, 2014 - 12:06 pm: |
|
Hi there,
We have a 1934, single cylinder Bruce and Holroyd "Feltham" engine, and have found out quite a bit about the company with a lot of help from the guys we bought the engine from, which might be of interest. Bear in mind a lot of the engine specific information we have probably won't be relevant to your engine.
In a scan from "The Motor Boat" dated September 27, 1929, there's a small section titled "A New Marine Motor Company"
The scan's not all that good, but the article reads as follows:
There has just been formed a new private company entitled Bruce and Holroyd, Ltd., High Street, Feltham, Middlesex. They are described as Aircraft, Automobile, Marine and General Engineers ans Speed Boat Specialists.
The partners are Jack Holroyd, of Farnham, and the Hon. Mr V. A. Bruce, who has bought the factory of the Low Engineering Co at Feltham Aerodrome. It is proposed to organize and maintain a complete service for Chrysler marine engines throughout the country; a staff of trained marine engineers will be available and a full range of spare parts are to be stocked. The company will have one or two other important developments in hand, details of which will be available for publication very shortly.
In a later issue of "The Motor Boat" (March 14, 1930) there's a photograph of "A Motor Boat Showroom" with the following caption:
The accompaning photograph shows the exterior of the shrowroom which Messrs. Bruce and Holroyd recently opened at Feltham Middlesex. The stock includes twp 16-ft. See passenger hydroplanes, a Wood speed dinghy, a range of Johnson engines and a 106 b.h.p Chrysler motor.
At the rear of the premises is the workshop formerly knows as the Low Engineering Works, where there is a plant fully capable of dealing with the manufacture or repair of marine engines.
In the same magazine dated February 2, 1934, there's a review titled "A Sturdy Single" regarding a "New 4 H.P. Four-Stroke Petrol Engine which sells for �30"
This engine is of the same design as ours, and looking at the basic layout of the engine, yours could simply be a 'stretched' version.
In "The Motor Boat" June 14, 1935, there's a report regarding "Official Tests of a Reverse Gear." and in the October 25, 1935 issue there's a full review of this gearbox. Our engine has one of these attached, and it looks as though yours does too.
I don't know who Mr Bruce was, but it seems like he was trying to push a new firm into the spotlight with all this publicity. I can't imagine many other firms (in the UK at least) holding two hydroplanes and a speedboat in stock in their shop. I suppose a shop in itself would have been quite unusual.
The magazine itself comments on how unusual it is to run tests on a gearbox, reinforcing my theory about a small company trying to raise their profile.
I'm not too sure where you got the date 1927 from, but I'm inclined to say it's later than that. Unless you meant 1937, and it's just a typo...
The flywheel on your engine is quite different to ours, it looks as though yours has been fitted with electric start at some time. After swinging ours over a couple of times with the handle, I can see why!
I also can't see an ignition system on your engine (unless it's that board on the gearbox) Ours is fitted with a Wico A at the moment (because they're easy mags to get in the UK) but it's supposed to have a BTH one.
I've uploaded a .zip with all these scans to dropbox, that you can download from here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/u24gw16pndw7wde/Bruce%20%26%20Holroyd.zipine.
This is our engine, I'm sorry for all the clutter in the background:
The fuel tank is non-original, and has since been removed. The idea of having the filler and outlet directly above the spark plug seemed like a bad idea... |
Gustavo Mariani
New member
Username: hercules
Post Number: 2
Registered: 03-2014
| | Posted on Thursday, May 15, 2014 - 07:22 pm: |
|
Good evening, first of all I thank you for your interest in sharing this information with me, it is very useful for me reconstruct the history of my boat, I have found a very instructive book on the engine "POWER ENGINES FOR SMALL CRAFT By PN BARNARD" which is located on the web in pdf format. This contains information on both models "The feltham" and a small black and white images. As for the store you mentioned in middlesex, I found a fotogrf�a front and attached it below. also find the boat where the motor, which is installed'm restoring now.
I send you a hug and I again thank you for your kind reply.
Gustavo
P. D. please excuse spelling errors are not mine, are google translator
 |
Gustavo Mariani
New member
Username: hercules
Post Number: 3
Registered: 03-2014
| | Posted on Thursday, May 15, 2014 - 09:01 pm: |
|
I was unable to access the dropbox link, please review. |
VulcanEngines
New member
Username: vulcanengines
Post Number: 3
Registered: 04-2014
| | Posted on Friday, May 16, 2014 - 05:21 am: |
|
Sorry about that, try this one: https://www.dropbox.com/s/u24gw16pndw7wde/Bruce%20%26%20Holroyd.zip |
Wendy Grimmond
New member
Username: wendyg
Post Number: 1
Registered: 10-2021
| | Posted on Sunday, October 17, 2021 - 11:24 am: |
|
Hi, Victor Bruce (of Bruce & Holroyd) was my father, and part-owned the company in Feltham, that made the marine engines. He retired in 1958. We have two or three engines and an album of blueprints - if anyone is interested let me know and we can send photos. |
|
|
|
|
