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Dreamtime
Perth Western Australia |
31 of 84
Wed 25th Jun 2014 5:32pm
So that was what the familiar smell was at the Brandon track. Believe it or not I used to like it. |
| Industry, Business and Work - Warwickshire Coalfield (inc. pit accidents) | |
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PhiliPamInCoventry
Holbrooks |
32 of 84
Wed 25th Jun 2014 7:50pm
Hi Dreamtime
This might need verification from Midland Red, but one of the distinctive smells from the speedway was the fuel (dope) as it was called or nearly pure alcohol, which produced after burn when the throttle was closed quickly.
Also a quote from Wiki
"FIM regulations state that the motorcycles must have no brakes, are powered by pure methanol, use only one gear and weigh a minimum of 77 kilograms (170 lb). By using engine and rear wheel sprockets the gear ratio can be adjusted as required for track conditions. The use of methanol allows for an increased compression ratio to the engine producing more power than other fuels and resulting in higher speeds (approximately 130 kilometres per hour (81 mph) when cornering)." |
| Industry, Business and Work - Warwickshire Coalfield (inc. pit accidents) | |
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Midland Red
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33 of 84
Wed 25th Jun 2014 8:40pm
The famous "speedway smell" came from Castrol R, and had nothing to do with methanol or the track surface!
On 24th Mar 2012 3:46am, JohnnieWalker said:
On 23rd Mar 2012 10:06pm, LesM said:
Oh, the smell of the speedway bikes! It is the same unique smell wherever they race in the world, isnt it?
Now about the oil they consume, I stand to be corrected, but it was always my understanding they used a commercially available oil supplied by Castrol called Castrol-R. The suffix R supposedly to represent the word Racing, that it was used in a "total loss" system exiting from the exhaust.
Castrol R explanation is right, but in the total loss oil system, there was literally a small hole in the bottom of the motor, not the exhaust, and the used oil "bled" from there. When I worked on the Brandon track staff, 1961-66, I remember noticing all these "leaks from Nigel Boocock's bike during the pre-match warm-up in the pits, and I thought I'd better tell him about this "problem"  !!! He didn't seem at all concerned about it, and eventually someone explained it to me!
The oil was added through a small cap on the bike's frame, above the fuel tank, and simply used gravity to lubricate the motor. When (at the tender age of 62) I bought myself a GM500, in a Godden frame, and proceeded to relive the dreams of my youth (or at least try to) in local club practice days here in Australia, I was embarrassed yet again. A rider from my club assembled the bike for me, handed it over, fueled, oiled and ready to go, and I pottered around on it, and eventually decided the oil must need topping up. So, naturally, I unscrewed the cap in the frame, and poured in some oil, expecting that it shouldn't need much to top it up. But I kept pouring, and it never filled!! Then I noticed I was standing in a pool of oil, literally pouring out of a bleed nipple low down on the frame. In modern speedway motors, you simply pour the oil into the top of the motor, and there is a sump in which the oil remains until you change it. So no more yucky and environmentally unfriendly "blobs" of used oil under the bikes at warm up time any more!  
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| Industry, Business and Work - Warwickshire Coalfield (inc. pit accidents) | |
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Tony Herron
Lampeter, Ceredigion |
34 of 84
Wed 25th Jun 2014 9:51pm
Born in Binley Avenue just when the pit was closing in the early 1960's. Walked up the slag heap a few times. Could still see the heap in the mid 1970's from Caludon Castle School, quite a landmark, another being the Hawkesbury Power station cooling towers.
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| Industry, Business and Work - Warwickshire Coalfield (inc. pit accidents) | |
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PhiliPamInCoventry
Holbrooks |
35 of 84
Thu 26th Jun 2014 8:31am
On 25th Jun 2014 8:40pm, Midland Red said:
The famous "speedway smell" came from Castrol R, and had nothing to do with methanol or the track surface!
Thank you Midland Red. I loved that evocative smell which meant speedway, but never knew that it was the added oil. Brill! I had a model aeroplane glow worm engine which produced the same smell, stinking out the out-house at my mum's home. So it was the oil which I remember adding to a small reservoir at the top of the cylinder. 
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| Industry, Business and Work - Warwickshire Coalfield (inc. pit accidents) | |
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Dreamtime
Perth Western Australia |
36 of 84
Thu 26th Jun 2014 1:55pm
Thanks MR, now I know, I still liked the smell though. |
| Industry, Business and Work - Warwickshire Coalfield (inc. pit accidents) | |
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deanocity3
keresley |
37 of 84
Thu 26th Jun 2014 6:52pm
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| Industry, Business and Work - Warwickshire Coalfield (inc. pit accidents) | |
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mich
New Zealand |
38 of 84
Wed 24th Sep 2014 5:10am
A family friend lost his life in Binley Pit, must have been about the late 40s, a roof collapse I think |
| Industry, Business and Work - Warwickshire Coalfield (inc. pit accidents) | |
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Old Lincolnian
Coventry |
39 of 84
Wed 24th Sep 2014 4:05pm
My father-in law spent what he called the "worst two years of my life" down Binley Pit. He was a farmer from Eastern Europe and like many of his countrymen ended up attached to the British Army at the end of WW2. He had no home to go back to so he came to this country but one of the conditions was he had to work where he was told to for two years. Working down the pit came as quite a shock to someone who was used to being outside all day. The story had a happy ending however, because at the end of the two years he was allowed to go and learn engineering in Liverpool, travelling there and back every weekend and living in a hostel during the week. He spent the rest of his working life as an engineer and loved every minute of it.  |
| Industry, Business and Work - Warwickshire Coalfield (inc. pit accidents) | |
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Paul Grubb
Bromsgrove |
40 of 84
Sat 1st Nov 2014 1:35am
I grew up in Binley Avenue alongside the pit, after the pit closed down in 63 it became a great playground the many old buildings, the spoil tip. Spent long hours finding things to do from large swings inside a coal storage shed to racing push bikes around the water tank pits. Both sides of my family had lived in the village since the 1930's. My grandfather William (Bill) Grubb lived at 17 Binley Ave and when retired used to grow grapes in two green houses and was a keen gardener.
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| Industry, Business and Work - Warwickshire Coalfield (inc. pit accidents) | |
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Paul Grubb
Bromsgrove |
41 of 84
Sat 1st Nov 2014 1:43am
I think I remember you, we used to hang about together I lived at 7 Binley Ave I think you lived halfway up the the street in the direction of the social club. |
| Industry, Business and Work - Warwickshire Coalfield (inc. pit accidents) | |
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Norman Conquest
Allesley |
42 of 84
Sat 1st Nov 2014 9:18am
Steve Chaplin. Did you know George Blower (Puff) and Mick McCausland? They both worked at Coventry Colliery for many years. I worked at Newdigate. Norman Just old and knackered
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| Industry, Business and Work - Warwickshire Coalfield (inc. pit accidents) | |
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Norman Conquest
Allesley |
43 of 84
Tue 14th Apr 2015 11:58am
Regrettably I have few photographs of Newdigate where I worked. I have just come out of Walsgrave Hospital where I spent eight miserable days. As always the staff were interested in my coal scars, most had never heard of them let alone seen any. Suppose when our generation dies out the blue scars will have gone forever.
Most of my scars were caused by my own recklessness. Regulations said maximum of four ounces per hole, walk away at least 30ft shout "fire" wait to count of five then blow the hole. A face of 150 yard would never get blown like that. I would connect up at least four holes, walk away about 10ft turn my back to the shots,shout"fire" and blow.
There are a lot of miners poems, written by miners. One of my favourites is.
I well remember the scars of blue that covered my grandad's hands.
Hands that were gnarled and wrinkled,the hands of a working man.
Many of us carry the scars from the work we have to do
But only the miners hand are scarred forever blue. Just old and knackered
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| Industry, Business and Work - Warwickshire Coalfield (inc. pit accidents) | |
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Dreamtime
Perth Western Australia |
44 of 84
Tue 14th Apr 2015 1:25pm
I knew a family in the 50's when I lived in Batsford Road, Coundon and three of their sons worked 'down the pits' and the eldest had so many blue scars on his face it fascinated me, he said it was embedded coal dust. As you say Norman over the years the blue scars will be gone for ever. |
| Industry, Business and Work - Warwickshire Coalfield (inc. pit accidents) | |
| Dougie |
45 of 84
Tue 14th Apr 2015 8:39pm
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