These pictures show a wartime Albion gearbox. It's a mediumweight 4 speed R type, as used on the Royal Enfield WD/C motorcycles. The number of this gearbox starts with an RRW prefix, which makes it a late 1941 'box. But it's not a WD/C gearbox: the "Albion" text on the cover and the bottom lug are different!
Has anybody got an idea what this gearbox could have been used for?
Jan
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That's another one indeed! Who knows what it comes from...?
Jan
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I just noticed that he's got two of these mystery gearboxes:
Albion number HEL 87
Albion number HEL 94
But I also noticed that these are "heavyweight model H 4 speed gearboxes", not "mediumweight model R gearboxes". Anyway, Enfield used a similar model H gearbox as well, e.g. on the pre war 350cc OHV model G and 500cc OHV model J. But again: the Enfield gearboxes have a different text on the cover, and a different bottom lug.
I also noticed that the Albion specification sheet for this gearbox is showing the "oblong" bottom lug. I guess that these gearboxes were used in other industrial applications... but where?
Jan
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The three speed and reverse box is either from an Indian (motorcycles) 'Patrol car' or a Pashley 'Triporteur'...Both were three wheeled carriers similar to Harley 'Servicars' but based on a 350 Enfield. The Pashleys were built in Birmingham and designed primarily for use in Africa...Ian
barry
Thanks for the information Barry! A rotavator could indeed have been the source of such a gearbox.
But the pictures in my first post show a gearbox with a wartime number. Now I don't think that rotavators were still being built in 1941...?
Which other industrial or military machine could have used such a gearbox I wonder?Jan
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Hi Jan, I remember as an apprentice in the 1970's working on an old 3 wheeler truck called a "Bonzer". It had a big old Villiers engine and an Albion gearbox with kickstart very similar,if not identical to the one in the picture.
The foreman sent me out to pick it up in the works truck,i had to return without it as i had only taken two loading ramps with me,i was given a serious bollocking and sent back out with an extra ramp-Happy days. Mick.
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