A W Martins flash steam hydroplane

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Now that does not look a bit like a boat - which indeed it doesn't. Also the photo was not taken at the time it was made, but nearly 40 years later, in its dotage. It was made around the end of World War 2. when toy shops as such did not exist, so that there were none to sell. So that, when Xmas was near, there was hardly a workshop in the country that was not producing the ‘unseen’ as well as the seen. Not that this was of any help to ‘yours truly’. For it was my job to see such things did not go on. By a strange coincidence, it was about this time that my eyesight started to fail! No, my work had to be done at home.

Single cylinder inside the frames geared down, 8" long and weighed just over 1-½ lbs. Ran for about 40 mins, and cover around 2½ miles on one filling. 24ft of rail was made from National Dried milk tins in about a fortnight’s spare time.

Near to the end of what had seemed to us a long and weary war, strange tales were filtering out. One of these to the effect that the Swiss were selling tiny engines that ran all by itself, without the need for an ignition system! Such a thing was quite marvellous, for it would open up an entirely new world – as indeed it did.

Just like Toad, in Wind in the Willows, I could think of nothing else – that’s for me. There was no technical information other than that it ran on ether and the compression ratio was 16:1. It was enough to have a go. Within a week or two, the engine, perhaps the very first made in Britain existed. After sorting out suitable fuel, it ran. I could make them. All I had to do, was to find out – how big, and how small? It would only take time. Next move was to make a 1cc engine, which I thought was quite handsome. So did H.P Folland, to whom I demonstrated it. He was quite fascinated, even though it blew all the papers off his desk. Also when I confessed that I had carved the prop from the firm’s Jabroc, he didn’t turn a grey hair.

Wanted to make a really little one. It took a lot of time, and a lot of care and around 100 hours work.

Now is it, or was it the smallest one in the world? 0.1cc, 1 inch high and 6grm weight. Almost certainly a candidate at the time and would run to 18,000 rpm on a 4" prop.

Seen on right with a standard spark plug for comparison.

For a considerable period of time Bert served Secretary of Southampton and District Model Engineering Society, with fellow flash steam enthusiast Fred Marsh as his assistant.

Now this makes quite a change. For it shows quite a number of excellent models that I DID NOT MAKE, for they were the work of others. The date is the very early fifties.

However, I must introduce the actors on the stage. In the model world they are the crème de la crème. We see, first on the left J.N. Maskelyne, who knows locomotives inside and out. Next to him is George Thomas, a very capable engineer, and for whom I worked for many years. Next is Edgar Westbury, perhaps the best all rounder and designer the the ME ever had. Then myself ‘with piecing eyes and hollow cheek’ as Shakespeare might have put it. Lastly is one of my Vickers pals, whose name has gone. looking back I would give the following advice - if asked to act as a judge, always refuse. Football refs are nice people by comparison.

Now with age comes experience, and just a little more idea of what to look for: also, if one is repeatedly given publicity, one gets a reputation, whether one deserves it or not. 'Of such things are clay idols made.' Did I say that, or was it someone else? So that when one is given the title Judge, and is doing it for the first time, there is no doubt that one can only be feeling one's way, possibly with less dramatic effect than say, a surgeon doing his first operation. However, just doing it brings its own experience and there was no lack of that: for there were many exhibitions of models, and judging was always done by outsiders.

Finale

I have told of how the first button was pressed. I didn’t just dash off and make a flash steamer for I had never made one before, and there was a lot to find out. My old friend Vic had most of the old Model Engineers giving accounts of the very boats I have mentioned. It was manna from heaven. Now to me, there was romance about those old accounts. In some way, the very enthusiasm, not written in the text, but between the lines, was rubbing off on me. I just had to carry on where they left off. It was all building up. But there was still the ‘it can’t be done’ hurdle. Now there is, and always was, an energy world of entropy, a strength of material in ultimate terms, a fatigue factor. Perhaps fortunately for me – for fools often go where angels fear to tread – at that time I knew nothing of the mathematics of such things, however useful they became at a later stage. This may seem strange: but what it means is that if I had used such a calculation approach, based on what was thought to be the factors, I would have only come to the same conclusion – that it couldn’t be done.

Now, over the previous years, I had made a great many tiny engines driven by steam. I was not kind to them, but pushed them to the limit, and beyond it. I knew the power of steam by the very feel of it, plus a fair idea of how much metal to use, based entirely on a ‘that looks about right’ assessment. In Disney terms, I was not so much a scientist as a 'Practical Pig'.

From such unlike beginnings was the first step made. Only to immediately run into the same kind of failure that had beset everyone else. However one looks at it, it was my good fortune that things immediately failed, for it was a start on my ‘that looks about wrong’ outlook on flash steam stress and strain. By such a method does nature itself design things in the long run? Also I was getting my priorities right: first survive, then perform. For it was by the enforced manufacture of such a key, that I was able to break through the ‘it can’t be done because’ barrier. From subsequent events, it would seem that this part of my education was hammered home – by failure – better than any teacher could have done, either by kind words or a cane. For in a very short time, my plants were free of trouble, other than in a very minor way, over all the years I was in the game. This in a world where high performance was the name of such a game, and trouble was everywhere.


0.1cc Miniature Diesel 60+ years on	Tiny, but immensely powerful and successful flash steam motor.

To be written up in the history books must be one way of achieving posterity, yet here we are in Experimental Flash Steam (John Benson & Alan Rayman 1972) and with some very flattering remarks. Perhaps the single comment that gave the most satisfaction was as follows ‘-as far as is known, not a single one of his boats ever suffered a mechanical failure whilst racing (referring to engines) No higher compliment could ever be committed to paper.

There was more to our sport than simply running boats. It served to bring together people who got on with one another, who understood one another. And so to look back is to remember friends, a great many of them, first, and then the boats: in that order.

And how better to end?

A.W. Martin

Bert Martin died in 1994, but left this amazing piece of work that not only documents his remarkable contribution to the development of flash steam tethered hydroplanes, but also says so much more about the people involved during that vintage period.

One incident related here by his son Tony, sums up his entire approach. ‘A final thought. My father mentions appreciating the roar of the crowd just like his son Frank. Frank was a successful athlete over many years. Dad trained him up to be national youth mile champion. Someone made the mistake of responding to Dad when Dad said he would look after Frank's training during the school holidays. "Who do you think you are - you are not a proper coach!" Dad lapelled him & said "Listen carefully I'm taking Frank to the top!" And he did! He worked out the best method & applied it just like he solved engineering problems.’

We are indebted to Tony Martin for allowing us to publish this unique insight into his father’s work and for all the help, information and material he has provided.

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