Printed: 1/28/2021 2:14:32 PM
Modified: 1/28/2021 2:14:30 PM
Most of the cars seen today are very various than the automobiles that when existed in the late 1800s and early 1900s. One particular of the far more ingenious vehicles designed at that time was the T&F Cycle Vehicle by T&F Cycle Auto Co. of New Salem.
The firm was started by Levi Flagg and William E. Taft in 1906. Flagg normally experienced an fascination in mechanics and experienced started out a device shop in his father’s hen coop, according to Donald Flye of Petersham, a previous New Salem resident and member of the Swift River Valley Historic Society. Flye has always had an interest in autos, he claimed, since he began driving a Design T close to back again roads as a teen.
Wayne Hachey of New Salem, who served Flye build a copy of the Cycle Auto, said that Flagg was a bit of an entrepreneur. Along with the automobile enterprise, Flagg also at 1 issue ran a phone organization in the Stowell setting up, now the police station future to the town corridor in New Salem, and owned a Jenny bi-aircraft, he said.
The Cycle Automobile that the firm bought was one-person extensive and often experienced a tandem seat, Flye claimed. The motor vehicle was pushed off of a V-12 Belt which ran from the forward section of the car to the rear wheels. At very first, the automobiles were being electrical, then later the enterprise improved to two-cylinder gasoline automobiles, in accordance to Hachey. As for the engines, Flye mentioned, there is some information and facts that claims they may have been air cooled and other information and facts that states they may well have been water cooled. There may possibly have been both equally styles, he extra.
The Cycle Car or truck was recognized as a package motor vehicle. “Like Sears and Roebuck, that at a single level experienced a household you could buy and assemble, in the exact feeling you could buy elements and assemble this vehicle,” Hachey reported. The corporation manufactured up a bunch of pieces, which they would provide to people, their prospects would put these elements aside, obtain some extra and then when the client experienced a finish established they would set the motor vehicle together, Flye claimed. Among the the auto accessories have been headlights and horns. “Some say they had fenders, some say they didn’t there are conflicting experiences,” reported Flye.
Although none of the first autos are recognized to still be in existence, Flye and Hachey have designed a reproduction of the automobile dependent on firm brochures and drawings by Flye’s close friend and artist Basil Sharpe of Medford, stated Flye. Hachey mentioned the reproduction of the automobile arrived about when Flye brought a photo of the motor vehicle to Outdated Residence Day in 2018. “We obtained talking about how we ought to build a duplicate He termed me six months later and reported, are you prepared to start out creating a reproduction?” Hachey reported. He extra that he served with the upholstery, welding and painting. “We never ever received it motorized we are however operating on the steering. It is nonetheless a perform in development,” Hachey stated.