sparks2 Posted January 12, 2014 Report Share Posted January 12, 2014 (edited) Hi Deryck Sorry to hear of Max King's passing, I have 4 of the 5 editions of 'Trials Riding', only one of the later editions missing. You're right about Aquaba, it was a lonely outpost of the then Turkish Empire and a southerly port. The line was vulnerable due to it's length, the terrain and, as you say, single track working. But, I suspect the strategic reason for Lawrence's guerrilla warfare was to keep thousands of Turkish troops occupied in defending and repairing the line and away from Allenby's push towards Damascus in the North. When Aquaba eventually fell it was because Lawrence and the Arabs were able to attack from the North and the desert. and the defending Turkish guns all faced the sea to the South, rather like the Japanese capture of Singapore in 1942. I'm not a Lawence expert but I have read somewhat extensively in the past, it's a fascinating tale, not just for his years in the desert but for what happened afterwards. (TE's Brough ownership was long after his desert campaign). But Lawrence tends to be his own worst enemy in that his accounts of the campaign -- 'The Seven Pillars' and 'Revolt in the Desert' have been shown to be rather exaggerated and not wholly accurate. The film was great as a piece of Hollywood, but does not even begin to do the real story justice. Kind Regards Sparks Edited January 12, 2014 by sparks2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laird387 Posted January 12, 2014 Report Share Posted January 12, 2014 Hi Sparks, My own memory of that particular job was that we had to use radio signalling - I think for the first time on a railway - so the transmitters and receivers which we designed for the job had to be housed in trackside cabinets, which were very securely locked. All attempts at conventional signalling in the area using trackside cables were spoiled by the locals interest in the value of the copper they could extract from the cables.......... We thought that we had cracked the problem, then after the first year or so errors began to creep in - we lost signals. First thoughts were the operating temperatures - the level inside those locked trackside cabinets had to be felt to be believed. But that was not the problem. It was the locals - but very small almost invisible locals. There was a bug that delighted in eating the specific varnish that we had applied to our printed circuit boards, then found that gave them access to the glassfibre that the boards were made from, which apparently had a bonding agent that was equally tasty. We found the equipments with bl**dy great holes all over the circuit boards and the components just hanging in space...... The answer, we took out the modern kit and replaced them with old fashioned units that we had supplied to the majority of the British trawler fleet over the years - that left the little blighters hungry - and the trains still running. Cheers Deryk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie prescott Posted October 15, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 15, 2014 Hi Guy's. The Tigress engined "Works" BSA could still be lurking in a old shed somewhere, or in a posh Garage? Just love to know if the bike is still about. Does anyone know where the Porche or Number Plate is? Perhaps we could trace the bike back this way? Deryk and I along with a few other "Old" guy's are very interested about the bikes history. "The One That Got Away". Regards Charlie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
16cs ajs Posted October 15, 2014 Report Share Posted October 15, 2014 Hi, fellow "mature" enthusiasts. The evolution & ultimate sad demise of unique development one - offs, such as the Tigress engined C15, are indicative of our then stagnant British motor cycle industry management. If only! What a shame. I seem to remember that sage chronicler Don Morley, saying in his invaluable tome that when the designer of the Tigress (Edward Turner?) happened to discover the existence of this unofficial, *******ised hybrid, he insisted on its destruction and termination of what was an unofficial, unauthorized project. Talking with factory employees of that time, this complacent ethos was endemic. And the rest as they say is history. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laird387 Posted October 15, 2014 Report Share Posted October 15, 2014 Hi, If you are really interested in that particular development - then try ORRe-8 - where Don Morley's story of the bike is retold, complete with pictures. Enjoy, by the way the number was 32 YG. Deryk Wylde 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acot56 Posted October 14, 2015 Report Share Posted October 14, 2015 Hi I have just joined and have just purchased a Triumph Tiger Cub with a 250cc Triumph Tigress / BSA Sunbeam engine installed. It's apparently been tuned and had also taken part in some trials in the past and was ridden by Pixie Briggs. So I can decide it's fate (restore as a trials machine or convert into a road cub) I would very much like to find out what it looked like at the time. I have uploaded a photo on how it now looks. This is my first trials machine. My other machines are road going Tiger Cubs and the BSA / Triumph Scooters - 175cc and 250cc. hope someone can help me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
16cs ajs Posted October 14, 2015 Report Share Posted October 14, 2015 Hi Acot56, Re your request for help, with a collection of "classics" such as yours, you surely need it! One Cub is surely enough for anyone and I am an owner, but mine's a trials cub. If you have a Tigress/Sunbeam engines trials bike, then you have what may well be a uniquely interesting surviving example of what might have been a successful trials bike. One answer to your enquiry will be found in Deryk's ORRe, to be found on this site, which I heartily endorse & recommend to you. If you can source a copy of Don Morley's Classic British Trials Bikes, you will have perhaps the best reference source available. If necessary, I will photocopy the relevant pages & post them off to you. My choice re your little twin would be an update & make over to be suitable for classic trials. Good luck & enjoy. You will be inundated with questions about your antiquity, should you get it out in any competition. Enjoy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie prescott Posted October 14, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 14, 2015 Hi Guy's. Hi Ascot 56. Can you try and load the picture of the bike again Please it seems it has not worked. I think you have to preview the attachment Don't you Andy. You know that I am very interested in this Topic, and am still looking for the Works Bike in vane probably by now. But your bike sounds interesting too and the name Pixie Briggs rings a bell aye Deryk? Regards Charlie. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laird387 Posted October 14, 2015 Report Share Posted October 14, 2015 Hi Guy's. Hi Ascot 56. Can you try and load the picture of the bike again Please it seems it has not worked. I think you have to preview the attachment Don't you Andy. You know that I am very interested in this Topic, and am still looking for the Works Bike in vane probably by now. But your bike sounds interesting too and the name Pixie Briggs rings a bell aye Deryk? Regards Charlie. Hi, There are pictures of Pixie in ORRe - and I know that somewhere deep in the archive there is a photo of him riding the little twin - I'll keep my eyes peeled now as I hunt through and definitely put it exclusively in the magazine. Cheers Deryk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laird387 Posted October 14, 2015 Report Share Posted October 14, 2015 Hi Acot56, Re your request for help, with a collection of "classics" such as yours, you surely need it! One Cub is surely enough for anyone and I am an owner, but mine's a trials cub. If you have a Tigress/Sunbeam engines trials bike, then you have what may well be a uniquely interesting surviving example of what might have been a successful trials bike. One answer to your enquiry will be found in Deryk's ORRe, to be found on this site, which I heartily endorse and recommend to you. If you can source a copy of Don Morley's Classic British Trials Bikes, you will have perhaps the best reference source available. If necessary, I will photocopy the relevant pages and post them off to you. My choice re your little twin would be an update and make over to be suitable for classic trials. Good luck and enjoy. You will be inundated with questions about your antiquity, should you get it out in any competition. Enjoy. Hi, Copies of the reprinted Morley book are available from Classicmotorcyclemanuals.com ( or 'phone Steve on 01684 567231) Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acot56 Posted October 17, 2015 Report Share Posted October 17, 2015 Thank you guys for the replies and I welcome any information. This is how I picked the bike up. Looks a bit sad but hopefully if the engine is good then not too much to get it rolling again. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smelling123 Posted October 17, 2015 Report Share Posted October 17, 2015 I've been lucky enough to have been allowed to enter a D5 bantam framed Sunbeam/tigress in the Scottish. Fingers crossed for an entry, very interesting bike! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acot56 Posted October 18, 2015 Report Share Posted October 18, 2015 Would love to see your D5 tigress. Best of luck with the trials! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acot56 Posted October 23, 2015 Report Share Posted October 23, 2015 Thank you for the information about the article in review 8 I have read through that now and look forward to seeing some photos if you can find them Deryk. I am particularly interested in finding out whether the rear end of the frame looks right and would welcome your thoughts as I know nothing about rigid frames and it's obviously very different from what was there originally and what I'm familiar with. I'm hoping to have a chance to measure the distance for the rear axle so I can at least get the machine wheel able by cobbling up something temporary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acot56 Posted October 27, 2015 Report Share Posted October 27, 2015 I have measured the width of the rear swinging arm and it appears to be the same as for my 61 road cub 160mm inside, 175mm outside diameter so at least for now I can fit a standard cub wheel to it. I have seen while looking for a replacement wheel that there are "trials" axles, can someone tell me what the differences are? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.