OWNERS CLUB BULLETIN March / April 2018 - Railton Owners Club
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OWNERS CLUB BULLETIN March / April 2018
2
L I MI T ED BY GU A R AN T EE
Re giste r e d Offic e :
Abberley Cottage, 7 Dowles Road, Bewdley, Worcs., DY12 2EJ
Company Registration No. 574562 Founded June 1956
President : Timothy Railton Vice President : John Dyson
HONORARY DIRECTORS
Chairman : PETER PHIPPS
Chairman
Arbour Grange,
: MICK
PETER JARVIS
SandyPHIPPS
Holt, Fairmile Avenue, Cobham, Surrey, KT11 2TT
Arbour
The
Telephone:
Barn,
Grange,
Boulters
01932 867090
Lane,
Sandy Maidenhead,
Holt,E-mail:
Fairmilechairman@railton.org
Berkshire,
Avenue, SL6Surrey,
Cobham, 8TJ KT11 2TT
Telephone: 01628
01932 674116
867090 E-mail:
E-mail:chairman@railton.org
chairman@railton.org
Secretary : MAX HUNT
Abberley Cottage, 7 Dowles Road, Bewdley, Worcs., DY12 2EJ
Secretary : MAX HUNT
Telephone: 01299 401135 E-mail: secretary@railton.org.
Abberley Cottage, 7 Dowles Road, Bewdley, Worcs., DY12 2EJ
Telephone:
Spares Registrar
01299 401135
: GEOFFE-mail:
MOORE secretary@railton.org
Moorhays, Rhosgoch, Builth Wells, Powys, LD2 3JY
Technical
Telephone: Advisor
01497-851296
: GEOFF E-mail:
MOOREspares@railton.org
Moorhays, Rhosgoch, Builth Wells, Powys, LD2 3JY
Telephone: 01497-851296 E-mail: technical@railton.org
COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Treasurer : ROGER MAYNE COMMITTEE MEMBERS
COMMITTEE
Woodside Cottage, 11 Stanford Road, Great Witley,MEMBERS
Worcs., WR6 6JG
Treasurer
Telephone::01299-896457
POSITION VACANTE-mail: treasurer@railton.org
Any member
Treasurer who would
: ROGER MAYNEbe willing to consider filling this vital role please contact the
Bulletin Editor
Secretary : NEIL THORP
for aPolruan,
discussion and for more information.
7 Greenbank, Fowey, Cornwall, PL23 1QP
Ridgewoodany
Meanwhile Grange, Chilton Road,may
financial Upton, Didcot, Oxon., OX11 9JL
Telephone: 01726 870943enquiries still be sent via
E-mail: treasurer@railton.org E-mail: treasurer@railton.org
Telephone: 01235 850756 E-mail: editor@railton.org
Bulletin
RegistrarEditor
: MIKE: NEIL THORP
STENHOUSE
Ridgewood
17 PeasehillGrange, Chilton Road,
Close, Rawdon, Leeds,Upton, Didcot, Oxon., OX11 9JL
LS19 6EF
Telephone: 01235 850756 E-mail:
0113-2504896 E-mail: registrar@railton.org
editor@railton.org
Publicity/Website: BRYAN TYRRELL
Spares Registrar : MIKE STENHOUSE
Claremont,
17 Peasehill The Meads,
Close, Stanstead,
Rawdon, Leeds,Essex, CM24 8QA
LS19 6EF
Telephone: 01279 812113 E-mail: bryan@railton.org
Telephone: 0113-2504896 E-mail: spares@railton.org
Registrar of Cars : TOBY SHARP
Hele Cottage, Hele Cross, Ashburton, Newton Abbot, Devon, TQ13 7QX
Telephone: 01364 652948 E-mail: registrar@railton.org
Material appearing in the Bulletin is copyright and must not be used without the written permission of the copyright
Material
holders. appearing
The viewsinand
theopinions
Bulletin expressed
is copyright and mustadvertisers)
(including not be usedarewithout the written
not necessarily permission
shared of the copyright
by the Editor or by the
holders. The views
Railton Owners and opinions
Club. The Club expressed
accepts (including advertisers)
no responsibility for are
thenot necessarily
following shared by the
contributors’ Editor
advice, norordoes
by the
it
Railton Owners
necessarily Club.
endorse The Club
the services accepts offered
or products no responsibility for which
by advertisers, the following contributors’
are published advice, nor does it
in good faith.
necessarily endorse the services or products offered by advertisers, which are published in good faith.
3
RAILTON OWNERS CLUB BULLETIN
March / April 2018
Editorial .............................................................................................................. 4
Secretary’s Notes ................................................................................................ 4
Membership News ............................................................................................ 7
Calendar 2018/2019 .......................................................................................... 7
Brough Superior Six-Cylinder car CLJ 1 ...................................................... 10
Reid Railton Biography
Press Release ......................................................................................... 14
Extract - An Engineer at the Cutting Edge of Speed..................... 16
Market Place ..................................................................................................... 21
Correspondence ............................................................................................... 22
Sales Literature ................................................................................................. 26
Automobilia ...................................................................................................... 32
Chairman’s Column: Cold day - Warm Reception ..................................... 34
The cover drawing by Barrie McKenzie is of his first Railton, the fondly remembered BWE 78.
The car is now rather different in appearance, being listed in the Register as a Special Tourer.
It is now in the care of Robin Balmain of Ledbury.
ROC Website: www.railton.org
User name and password for the members’ area are advised at renewal time.
Please e-mail the Editor, the Chairman or the Secretary if a reminder is required.
Printed by Hertfordshire Display Plc http://www.hdprint.co.uk/
4
EDITORIAL
I must firstly begin with an apology to those Members who received empty envelopes on the
last Bulletin mailing; self seal envelopes (which can be prone to unintended opening) plus
careless handling in the Didcot post office are, between them, almost certainly to blame.
Hopefully everyone has now had a replacement copy but, if reading this prompts you to
realise that your last issue did not arrive, please let me know as I still have a few spare copies.
This issue of the Bulletin is largely focussed on Karl Ludvigsen’s book on Reid Railton which
will be published on 24th April. In the April issue of The Automobile (out mid March), there
will be an article by John Dyson of which the advance blurb says he will “explain what it is
like to live with one of these rare Anglo-American hybrids and takes us for a ride in the 1935
two-door sports saloon by Ranalah he has owned for half a century.” If you are not a
subscriber to the magazine then you should make sure to obtain a copy from the newsagent.
Finally the V.S.C.C. speed competition season is nearly upon us and I should like to remind
you that Club cars are active in most events and the drivers always welcome your support.
John Fack’s L.S.T. should be re-joined this year by Jerome’s Brough A.G.S. and my own
Spikins Hudson and Anthony Fenwick-Wilson’s Railton will be at many events too. First this
year will be at Curborough near Litchfield on 6th May. If there are enough Club members
intending to spectate at Shelsley Walsh (1st July) or Prescott (4th-5th August) we could
probably arrange a dedicated parking area which would be good for raising the Club’s profile
even further. Please let the Secretary know if you are planning to attend either of these.
CLOSING DATE FOR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE MAY/JUNE BULLETIN IS 13TH MAY.
SECRETARY’S NOTES
The first day of spring! It is March 1st and as I sit typing these notes snow is falling gently
here in Worcestershire with an outside temperature at 3.00 pm of -3 deg. Celsius. National
news bulletins report a couple of inches of snow in the Home Counties and as a result
civilisation as we know it is grinding to a halt. Roads are gridlocked and the rail network is
gradually shutting down!
Surely it used not to be like this. Back in the real winter of 1963 I remember the family car
was shod with what were called Town and Country tyres with a sensible profile and if snow
was really heavy we fixed chains and we carried shovels. I can't recall public transport shutting
down and I don't think my school (I was sixteen at the time) was closed at any stage. Such, I
suppose, is progress.
I will confess that the freezing temperatures of the last few days have kept me from my
unheated garage at The Green and work on my latest acquisition has been temporarily halted.
In January I acquired from Peter Adamson the 1937 Coachcraft Cobham Saloon which for
5
6 some forty years had been the property of Philip Barker. To my eye this early low- roofed, semi razor-edged style is far and away the most elegant of all the four door saloon Railtons. What drew me particularly to FPH 386 was its originality – even down to its tiny Thomson and Taylor supplier's plaque on the dashboard. The favoured word these days seems to be “unmolested” and for me there is huge attraction in an eighty year old motor car with a slightly scruffy but entirely A recent profile of FPH 386 original interior and the odd flaw in its cellulose paint work. The aroma of worn leather and slightly musty Wilton carpet just cannot be reproduced in any restoration. Alongside this delight in originality the driving pleasure depends, of course, on confidence in well-maintained running gear; hence the current programme of checks and servicing before we take to the road together. I suppose it is the essence of the “oily rag” movement. So now the very original FPH takes up space alongside the restored CPD and the two ex-Philip Barker saloons are happily reunited. Amidst all this self-indulgence, I can report that arrangements for the publication of Karl Ludvigsen's definitive biography of Reid Railton have been firming up. Details will be found elsewhere in this issue. This will obviously be a significant event in the Railton world and so it is particularly pleasing that, through the good offices of our Chairman, Karl will be joining us for part of the National Meeting in Llangollen and will be our guest speaker at dinner on Saturday June 9th. I'm sure he will be very happy to sign copies of “Man of Speed”. The latest report from management at the Wild Pheasant Hotel is that only four rooms remain in our block reservation. If you plan to come and have not yet booked, prompt action is called for! Continuing with administrative matters, it was decided at the last A.G.M. that our Membership List should no longer be distributed as a printed document but should be available via the Members section on the Club Website. I invited anyone who wished personal details to be withheld to contact me. No-one did and so we will now go ahead and upload the new List. The strengthened requirements of the new General Data Protection Regulations will be observed, such as having now to have a formal policy statement reflecting the new law. The ramifications will be explained during the September A.G.M. at Chateau Impney. Details of the social programme for our autumn gathering can be found on the Calendar page. Meanwhile amongst the snippets that come my way from time to time was a report from Tony Flewellen that after a successful eBay bid for Railton hubcaps (lucky chap!) his vendor had explained by email that he had once owned MG 4380, a 1935 University Saloon, for which he still retained a collection of 1950s tax discs. At the time of the 1968 Club Register
7
the car was residing with a Mr Jenkinson in Portsmouth. Last known owner was H. Deroost
in Belgium (in 2014) but if the discs are of interest to anyone no doubt Tony could facilitate
the contact.
All of which retrospection leads me back this time forty years for my archive extract. In
April 1978 then Secretary Barrie McKenzie, reported that “another smart car back on the
Club scene should be Philip Barker's Cobham Saloon. Philip and Rosemary came over to see
us last Sunday and FPH sounded as nice as it now looks in its new paintwork”. I must get
back to that cold workshop!
Max Hunt
MEMBERSHIP NEWS
New Members
1181 Frederic-Maximilien Monnereau. 260 Impasse de Croix, Usinens, 74910, France.
Frederic bought AYX 36, a 1934 Berkeley Drophead Coupe, at auction in England in
2015. It has previous history with the Club going right back to the 1960s. Later in the
1990s it is believed to have been prepared for, but did not take part in, a Paris-to-
Peking Rally. Our new member reports ownership of his first classic car at age 18, a
1935 Peugeot 401, which he still owns along with “several Bristols”. His intention is to
use the Railton in continental rallies for which he is well-placed, living near Geneva.
CALENDAR 2018/2019
Friday 1st to Sunday 3rd June 2018 Beale Park Classic Boat & Vintage Vehicle Show
The Club had an excellent meeting at Beale Park near Reading when we celebrated the
Brough Superior 80th anniversary. There was much else of interest as well as our cars. We
have been invited to attend the event again. It runs alongside a vintage boat show that is both
popular and well organised. The infrastructure is good, including camping if required and the
venue is close to hotels and B & Bs in the area. [Not to mention repair facilities at the Editor’s garage
nearby!] Admission for driver and passenger is free for pre-1945 vehicles.
Although it is the weekend before our National Meeting, our Chairman, Mick Jarvis, is very
keen to make the Railton Owners Club more widely known and would like to see four or
more Club cars ready to attend so we could request an area to park together. Contact Mick to
advise attendance. For show details see http://www.bealeparkboatandoutdoorshow.co.uk/
Friday 8th to Sunday 10th June 2018 R.O.C. National Meeting
Based at the Wild Pheasant Hotel, Berwyn Road, Llangollen, LL20 8AD, tel. 01978 860629.
Alwyn Williams has negotiated special nightly rates for us of £155.00 per double room for
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dinner, bed and breakfast, with a single occupancy tariff of £97.50 (additional nights at the
same rates). Our contact is Reception Manager Lorraine Jones and when contacting the hotel
members should make clear that they are part of the R.O.C. group booking. Note: They have
a large booking for Sunday night onwards so, if you want to stay on, make contact a.s.a.p.
After a Friday lunchtime gathering at the
Boat Inn at Erbistock, we will motor on to
Llangollen via the World Heritage Site of
Pontcysyllte Aqueduct at Trevor, where the
adventurous can make the crossing either by
boat or on foot. The hotel will be expecting
us from 4.00 pm onwards.
Saturday options will include a run through
mountain scenery to Lake Vyrnwy, with
lunch at the spectacularly situated Lake
The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct at Trevor
Vyrnwy Hotel. Alternatively the many
attractions of the area immediately around Llangollen include the Deeside steam railway, the
Horseshoe Falls, Vale Crucis Abbey and the local motor museum.
Our Sunday gathering, with the usual display and award presentation, will be at Erddig
House, the remarkable National Trust estate just outside Wrexham which was saved from
mining subsidence in the 1970s and now celebrates the “below stairs” life of a great country
house as much as that of the Yorke family, whose home it was for over 200 years.
Saturday 15th to Sunday 16th September 2018 Kop Hill Climb
A popular event with R.O.C. members. Anyone thinking of entering should keep an eye on
the website at www.kophillclimb.org.uk and apply as soon as entries open in March.
Friday 28th to Sunday 30th September 2018 Annual General Meeting Weekend
For this year's autumn weekend we are returning to the Chateau Impney Hotel in
Worcestershire which successfully hosted our Diamond Jubilee event in 2016, and we have
again secured private access to the Shelsley Walsh hillclimb for our Saturday morning visit.
The hotel has agreed to give us identical rates to those offered two years ago for a two-night
inclusive dinner, bed and breakfast package:-
A double room in the original Chateau building will be £339 for two sharing.
A double in the modern Impney Court annexe will be £301.
A single room two night package in Impney Court will be £210 (or single occupancy double
£250). All prices inclusive of VAT.
Credit card details will be requested at the time of booking and additional nights will be
available at “best available rates”. Our contact at the hotel is again Peter Rosser, Deputy
9 General Manager, on 01905 827587. When making bookings members should quote “Railton Owners Club”. Our block reservation holds until the end of July. The weekend programme will start with the traditional Friday lunchtime gathering at a country pub yet to be chosen. An option en-route for the hotel will then be a visit to the Avoncroft Museum of Buildings near Bromsgrove. Marshalling will be in place at Shelsley Walsh for 11.00am on the Saturday and drivers of Club Marque cars will have several opportunities to negotiate the famous hill track (at “touring”speeds). The restored watermill will be in operation as an additional attraction. Lunch will be available at a carefully chosen local hostelry after which the options for an afternoon visit will include both the spectacular Witley Court mansion and that famed centre of Railton spannering activity, The Green Business Centre. The Annual General Meeting will begin at 10.00 am on Sunday September 30 th. Friday 7th to Sunday 9th June 2019 R.O.C. National Meeting The National Meeting will be returning to Devon in 2019. The Ilsington Country House Hotel (01364 661452, www.ilsington.co.uk) will be our base. It is a small and characterful country hotel with super moorland views and a really good spa and swimming pool. They have hosted many car club events in the past and if there is a good take-up from Club members then we will pretty much have the place to ourselves. The prices for dinner bed and breakfast, and use of the hotel’s spa and pool are: Double occupancy rooms at £170 per room, per night Deluxe/Superior rooms for double occupancy at £185 per room Suite for double occupancy £205 per room Single occupancy rooms £115 If anyone wishes to make an early booking they should phone the hotel and say they are part of The Railton Owners Club. Please note that to proceed with the booking the hotel requires a £50.00 non-refundable deposit per room and then the balance for the accommodation four weeks before arrival. Cancellations within four weeks of arrival will still be charged for, cancellations outside of this will mean just the deposit is forfeited. Ilsington is a delightful moorland village with a good pub, The Carpenters Arms, and also the infamous and fearsome Simm’s Hill, not a place to take a Railton but a nice, if steep, short walk and worth a look for anyone with an interest in vintage trials. Weather permitting, we should take some drives on open moorland roads for which our cars could have been made specifically, if the weather is wet then there are sheltered drives lower down. I have some good places to visit in mind, more details in due course. Toby Sharp
10
BROUGH SUPERIOR SIX CYLINDER CAR – CLJ 1
Canadian Brough Superior Club member Allan Johnson recently attended his local Canadian
Vintage Motorcycle Group meeting where a friend showed him this advertising card and
asked if he knew which make of car it was. He couldn’t have found a better person to ask and
Allan immediately identified it and later did some research on line which he has shared with
the B.S. Club.
The car is owned by the Morris family of Ontario who run the
insurance company and they have posted information on their
website. From this we can see that the car was imported into
Canada in 1957 by Mr S J Williams, as evidenced by the
Cunard Steam-ship Company Shipping Ltd freight record.
The shipping route was Liverpool to Montreal and cost £59
4s 10d.
I emailed the Morris company for permission to use the
photos in the newsletter and the current owner Mr Sheldon
Morris provided more information: Mr S J Williams was Stan
Williams and he moved his family in 1957 when he exported
the car. He then set up an automobile repair garage in
London, Ontario, called Williams Automotive, on Ann
Street. It is still in business today and run by his son Ian
Williams. When Stan passed away his son Ian became the
caretaker of CLJ 1. Sheldon and his father
Robert Morris heard about the car in early
2012, and took some photos of it. It took
until 2016 for them to come to an agreement
with Ian to purchase the car.
The best story Ian told about the car, was
from back in the 1970s. It was being stored
in a barn near Nilestown, Ontario, at the
time. When Stan went over to check on CLJ
1 he discovered it was gone – stolen!
Somehow he was able to convince the barn
owner to tell him where his car was taken to,
and he drove to a shop in Beamsville/St
Catharines area (more than 150km away)
where he discovered his car and reacquired
it!
A rather blurred image of the car being used in
Canada during the '50s or '60s. Since Sheldon purchased the car, he has been11 cautious about making any changes or alterations that would impact its originality. He wrote “I think it’s rare to find a car from the 1930s with original carpets, paint and leather, so I am doing my best to preserve what is original!” A sentiment with which I wholeheartedly concur! Mike Leatherdale has provided further earlier information on the car. It was originally supplied to a Mr Hilliam via Ewens Motors of Bournemouth on 3 rd September 1936. This presumably replaced an early BS car, BLJ 450, an eight cylinder model which was also registered to a Mr Hilliam on 31st October 1935, supplied by the same company. There is no trace of BLJ 450 so it probably hasn’t survived. (Mike’s research in the Bournemouth Borough records turned up one more B.S. car which had been registered there. This was CEL 20, another ‘eight’ which was sold to someone called Marriott via Majestic Garage and first taxed on 21st April 1936. Sadly, another non-survivor.) A continuation logbook survives for CLJ 1 which shows that the car was on the road from 1949 until 1957 when it was exported. It had moved north by ’49, being taxed in the Huddersfield and Bradford areas when owned by H. Edhouse and Sons Ltd (Fish Curers and Merchants!), Harry Huddleston and Nigel Firth Walker. It was then sold to Stanley James Williams who had various addresses in Wales. In 1954, whilst owned by Mr Walker, the car competed in the MCC Whitsun Rally, see photo below taken at CLJ 1 Competing in the 1954 MCC Whitsun Trial. Burway in Wales. Two further period photographs are on the website and show the car in the late '40s or '50s, these are reproduced below. The car is well-equipped with two extra spot lamps mounted on the front bumper and a one on the driver’s side door pillar plus a radio. The B.S. car pictured alongside CLJ 1 is AJU 219 which was first registered in Leicester
12 around April 1937. It has not survived and was reportedly last taxed in the Huddersfield area. The car has the appearance of an ‘eight’ as it has no bumpers or headlamp stay fitted, however I think it is a ‘six’ due to the body style and number of air vents on the bonnet. What do others think? (This is the only known photograph of the car.) Howard Wilcox
13 The four images of the car as it is today, together with its original U.K. log book and the adjacent documentation recording its import into Canada from Liverpool to Montreal on the Sylvania♦♦ in 1957 are all courtesy of the website maintained by Robert J. Morris Insurance & Consulting Ltd. http://www.rjmorris.ca/ There are other interesting vehicles in their collection and the site is well worth a visit. ♦♦ The R.M.S. Sylvania started on her maiden voyage from Greenock to Montreal on 5 June 1957. On 26 June 1957 she joined her sister Saxonia class ships on the Cunard northern hemisphere summer service from Liverpool to Montreal via Greenock and Québec. CLJ 1 must therefore have been carried on the first voyage of the ship in this service. www.liverpoolships.org/ sylvania_cunard_line.html
14
REID RAILTON BIOGRAPHY
The Club has known for some considerable time that a biography of Railton was in preparation sponsored by
Sally Joslin and written by Karl Ludvigsen. Several contributions to the Bulletin have been held back lest they
detract from interest in this seminal work. As can be seen from the press release below the long awaited
publication is nearly upon us and, having seen an advance text of the book, I can thoroughly recommend it as
something that should be on every Member’s bookshelf. With permission and assistance from Karl, an extract
of one chapter follows on pages 16 – 21 to whet the appetite. Ed.
Press release
REID RAILTON - Man of Speed
By Karl Ludvigsen
Foreword by Ron Ayers MBE
Preface by Sally Railton Joslin
Publication date: 24th April 2018
Book specifications: UK price £150.00 •
Two hardback volumes in a slipcase • ISBN:
978-1-910505-25-0 • 280x235mm • 2 x 416
pages • Illustrations: 1,000 photographs,
including colour • Word count: 260,000
‘At last! Here is the biography of an automobile
engineer. Motor-sports literature is well served with
biographies and autobiographies of drivers but the
engineers who make the sport happen are
seldom acknowledged. Reid Railton was not just a
designer. He was the best of his generation and,
in my opinion, the best automobile designer of any
generation’. Ronald Ayres
Reid Antony Railton, Cheshire-born automotive engineer par excellence, created an
extraordinary range of cars. He rose to renown during the 1930s as chief engineer at
Thomson & Taylor, Brooklands-based racing-car builders. There he realised the dreams of
that era’s top men of speed, including Tim Birkin, Malcolm Campbell, Whitney Straight, John
Cobb, Raymond Mays and Goldie Gardner. His great cars powered them all to sensational
racing and record-breaking success. This magisterial book, by one of the world’s foremost15
automotive historians, tells Reid Railton’s personal and professional story in superb detail and
fascinating depth, with special focus on Reid’s unique insights — amounting to genius — and
technical accomplishments.
Man of Speed is the first book dedicated to the life and career of automotive engineer Reid
Railton and includes:
Record-breaking on land by evolving Railton-designed Blue Bird cars for Sir Malcolm
Campbell, smashing the 300mph barrier in 1935.
Designing and building chassis and suspension for the celebrated ERA, working with
Raymond Mays and Peter Berthon.
Creating the great Napier-Railton, with which John Cobb achieved the fastest-ever lap at
Brooklands in 1935 and set numerous long-distance records at Bonneville.
Railton’s supreme engineering achievement, John Cobb’s land-speed record challenger,
takes the record ever higher, culminating at Bonneville in 1947 with 394.2mph – which
remained unbroken for 16 years.
More speed records in numerous classes with Goldie Gardner’s Railton-revised MG
EX.135 either side of the war.
The lure of speed on water: designing two successful record-breaking boats for Sir
Malcolm Campbell and Crusader for John Cobb, who exceeded 200mph on Loch Ness in
1952 moments before crashing fatally.
Road cars too: working with Parry Thomas on the Leyland Eight supercar of 1920–23,
his own Arabs of 1925–27, road-going Railtons from 1933 and a decade of top-level
consulting for America’s Hudson Motor Company.
In WW2 working with America’s Hall-Scott on high-powered engines for Britain’s fast
patrol boats.
R.O.C. Members are invited to bring their Reid Railton related cars to display at the
Press Photo call and launch on Tuesday 24th April 2018, from: 4.00 p.m. – 5.00 p.m.,
Brooklands Museum, Campbell Shed, Weybridge, Surrey, KT13 0QN (use the
Campbell Gate Entrance off Brooklands Road).
Karl Ludvigsen will be presenting a copy of Reid Railton: Man of Speed to new Museum
Director and C.E.O. Tamalie Newbery and will give a talk afterwards in the Napier Room in
the historic clubhouse at Brooklands.
The Bar is open from 6 p.m. and hot food is available in the Blue Bird Room.
To book visit: https://www.brooklandsmuseum.com/btm/member-events/reid-railton-man-
of-speed or contact Yvette via email: talks@brooklandsmembers.co.uk or Tel: 07880 670359
The Club has negotiated a £50 discount for Members who purchase a copy of
the book via the publisher’s website www.evropublishing.com.
At the checkout page enter the discount code KLRR18 to redeem the discount.16
An Engineer at the Cutting Edge of Speed
The year 1933 found Reid Railton deeply involved in the record-breaking ambitions of
both John Cobb and Sir Malcolm Campbell as well as the car-building schemes of
former Invicta maker Neil Macklin. Reid was only at the beginning of a phenomenal
career.
By Karl Ludvigsen
Nineteen thirty-three was a busy year for Reid Railton as
chief engineer of Thomson & Taylor at Brooklands.
Reid was fully occupied with the completion of a record
-speed challenger commissioned by a dedicated
Brooklands racer, fur broker John Rhodes Cobb.
Having lapped the speed bowl at 132.8 mph in his main
mount, an ancient Delage, Cobb realised that his French
veteran had reached her limit.
John Cobb knew where to turn because the car that held
the Brooklands lap record in 1932 had a body designed
by Reid Railton. This was a supercharged 4½-litre
Bentley based on the road-racing ‘Blower’ Bentleys but
given a narrow single-seater body in 1930 to Railton’s
designs that reduced its drag for ultimate track speed.
Turning 38 during the year 1933, Reid
Railton had been involved in cutting-
edge engineering since his work with
Parry Thomas before the Great War.
Now as T&T’s chief engineer he
could put his experience to work.
During a practice session on the Brooklands
Outer Circuit in the spring of 1932 Sir
Henry ‘Tim’ Birkin lapped the Bentley at
137.96 mph. Cobb wanted a much faster car.
Cobb commissioned from Railton and T&T
In 1933 T&T completed work on the Napier- the design and build of a purpose-built long-
powered racing cars Railton designed for John distance record-breaker that could also
Cobb, at right. Next to him was Ken Taylor, in compete at Brooklands. He brought to the
charge of the workshops at T&T. The car’s party a 12-cylinder Napier aero engine dating
chassis was bespoke throughout. from the Great War, giving well over 50017
horsepower. The resulting motor car was named the Napier-Railton as proudly painted on the
flanks of its engine cover.
Cobb’s machine resembled a conventional
racing car of the day built half again as large.
With public interest stimulated by a beautiful
scale model of the planned chassis design,
Brooklands crowds impatiently awaited its
appearance during the summer of 1933. The
huge car was nearly ready when Railton
celebrated his 38th birthday on June 24th.
When the Napier-Railton finally surfaced for
tests in late July, wrote William Boddy, ‘Its
size rather took one’s breath away.’
Reid Railton was behind the cockpit of the
Napier-Railton when it was first formally
pictured. Just behind Cobb was balding Ken
Thomson of Thomson & Taylor with Ken
Taylor at the far left.
The new car’s racing debut was on August 7th,
the August Bank Holiday Meeting at
Brooklands. It competed in the sixth of the
day’s ten races. As usual at Brooklands the
entries were handicapped, flagged off from
A characteristic view of Cobb in the Napier- the start line at calculated intervals with the
Railton at Brooklands showed the big car well intent that all should finish together.
clear of bumpy Outer Circuit. The great car
would achieve great things both at Brooklands Cobb was the last to start in The Byfleet
and on the salt at Bonneville. Lightning Short Handicap, a three-lap race of
some 6½ miles. ‘Never have we seen such
colossal acceleration,’ said Motor Sport. ‘The aluminium car simply leapt forward in a steady
surge of joyous power. Long black streaks of rubber were left on the concrete.’
Such was the Napier-Railton’s speed that some of the fastest cars and drivers in Britain were
taken by surprise. Cobb set a new standing-start lap record at 120.59 mph, five miles per hour
faster than his record with the superseded Delage. He overtook rivals so quickly that some
were accused of deliberately balking his hurtling racing car. In a race considered ‘most
thrilling’ Cobb won with margins of 200 yards and 2.4 seconds at an average speed of 122.23
mph. The Napier-Railton was on the map.
With splendid synchronicity another car bearing Reid Railton’s name was launched that
August to bask in the reflected glory of the Napier-Railton. This was the work of Railton’s18
friend Noel Macklin, who reached
agreement with him to produce a road car in
his name based on Hudson’s Canadian-built
Terraplane with British bodywork, chassis
tuning and equipment. The engineer
negotiated a financial arrangement for the
use of the name ‘Railton’ and consultation
So well-known for speed and style was the Railton on the production of Railton automobiles.
name in 1933 that it was chosen by Noel Macklin The first were on the market late in 1933.
for his new range of Hudson-based cars. The first
Here was ample testimony to the standing of
Railtons of that year were Ranalah-bodied like this
sprightly tourer. Reid Railton in British automotive circles.
That Railton motor cars, produced until the
war and to a small extent afterward, carried the name of an eminent engineer made them
exceptional in the world of cars. It ranked them with the likes of Benz, Bugatti, Daimler and
Maserati among the great automobiles. Not only in Britain but also throughout the world
‘Railton’ was as lustrous in the auto industry and its racing-wise customers as ‘Duesenberg’,
‘Delage’ and ‘Miller’.
Also maturing this summer of 1933 were the
results of Reid Railton’s efforts as
engineering consultant to wealthy young
American driver Whitney Straight. A superb
driver as well as a fine judge of machinery,
Straight bought a 2½-litre Grand Prix
Maserati and asked Railton at Thomson &
Taylor to effect improvements, including a
Wilson preselector gearbox and altered
bodywork. In 1934 Straight bought no fewer
than three new 3.0-litre Maseratis for his
team. Two of them received the Railton
touch. Marking the Maseratis revised by Railton and T&T
for Whitney Straight’s ambitious stable was a
Another Brooklands habitué requiring handsome new cowl, behind which were engine
Railton engineering in 1933 was Earl Howe, improvements and preselector transmissions.
who brought in his 1½-litre straight-eight Chief mechanic Giulio Ramponi was at the wheel.
Delage Grand Prix car to have a new front
suspension, brakes and transmission fitted. This experience with road-racing cars was useful
to Railton when he was approached that summer by driver Raymond Mays and designer Peter
Berthon. Enthusiast Humphrey Cook had agreed to finance their construction of a new
British racing car to compete in the 1½-litre Voiturette category that was popular on the
continent. It was to be known as the ERA—English Racing Automobiles.
Berthon, a long-time associate of Mays, already had an engine, the Riley in-line six that he19
successfully modified and supercharged, but
he needed a chassis. He and Mays asked
T&T to produce the ERA chassis and Reid
Railton to design both frame and
suspension. With Cook having to shoulder
the cost of design and development,
excessive elaboration in the design was
discouraged. Railton in any case envisioned
something on the lines of the Alfa Romeos
that were leading in the Grand Prix wars.
Although the basic lines of the Railton- First seen in the flesh in the spring of 1934,
designed chassis for ERA were classical, the result was a purposeful, practical and
departures from convention included powerful racing car available with engines of
preselector transmissions and smaller wheels 1.1, 1.5 or 2.0 litres to suit the buyer’s
with large-section tyres that broke with preference. The 17 cars that ERA produced
tradition. scored many successes against Bugattis and
Maseratis and competed in the post-war
Formula 1 through the 1940s. The ERA was
in fact the only British single-seated racing
car to be consistently successful
internationally in the 1930s.
When in July of 1933 The Motor asked
experts to answer the question: ‘What is the
Limit of Speed on Land?’ its respondents
Peter Berthon, left, and Raymond Mays were
justly pleased with their ERA, the first
purpose-built British monoposto road-racing
car. It would soon dominate competition in
Europe’s hard-fought Voiturette category.
were Malcolm Campbell, Jack Irving and
new man on the scene Reid Railton.
Campbell stressed the need for the track to
be in perfect condition to reach high speeds, Ray Mays prepared to fire up the first ERA for
saying that in his effort at Daytona Beach an attack on short-distance records at
that February ‘our percentage of slip was in Brooklands. ERA chassis were built completely
the order of 20 per cent, as the engine was by T&T with engines and bodies fitted at the
ERA workshop in Bourne, Lincolnshire.
actually turning over at a speed which was20 equivalent to 330 mph.’ Captain Irving and Reid Railton agreed that ‘some method of driving all the road wheels’ would be needed to exceed 300 mph on Daytona Beach to overcome the problem of slippage described by Campbell. Low drag from a body that enclosed all the wheels was desirable, Railton felt, as long as it did not cause instability at high speed. As for the power needed, said the engineer, ‘as much as we can get’ was his answer. ‘We should consider ourselves to be very lucky,’ he added, ‘in that the present-day racing aero engine is so admirably shaped for fitting into a motor car.’ Driving a Blue Bird engineered by Railton, Sir Malcolm Campbell had opened 1933 in February at Daytona, which greeted him with rough sands that aggravated a strained left arm. Nonetheless he raised his own record by almost 20 mph to a two-way average of 272.46 mph. Achieving 300 mph was his goal, Campbell made clear. Short of their hoped-for speed, Sir Malcolm and team returned home determined to do better next year. With Campbell determined to be first to five miles a minute, Railton In his Railton-designed Blue Bird Sir Malcolm knew that he and T&T had their work cut Campbell set a new land-speed record of out to achieve their knightly client’s dream 272.46 mph at Daytona in February of 1933. of speed. Fortunately for a change Sir Reid Railton would design the car in which he Malcolm was not in a hurry. For 1934 he achieved his goal of 300 mph in 1935. was planning an expedition to the shores of South Africa’s Northern Cape where, he had heard, on a reef about a mile inland ‘solid gold outcropped to the surface and could be picked up with the hands.’ Reid Railton knew that they were not the only land-speed record challengers. He and Campbell had shrugged off the efforts of Australia’s Norman ‘Wizard’ Smith and his car designed by Don Harkness. They failed in spite of the availability of New Zealand’s fabled Ninety-Mile Beach. Nor had racing driver Kaye Don prevailed with another Sunbeam contender, the 4,000-horsepower Silver Bullet that struggled at Daytona in 1930 and later failed to come good when taken over by renowned engine tuner Freddie Dixon. Earlier in 1933, in his April issue of Motor Sport, Railton learned of American aspirants for the world-speed crown. Philadelphia businessman James M. White, whose ‘Triplex’ set a new record at 207.55 mph at Daytona in April 1928 using three Liberty V-12s, was said to be returning in 1934. Speed-boat champion Gar Wood was reported to be loaning his 1,400- horsepower Packard engines to an Indianapolis 500 driver’s challenge. Most threateningly American racing-car genius Harry Miller was designing a car for famed
21
driver Barney Oldfield, who had held the land-speed record in 1910. Miller aimed to produce
3,000 horsepower shrouded in a low-drag shape. Railton knew that on California’s Muroc Dry
Lake these contenders could test their cars at speeds up to 200 mph before heading for
Florida.
Never one to count his chickens even when they’d hatched, Reid Railton reflected on an epic
1933 and his outlook for 1934. Campbell’s new record was satisfying but frustrating, well
short of what the Blue Bird could and should achieve. Soon enough Sir Malcolm would be
pressing for improvements.
Although the ERA project was well under way, much remained to be done once it was on its
wheels. John Cobb’s magnificent new record-breaker was still in its baby shoes. Macklin’s
Railton road-car venture had yet to prove its staying power. Would it enhance or hazard his
reputation? Reid feared the latter and dared not hope for the former.
Karl Ludvigsen
MARKET PLACE
The 1937 Hudson Terraplane, TVS 128, sold at the Anglia Car Auctions 27th January sale for
£13,780. Another white Terraplane, a 1936 d.h.c., DMX 878, failed to sell at the Matthewsons
10th February auction in Thornton-le-Dale. Pre-sale estimate was £19k-£22k.
The 1935 Railton Woodie (right) created by
Peter Beynon also failed to sell at the
Historics at Brooklands 3rd March sale.
Pre-sale estimate was £39k-£45k.
This Fairmile I project (left) is for sale via
prewarcar.com. It is Jerome Fack’s BXH
185. Much work has already been done and
the best offer will secure it.
Important Broughs for Auction
Bonhams Festival of Speed auction on 13th July will include three Brough Superior cars: the
V12, the ex-George Brough 8-cyl and the 6-cyl saloon. More details in the next Bulletin.
Wanted
A Club Member is keen to acquire a tourer or an original early saloon but not a drophead.
Anything useable would be considered but not a complete restoration project.
Please make contact via the Editor.22
CORRESPONDENCE
From Dick Barnard
Lagonda Garboxes etc.
Just to prove that I do still read the R.O.C. Bulletin; I noticed that my name was mentioned in
the last edition in connection with Lagonda gearboxes.
The Lagonda in question was an LG45 d.h.c. which, with the help of two friends, was driven
from London to Rome in the late '50s. Its performance on continental roads was not
impressive. Despite a large engine, the ratio of unsprung to sprung weight was poor, with the
result that keeping it pointing in the right direction was hard work, and the speed was
correspondingly limited.
We drove it over the St. Bernard Pass, and by the time we reached the steepest bit, we had to
resort to bottom gear, despite the large and apparently fully functioning engine. Not long
after that, we discovered that the number of available gears was becoming limited. We
stopped at a border post and lifted the floorboards (yes, floorboards) situated in the front
right footwell. Fortunately, the gearbox was located off-centre from the transmission line, so
it was a simple matter to remove the cover, and tighten up some bolts that had shaken loose.
All was then well, apart from a puncture, and we finally drove into Rome in splendour, like a
returning emperor. The car certainly looked impressive, but its performance, road holding
and general ability to hold together was no match for my then Railton Carbodies saloon.
One final note, the ability to go almost anywhere mostly in top gear, is one of the joys of my
Brough. On the way home from Kop Hill last year, I drove around the steep and twisty roads
towards Wendover without having to shift out of top gear. Even more impressive, was going
round the magic roundabout in Hemel in top (the traffic was very light), and then proceeding
up the steep hill towards St Albans.
From Ian Johns, (Membership Number 199)
It is some time now since I wrote to the R.O.C. As you can see by my membership number I
am one of the oldies!
I have some bad news however, sadly my wife Heather passed away in March last year, having
type 2 diabetes for over five years. Also, if that was not enough, I had to have a triple bypass
as well.
I joined at the Club about 1965-6 owning the Brough Superior d.h.c. BYN 486 which I still
have, owning the car now for 58 years. We came to a few meetings in the old days so some of
you will remember Heather. My son Richard is now the car’s custodian and he found out that
the original owner was Major Michael Hamilton Wills from the cigarette firm W.D. and H.O.
Wills, so we have the history right from the start. Some of our trips “up country” were with23 Ken Purvis and I drove his Railton on two or three of the trips, MG 6407 I believe was the number. [MG 6407 is now owned by Denis Robson - Ed.] I am now 81 and am still doing restoration, I have in my workshop at the moment 1925 Austin 12/4 Clifton Tourer, building a body on it. It was cut-down during the war and used as a farm lorry to get petrol coupons. I have also rebuilt a 1936 London taxi. These two cars are from two mates of mine. BYN 486 at Kop Hill Climb I have now purchased for myself a 1934 Austin 12/6 Ascot saloon wanting all the treatment. Well I think that’s about it; I’ve brought myself up to date as it were. [N.B. Richard Johns has put together an interesting website about Ian’s car which is worth a visit containing, as it does, its history and other information about B.S. cars in general. The picture of the car was taken from this source. http://www.broughsuperiorcar.co.uk Ed.] From Geoff Moore L.S.T. Replicas Having enjoyed John Fack’s article on DPL 94, I turned to the back cover and saw BYW 574, which was owned by John and successfully campaigned over many years by him and I remembered Bill Drake, who built it (it had been a saloon), bringing the car to Prescott in 1972 where I drove it for the first time. But a Light Sports Tourer Replica? Well, I suppose the two cars have a passing resemblance. This led me to cogitate on the ease with which we have awarded the title ‘replica’ to cars which today would not be considered to be replicas at all. The Bugatti and its ridiculously enormous value has a lot to answer for in this. It has led to the production, in Argentina, of replicas so good that they are difficult to tell from originals and has caused enthusiasts and investors to look again at the use of the term and to realise that a replica is something that replicates the original and is not just something a bit like it. It all began for the R.O.C. with Reg Hellier, who at the National meeting at Finmere in 1968 produced his special for the first time and said it was an L.S.T. Replica. At this time few, if any of us, had seen either of the two originals, one in England the other in New Zealand. Reg’s car was well made and looked the part. It was accepted as an L.S.T. Replica. It was a one off and I don’t think anybody gave it too much thought. We now know that it couldn’t be a replica, it wasn’t even on the right chassis. Soon there were more on the scene, Richard Hughes built one and Geoffrey Tompkins another. We were amused (Geoffrey included) when a few years ago, a dealer selling the car described it having Geoffrey Tompkins
24 Coachwork, ranking Geoffrey along with Park Ward, Vanden Plas et al. I believe it was Barrie McKenzie who tracked down the original and persuaded the owner to bring it to a Sunday meeting at a pub in Derbyshire. In the car park we had barely cast eyes on it when the Landlord threw us out. Apparently he didn’t like the look of our funny old Railtons and we weren’t buying enough beer. Those were the days! We adjourned to a nearby lay-by and the L.S.T. disappeared, not to be seen again for many years. Soon on the scene was a young entrepreneur who, with no regard for authenticity, imported a couple of Hudson rolling chassis and built them up as, guess what, L.S.T. Replicas. He too had chosen the wrong chassis and they had never been anywhere near Cobham. There are others. Sometimes it seems that any Special built on a '30s Hudson chassis becomes an L.S.T. Replica. To be clear, an L.S.T. should be on a '35 chassis, have wheels and axles from (we think) a contemporary long wheelbase Hudson, a '35 engine which has been moved rearwards in the chassis a distance of 8+", and a 4-seater door-less aluminium body on a light metal frame, as its main features. There should be a vestigial tail fin and louvred valences along the chassis side rails. Both these were typical styling cues (as they say) of sporting '30s bodies. Does it matter? Does anybody care? Am I being too pedantic? I don’t know. As long as Club records make clear the provenance of each car, maybe it doesn’t. From John Dyson The Guarantee on page 26 of the last issue, was, I think, together with some other ephemera, an inspired purchase by Barrie McKenzie when he was Club Secretary. Is there not also a receipt issued by the Flitt Motor Co. Ltd., with the Guarantee? [Max Hunt has located this ephemera and a selection is reproduced under “Automobilia”. Ed.] The Flitt* Motor Co. Ltd. of Bedford Street, Ampthill, originally Flitt Cycle Co, known locally as Grimmer's Garage, was established by Albert Edward Grimmer in the 1900s. Amongst his other interests, he was a pioneer aviator, flying a 1910 Bleriot and a Deperdussin. After one or two mishaps, the damaged machines were stored under the roof of the garage. Eventually in 1934 their whereabouts reached the attention of Richard Shuttleworth at nearby Old Warden (the eagle eyed will have noted that R.O. Shuttleworth was a joint guarantor with Noel Macklin). A deal was struck for Shuttlewoth to take the aircraft so long as he removed a pile of oil drums that Grimmer wanted to get rid of. As recounted in Kevin Desmond's Richard Shuttleworth - an Illustrated Biography, Dick wasted little time before turning up with a couple of lorries to clear drums and planes. An interesting side issue is why Hubert Blundell (presumably a member of the Blundell family, who ran the major department store in adjacent Luton) chose to buy his Railton from Grimmer, rather than from the Luton Hudson agents, Barretts of Castle Street, just round the
25
corner from the shop. [Flitt did not even get the model name correct! Ed.]
It was good to see the pictures of Barry Strong's series l Fairmile, CGP 794, and the letter
from Bucks C.C. Jack Catley was Barry Cox's father-in-law, and on his sudden death in the
1960s Barry was tasked with disposing of CGP and CS 5729, the long wheelbase Stratton,
now with Russell Cook. A friend, Robert Mann, decided to buy CS and I had the pleasure of
accompanying Bob and bringing the car back to Toddington.
*Note for the geographically minded: The River Flitt rises in the neighbouring village of
Flitwick before flowing into the River Ivel and joining the Ouse. Ivel was the name adopted
by Daniel Alibone of Biggleswade (through which the river flows) for the first successful
agricultural tractor to be built in Britain.
The original purchase receipt referred to by John Dyson showing an allowance for a second-hand
Chrysler 1935 saloon which would have had a very high depreciation.26
SALES LITERATURE (PAGE 1 OF 6)27 SALES LITERATURE (PAGE 2 OF 6)
28
SALES LITERATURE (PAGE 3 OF 6)29 SALES LITERATURE (PAGE 4 OF 6)
30
SALES LITERATURE (PAGE 5 OF 6)31 SALES LITERATURE (PAGE 6 OF 6)
32
AUTOMOBILIA
SALES LITERATURE
John Dyson and Pat McDonald have both kindly supplied the Bulletin with the sale material
reproduced on the preceding pages. This is a set of three leaflets which was available on the
Coachcraft stand, packed in a little envelope marked 'Railton Special Coachwork'.
John reports that Geoff Durtnal always said the 127" wheelbase chassis was far too short for
a formal carriage and the rear passengers in the limousine would have had an uncomfortable
ride, sitting behind the axle. John also commented that he has only seen one limousine back
in 1956. It was serving as a taxi in Biggleswade and no doubt it was driven into the ground.
SERVICE INVOICES
The rest of the ephemera referred to on page 24 reveals some interesting aspects of the
quality of servicing available to Mr. Hubert Blundell, the owner of Railton ATM 582.
There are eight service invoices in the archive, spanning September 1948 through to
December 1951. It is not known if the vehicle was laid up or requisitioned during the war but
the first invoice (shown on page 33) covers a major engine overhaul including new valves; it
also includes a reconditioned starter with new bearings, brush set, solenoid switch shoe screw,
repaired drive assembly and re-taped field coils. The car could not have had much use
between then and the next invoice as petrol rationing was still in force, not ending until 26 th
May 1950, yet in
May 1950 the starter
drive was again
removed and
cleaned and a new
battery and battery
cables fitted. Starter
problems obviously
persisted because in
May 1951 the
gearbox was
removed and a new
starter ring gear
fitted. Did this solve
the problem? We
shall never know as
the last invoice is for
a complete respray
costing £50 which
may well have been
the precursor for
selling the vehicle.33
34
COLD DAY – WARM RECEPTION!
January 7th 2018 was a lovely, sunny but freezing cold day. It was also the day of the Bicester
Scramble, a car meet at the old Bicester aerodrome which is attempting to become something
of a car convention centre under the Bicester Heritage banner. There are workshops making
custom and difficult-to-obtain spares, suppliers of vintage oils, fluids etc. and several exhibits
there on a permanent basis.
The Scramble was an event my son-in-law had attended before and he suggested I take the
Railton there. I was keen to give the car a run after its brake overhaul and the 50 mile one way
trip of mixed driving seemed an ideal test.
My route took me on some rural and urban roads to the A404 Marlow by-pass and then
north onto the M40 at Junction 4 (Handy Cross). It is important to note that MMT has never
made it beyond Junction 5 before without hitting 90 deg. C and me then waiting for recovery.
On this day I hit Junction 5 and the temperature was at 35 deg. C – but, as I say, it was a cold
day!
I got to Bicester (engine temperature now a healthy 65 deg. C.) and entered the site. It is big
and the definition of Scramble became obvious as once on site there was a remarkable lack of
directions or marshalling. I kept driving into the site, mainly following the crowd, until I came
to an avenue with workshops along each side and loads of people. Suddenly a marshal
jumped out in front (and the new brakes did work fine – thankfully) and directed me to a spot
on the side of this main thoroughfare next to a very nice Rolls Royce. He commented he had
been “waiting for the right car to park here”– seems the Railton qualified. Soon after I parked
a lovely 3-litre blower Bentley arrived and parked behind me. I felt in good company.
I had a good look around the
show – some great classics plus
interesting moderns but no other
Railtons. MMT got a lot of
attention and even made it on to
the prewarcars.com site as part of
their report on the Scramble.
More that that, MMT made it
home without any issues and
even settled at a nice 70 deg. C
after climbing the hill on the M40
as it climbs up past Princes
Risborough. I even had the top
down.
MMT in august company as shown on the PreWarCar.com
website report of the event.
A good, if chilly, day out.
Mick Jarvis35
CLUB SHOP – AVAILABILITY AND PRICES
Price UK Postage ROW Postage
ROC Car Badge £35.00 £1.32 £1.65
ROC Tie £10.00 £1.25 £1.43
Embroidered badge (approx. 3 inch wide) £5.00 £0.70 £0.90
History of the Railton £3.00 £0.70 £0.90
Land Flying – The Terraplane by James Fack £8.00 £1.25 £1.65
The Lost Coachbuilder – Atcherley by James Fack £9.00 £1.25 £1.65
Railton & Brough Superior Gold Portfolio £17.50 £3.50 £7.00
(Brooklands Books)
Coachcraft by John Dyson £16.00 £3.50 £7.00
The History of the Spikins Hudson Special
by Neil Thorp (2nd edition)** £12.00 £3.00 £7.00
**This book is NOT available via the website. The author is donating profits from the sale of the book to the R.O.C..
ROC.
GENERAL ENQUIRIES: Contact the Secretary, Max Hunt. Telephone: 01299 401135
E-mail: secretary@railton.org
PAYMENT BY CHEQUE: Cheques (sterling only) for the total including postage should be made
payable to to “Railton Owners Club” and post with your order to: Max Hunt, Secretary, Abberley
Cottage, 7 Dowles Road, Bewdley, Worcestershire DY12 2EJ.
VIA THE WEBSITE: Go to www.railton.org and then click on Club Shop. (You do not need to Log
in to the Member-Only pages to purchase items). Scroll down and click on the Add to Cart button by
the item(s) of your choice. Checkout using PayPal.
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PAYMENT BY BACS: E-mail your order to Max Hunt and make a sterling BACS payment directly
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