Whistling Billy had a little sign writing done by my friend Squirrel--see the pictures!
Since then Billy has been to The Honiton Hill Rally and The Great Dorset Steam Fair with my 1908 White Lucy and attracted quite a lot of attention. Lucy then went on with me for our Yorkshire tour where she managed the week well. My brother John and his wife Anne took his 1910 White on that tour also and had a good week.
I will be taking Billy to Prescott Hill Climb on October 1st and 2nd just on show as the last outing for the year.
The winter's work will now start. I am first tackling the new steam generator copying an original one that seems sound but is probably unsound with Billy's pressure of 1000 to 1200 psi. New metal is required.
My largest problem is the steering box which should have been delivered last year but looks a "never ever job" so I will probably be doing that too. This is in a vital area with the simpling pedal and many pipes all in close proximity and the box must be fitted first.
Anyway I will keep you posted.
Bob Dyke

Bob - Billy looks superb - I just worry about what hat you will wear!

Mike

Whistling Billy and The White Flyer
My "Whistling Billy" has recently been to some shows over here in England. At the Great Dorset Steam Fair it seemed always to have a crowd around it. As with most of this project, more details of what was happening in the early days have slowly dawned on me.

Two popular questions were always at the top of the list and frequently asked.

1) What was the top speed? I have no records or this. The car was a dirt track racer and not a straight line record breaker. The driver Webb Jay talks of the car being the fastest thing on wheels and 70mph being very fast but averages 74mph for the mile. There are numerous mentions of "a mile a minute down the straight" in the early articles.
2) The steam pressure is stated in one article as being almost twice the normal pressure at 600psi for 1905, but others in the USA tell me that it was running at 1200 psi.

I have come to the conclusion that the "Whistling Billy of 1909 was an almost completely new car if not an entirely new car. I think that it was really called "The White Flyer". I have checked out all my pictures and this is why I have come to this conclusion
1) The statement from the newspaper after the accident stated that the car somersaulted three times over in a ball of flames and was burnt out on the track (I have no picture).
2) Charlie Bair wanted a new White race car as Billy had been such a great success. Whites would have available the 1909 Model "O" engine which was more powerful with two piston valves though having slightly smaller pistons. It was almost bullet proof with its Joy valve gear and very few moving parts. It should take the 1200psi.The 1909 White chassis is smaller and lighter and made from U-section steel.
3) The later pictures confirm that the bonnet length and the engine compartment were shorter so the shorter 1909 Model “O” engine was most likely fitted.
4) The chassis I believe is now steel which can be seen in the 1912 Accident picture in Oregon.
5)The front cross member is no longer a drilled section.
6) I wondered how it could have broken in half in the engine compartment in the 1912 accident with a sub-frame to hold the engine and the two flitch plates on the chassis. My conclusion is that it did not need a sub-frame in the engine compartment with the later engine which has different lower engine mounts.
7) This car was probably running at twice the normal pressure too i.e. 1200psi for 1909/10 as the Americans suggested.
8) This car was called "The White Flyer " in some articles. Perhaps that was the proper name but the public continued to call it "Whistling Billy".
That must be why this car entered 29 races in 1909 and won 29, and I suspect that it had a top speed around 120 mph and was further ahead of the opposition!

The earlier car would have been slower. Perhaps I have been mistaken in suggesting the top speed to be around 120mph for the original Billy. It was probably more likely to be about 100mph.




Edited 2 times. Last edit at 09/17/11 06:41AM by steamcarbob.

I am going to attach three pictures to illustrate my point of the last entry.
You will see that the pictures are by no means ideal but I only have the newspaper pictures available and a few from The White Bulletin. I am always searching for more.
Bob



Edited 2 times. Last edit at 09/20/11 07:14AM by steamcarbob.

No, Billy will not be running yet. It will take me another year's work probably to get this running and then a lot of sorting before it runs properly. I have been held up for the steering box and have yet to remake the steam generator as I have been concentratng on getting my 1902 White Model"B" sorted with a new chain and sprockets. I hope to be running this car on the London to Brighton Run in 2 weeks but there are still some problems.Then I will be back onto Billy.
Regards Bob

No, Billy will not be running yet. It will take me another year's work probably to get this running and then a lot of sorting before it runs properly. I have been held up for the steering box and have yet to remake the steam generator as I have been concentratng on getting my 1902 White Model"B" sorted with a new chain and sprockets. I hope to be running this car on the London to Brighton Run in 2 weeks but there are still some problems.Then I will be back onto Billy.
Regards Bob

Billy has been progressing through the winter. I have finally obtained the steering box castings from the USA and machined the box. The casting were considerably oversized in many parts for extra strength but the ratios and gears are staying the same. The 1906 White's steering box was my pattern. The gears are coming from a professonal company.
I eventually found some flowmotor castings and have machined those.
Some pictures of these parts are attached.

Also the steam generator is well on. I made the coil bender and have bent the coils for the 30hp steam generator copying an original one that came from the Erslands in the USA when I purchased my 1906 White. The next job is to make the separation plates for the coils and then assemble the whole thing. I am making the 1908 White a new steam generator at the same time as that car's generator case was original and in a dreadful state with the coil supports largely collapsed. She still steams but not as well as she should.



Edited 1 times. Last edit at 03/06/12 04:42AM by steamcarbob.

Lots of tricky work there Bob. White components are much more difficult to make than bits for a Stanley. Good for you.

Mike

Bob, please can you post some photos of your tube bender and coils.

Thank you. John

Bob you stated earlier that the tube OD was 0.720, what did you use for the ID and what tube material was used. I am also curious as to the overall length of the pancake coil and did you find tube long enough or did you have to weld sections together. Also how many coils are there in the 30 HP boiler?
Beautiful work, can’t wait to hear about the performance.
Rolly