Posted by Peter H on August 08, 2005 at 15:06:32 from 86.130.122.119 user Peter_H.
In Reply to: Re: Rattletrap? posted by Owen Roberts on August 08, 2005 at 11:11:07:
Apologies, I was working from memory. On rechecking with the Trojan Museum site, all Trojans built in the 1920s had a valveless 2-stroke, 4 cylinder engine. The gears were epicyclic, with 2 forward and a reverse - the publicity states 'The epicyclic gearbox eliminates all gear-changing troubles' (so at least I got that right). I think I am right in saying that a Trojan is therefore permanently 'in gear', so gears cannot be crashed. The fuel was half-pint of oil to every 2 gallons petrol, and the engine was apparently started 'by means of a long pull-up lever adjacent to the driver's seat' (don't ask me how that worked).
The Trojan models most resembling Rattletrap were the 'Tourer' and the 'Wayfarer', but both had the above spec, so have to be ruled out. I had previously thought that Rattletrap was a Trojan but that AR had 'adapted' the facts, as he often did. However, the Crossley range looks much more on the ball to me, provided they mechanically conform to the Rattletrap spec.