-SG- A local and old-established, privately-owned, garage has had a cut-away Norton engine on display for some years. A small plate on the plinth says it was produced by W/O Hinchcliffe - who may perhaps have been based at the extensive REME (Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers) depot a few miles away. This, at one time and perhaps even now, specialised in training army vehicle mechanics. A handle with a key slot in the boss can be fitted onto the crankshaft and the engine rotated - making it a useful training aid for explaining the four stroke principles. How long the garage has had it is not known by the present owners but it has been there for a good long time.
The engine started life as a 1935 Model 55 (the twin exhaust port 350) supplied in 1936 to a chap in the Portsmouth area.