Vanderbilt Cup Races

Just came across these photos and immediately made me think of the fence discussion from this mystery photo.

From Mystery Foto #16 Solved: The Lakeville Road Entrance to the Great Neck Lodge in 1914

As brilliant as Walter Christie was, his demountable wheel is a little strange. With 12 spokes and a post and bolt at each end, that to me seems more time consuming to change, than for instance, the Mercedes wheel with a mounting ring around the spokes and only 8 bolts. With the Christie, 12 bolts need to be removed and then carefully lined back up to the spokes to reinstall. The Mercedes just quickly places the ring mounted to the tire anywhere to the ring around the spokes and the 8 bolts reinstalled. I’d bet that a tire change on the Mercedes was much faster than a Christie change.

From Greg O's Garage: Removable rims and their impact on early motoring and racing

Art, odds are it is also 1906 when they were developed.

From Greg O's Garage: Removable rims and their impact on early motoring and racing

Found this picture which unfortunately is not dated.

From Greg O's Garage: Removable rims and their impact on early motoring and racing

Willie K’s 60 hp Mercedes in the freight yard!

From Kleiner's Korner: Part 1 - The Race that Brought Willie K. "Racing" to America"

Looks like they’re travelling on Guinea Woods Rd (Glen Cove Rd).

From Mystery Foto #20 Solved: Driver Walter Christie and mechanician Lewis Strang practicing in a 1906 Christie on Guinea Woods Road

Lee, Interesting photo. Curious about that recreation. The use of Firestone anti-skid tires and attached brake drum are very different to an original Christie wheel seen here in 1906. Maybe it was recreated from a later design.

From Greg O's Garage: Removable rims and their impact on early motoring and racing

Seen here are hand written and typed descriptions from Peter Helck about Christie’s car that had been totaled during the 1905 Elimination practice. Noteworthy, for myself anyway, is his mention of Christie’s demountable rims.

From Mystery Foto #20 Solved: Driver Walter Christie and mechanician Lewis Strang practicing in a 1906 Christie on Guinea Woods Road

And lastly, the Healy demountable tire.

From Greg O's Garage: Removable rims and their impact on early motoring and racing

Vanderbilt Cup Races

From Greg O's Garage: Removable rims and their impact on early motoring and racing

A few more photos originally intended for the post, but never made it. Courtesy of the Detroit public library. First 3 being the Dow removable wheel. The following pictures are self explanatory by their captions. My favorite being the ‘in action’ Spooner and Wells shot during the VCR.

From Greg O's Garage: Removable rims and their impact on early motoring and racing

Mystery Foto # 20… The driver shown here is John Walter Christie and the mechanician is Lewis Strang. The race car is a 1906 100 hp Christie Front wheel drive… the only front drive car to ever to enter the Vanderbilt Cup.The date is in September 1906, probably practicing for the American Elimination Trial.

From Mystery Foto #20 Solved: Driver Walter Christie and mechanician Lewis Strang practicing in a 1906 Christie on Guinea Woods Road

Great photo coverage, the abutment is impressive!

From Dave's "Excellent Day on the Motor Parkway in Garden City"

Likely planned, but not built. Financial reasons mostly. Lots of warning signs at intersections, maybe traffic lights eventually?

From Kleiner's Korner: William Geiger's Motor Parkway Property in Wyandanch

THANK YOU HOWARD, for that very informative article about the Turbine Car tariff issue.

From Stahls Automotive Museum acquires a 1963 Chrysler Turbine car

I’m with you. I know the Butterfly Park area. I, too, remember walking the ROW there with someone many, many years ago Maybe it’s us!  Do you know anything about the LIMP crossing of Bagatelle?  I assume without a bridge.

From Kleiner's Korner: William Geiger's Motor Parkway Property in Wyandanch

From my research, the 1906 Locomobile, old 16, lost several races due to tires walking off the rims and the decision was made to fit detachable rim wheels to the car but like the Black Beast, it does not have detachable rim wheels today. If old 16 ever was fitted with detachable rim wheels, it was quickly switched back.

It might be of interest to note tires of this period were much more flexible and could easily walk off the rim, especially under race conditions. Most tires were of the clincher variety, captured on both sides by the rim, but the tires still walked off the rims. I suspect the decision was made to run Michelin tires instead of converting the wheels. Michelin tires were much more reliable.

From Greg O's Garage: Removable rims and their impact on early motoring and racing

If you’re still paying attention here and live nearby Bill, I’m thinking of area known as Butterfly Park just north of the substation. Remember walking the LIMP with someone and noticed the home down below us to the right. Kind of felt we were walking through their property so we didn’t proceed as far north as possible. Now I realize this was really parkland, probably until one reaches the home that extended their fence over the ROW. Realize there’s a sump too that maybe severed the ROW.

From Kleiner's Korner: William Geiger's Motor Parkway Property in Wyandanch

Just realized they must’ve had clocks in mind with the development of the rims. A spoke for every hour.

From Greg O's Garage: Removable rims and their impact on early motoring and racing

Great post, Greg !

From Greg O's Garage: Removable rims and their impact on early motoring and racing