Athol Daily Information – A Page from North Quabbin Record: T & F Cycle Car or truck of New Salem

Most of the cars found right now are really various than the vehicles that when existed in the late 1800s and early 1900s. One particular of the a lot more creative motor vehicles established at that time was the T&F Cycle Motor vehicle by T&F Cycle Vehicle Co. of New Salem.

The enterprise was launched by Levi Flagg and William E. Taft in 1906. Flagg generally had an fascination in mechanics and had started out a device store in his father’s rooster coop, in accordance to Donald Flye of Petersham, a previous New Salem resident and member of the Swift River Valley Historical Modern society. Flye has generally had an interest in cars and trucks, he mentioned, because he commenced driving a Design T all around back again streets as a teenager.

Wayne Hachey of New Salem, who aided Flye make a reproduction of the Cycle Vehicle, reported that Flagg was a bit of an entrepreneur. Along with the car enterprise, Flagg also at 1 issue ran a telephone enterprise in the Stowell building, now the police station future to the city hall in New Salem, and owned a Jenny bi-plane, he mentioned.

The Cycle Car or truck that the company bought was a single-particular person extensive and occasionally had a tandem seat, Flye said. The automobile was pushed off of a V-12 Belt which ran from the forward element of the auto to the rear wheels. At initial, the cars were electrical, then afterwards the enterprise adjusted to two-cylinder fuel automobiles, in accordance to Hachey. As for the engines, Flye stated, there is some data that states they may well have been air cooled and other information that says they may well have been h2o cooled. There might have been both types, he included.

The Cycle Automobile was identified as a kit car or truck. “Like Sears and Roebuck, that at just one stage experienced a house you could buy and assemble, in the exact same perception you could purchase sections and assemble this motor vehicle,” Hachey explained. The corporation created up a bunch of parts, which they would market to folks, their shoppers would put these components apart, obtain some a lot more and then when the customer had a full set they would place the car together, Flye said. Between the car or truck add-ons have been headlights and horns. “Some say they experienced fenders, some say they didn’t there are conflicting reports,” reported Flye.

Although none of the authentic vehicles are known to continue to be in existence, Flye and Hachey have established a replica of the motor vehicle primarily based on organization brochures and drawings by Flye’s pal and artist Basil Sharpe of Medford, claimed Flye. Hachey explained the duplicate of the auto arrived about when Flye brought a picture of the motor vehicle to Old Household Working day in 2018. “We bought chatting about how we ought to establish a duplicate He identified as me 6 months later and reported, are you ready to get started setting up a duplicate?” Hachey explained. He additional that he helped with the upholstery, welding and portray. “We hardly ever acquired it motorized we are even now performing on the steering. It is nevertheless a function in development,” Hachey explained.