The Friends of Beamish Museum.First of its kind and still Running.
Restoration is complete.
Photograph: Working on the 1900 Humber Quadricycle.
With alternative description for non graphics or blind users.
Completed Autumn 2001.
(First printed in the Friends' Newsletter.)
Humber Quadricycle - If you have been reading these reports over the years, you will know about the 1900 Humber Quadricycle which has been slowly restored, including the making of many missing parts. You may remember that when we began, it was thought to be not only the oldest motorised Humber in existence, but the only one of its kind.
You may also remember that several years ago we noticed another one offered for sale by a dealer as 'a De Dion engined quadricycle'. I contacted the dealer to tell him what he had, to find that he had sold it and was not prepared to put me in touch with the purchaser.
Not that it mattered ultimately, because the owner, Sam Bell from Northern Ireland, found us and visited us a few weeks ago to see our Quad. Meanwhile, John Pinkerton, a cycle historian from Birmingham, gave to his friend Andrew Heaps, the rusty remains of an old "tricycle" frame, which he had found in the attic of a cycle business, which was closing down.
Andrew began to research what he had in order to begin the restoration and, astonishingly, he has another Humber Quad. Andrew has now visited us from his home in France and has taken many photographs and drawings to assist his rebuild, and he has taken on a rare challenge!
Andrew's research has also been useful to us, because we now know what the exhaust valve lifter should be like on our Quad, and can now make one to replace the missing original. What a good thing that Frank Atkinson rescued the Quad which was being disposed of by a local museum, and what a good illustration of the value of the restoration work we do.
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Text Equivalent of the Photographs on This Page.
Screen Reader version for people who cannot see the image for what ever reason.
Photograph: Working on the 1900 Humber Quadricycle.
The picture is mostly a light brown colour with some light patches of daylight shining through. A man is crouching down working on a vintage four wheeled bike called a Quadricycle. The background shows an typical untidy restoration workshop with a glimpse of work benches, tools and a step ladder on the right.
The man is wearing a blue overall and a light brown shirt and cloth cap to match. He is wearing safety spectacles. In front of him and facing away from the camera is the Quadricycle. It has a thin tubular framework painted black and four spoked wheels each with its own individual black mudguard.
On the front of the cycle can be seen a seat and at the rear a small engine. The cycle is supported by a wooden block at the front and a small brown tool box lies underneath it. The picture is not clear in detail. TEXT.