Doug Reynolds 50years of Model Engineering Excellence continued

By this time the tethered car movement was totally speed orientated so he did not attempt a competition car, but produced a semi scale model with another home built engine. The engine was a 5cc diesel that had seen service in Doug's first ever hydroplane, Triton 1. The motor was modelled on the lines of the early Atlas and Sparey engines featured in the Aeromodeller during the 1940s. Machined out of the solid again, it was fitted with a centrifugal clutch and then put into an aluminium chassis. The chassis had a solid rear end with bevel gear drive incorporated, but the front end featured a most exquisite independent front suspension with lower wishbones and upper rocker arms. The coil springs were mounted inside the chassis and the set up is similar to the ZN units fitted to the MCN grand prix design. The home built wheels were shod with Prestacon tyres and the front wheels had dummy brake drums. A racing style body was made from gummed paper strip formed over a mould, but in a most unusual way. John’s art teacher made a clay buck, very reminiscent of a Cooper formula 3 car, and each class as they came into the art studio would add more strips of paper until the body was nigh on 3/8" thick.

Tethered car tracks were becoming rare and so Doug improvised by using an area of road outside his home. As he did not have a pylon, his son John was deputed to hold the line, control line style, while the car sped round. Perhaps John could then appreciate why the Americans called tethered cars spindizzies. As with the boats, the car was also subject to rethinks and development and in the course of the year a recoil starter and clutch were fitted, and the engine was converted to glow plug ignition. With these changes the car was capable of 55-60 mph, but I suspect that lack of a track caused the car to be put away in the shed at the end of the year.

The car was to stay there, untouched, for a further 40 years until in July 92 it was ‘taken down to be looked at’. The engine was gummed with castor oil and rusted so it was stripped down, as was the chassis. It was discovered that the self starter clutch was broken so the engine reverted to a centrifugal clutch and hand starting. "The engine started in about 20 pulls but would not keep running." A number of faults were identified and rectified including the left hand rear tyre parting company with the wheel when the engine got on to full song. Whatever Doug tried though, the engine would only run with the glow battery connected and after a series of frustrations put the car away to concentrate on refurbishing the 30cc boat engine.

Interestingly, amongst the various drawings were a set of Atom 5 blueprints, but on the reverse were plans for a 30" hydroplane hull showing the car engine installed. It transpires that this was the original plan for Triton 1 and the engine was built to go into this boat, later being transferred to the car.

What might seem odd is that there are numerous references to speeds, performance and technical details relating to the boats and engines, but never any reference to competition. To Doug Reynolds it was the design and engineering challenge of the hobby that was important, and while he did attend regattas it was as an observer constantly looking for ideas and ways to improve his own boats and engines. When the Fleet Pond was lost in the late 60s, the boats were put away and he turned his attention, skills and sense of purpose to other areas, until his interest was rekindled in the early 90s.

These boats, engines, notes, drawings and photos are an incredible record of one man’s work and passion for modelling and an appropriate reminder of why he was honoured at the ME Exhibition. It was the original intention of OTW to photograph the boats and engines as a permanent record, but our visit turned out to be more of a voyage of exploration. After a cup of coffee and a look at the Model Boats featuring the presentation to Mr Reynolds, it was out to the garden shed where the boats were neatly stacked in cubbyholes. To see five complete and original boats other than in a collection was a unique experience but the fact that all the discarded parts, props and other items had been retained as well, made the day. A very happy half hour was spent in the loft exploring boxes to sort out material related to the boats and engines. During the course of this it was even more apparent the huge variety of interests that Doug Reynolds pursued. Electronics, astronomy, and clock making were all in evidence and represented in depth as well. One particular piece of equipment however was of significant interest as it was the prototype of a device that we have all come to loathe or welcome in equal measures. Next time a phone call elicits a response that the person you are calling is not at home, so please leave a message after the tone you will be listening to a direct descendant of the very first reel-to-reel, recording, answer phone, developed by Doug Reynolds. He had left Aerolex and joined Southern Instruments as a mechanical development engineer and was responsible for the device that would become the answer phone and could also be used for recorded announcements. The worldwide patents for this are still in his name. With a tape cassette almost a foot long and hard-wired thermionoic valves this was an impressive machine to say the least, and interesting to compare with its modern digital counterpart.

The tale of the visit does not quite end there as it was decided that one of the engines had to be started. Triton 6 with the OHC 30 was selected, as this was known to run, but two immediate difficulties manifested themselves. A lack of a glow battery and fuel that was goodness how many years old so a trip to the local model shop was called for. The shop is no more than a couple of miles away but a 44 mile return journey is necessary if going by car, but luckily a short ferry trip could achieve the same end. The fuel was somewhat of a surprise as five litres of 10% nitro was handed over gratis. Support your local shop. Back on the ferry, a quick charge of the battery and a sausage roll and we were in business, or so we thought. Vigorous tugging on the starting cord produced nothing except a reddening of the face. Yes there was fuel, but as the tank had sprung a leak the contents were slowly draining into the hull. What about the plug and a glow? Ah no glow, try spare plugs, dead, take one from another engine, yes a glow, well more like a sunspot for a second or so and then a stark realisation. The battery was not a Nicad so it was knocking out 2 volts and knocking out plugs with equal speed, so with our tails between our legs we retired for a cup of coffee.

Not being able to face fighting our way through the local football supporters for a return trip to the model shop we reluctantly gave up the idea and set to photographing and recording the whole amazing collection. Considering that all the engines, boats and the car that are illustrated and described here and all the development that were done on them, originally occupied no more than eight years is a testament to the skills and unremitting hard work that Doug Reynolds devoted to his his modelling.

OTW is extremely grateful to John and Jackie Reynolds for their hospitality and our thanks go to John for all his help, advice, reminiscences and for sharing the collection and information with us.

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