From the Editor – November  2024

Greetings to one and all! Well, here I still am, just getting on with life while continuing to undergo treatment for my medical issues. As I mentioned in my last Editorial, the doctors have decided that the tumor has shrunk as far as it’s going to from the use of medication alone, and it’s time to have it out. I met with the surgeon, fittingly enough a Dr. Duncan, and signed the papers authorizing her to proceed.

Consequently, I have a date coming up with the scalpel – the operation is scheduled for November 12^th, less than 2 weeks away now. Dr. Duncan has a top-notch reputation and has dealt with tumors of this kind before. My final pre-surgery scan turned up no unwelcome surprises, so I remain hopeful that a positive outcome will be achieved. I turned 77 years old in early October, just in time for the operation – made it this far, and let’s hope that the story continues! I’ll keep you informed. Meanwhile, I’d like to extend my very sincere thanks to all of you who have written in over the past months to wish me well.  Means a lot to me ………….

Before that happens, the US Presidential Election will have been decided. We who have no say are waiting anxiously to see if America chooses to step back from the edge of the precipice on which the country presently stands. So much depends on the outcome - not just for America but for the rest of the world. I hope that I’ll be able to go into my surgery with that worry lifted …………..

Following the publication of last month’s article about the Taplin series, I was delighted to hear from my valued mate Kevin Richards of England. Kevin is undoubtedly the world’s leading authority on the products and activities of the E.D. company, hence also possessing a considerable amount of knowledge regarding the Taplin engines with which E.D. was closely associated. He was able to set me straight on a few errors in my article with respect to the Taplin Twin Mk. II. I’ve corrected that section of the article, with my very sincere thanks to Kevin.

Given the fact that there may well be some disruption in my work on this website, I made a special effort to get some extra reading material into your hands for November. December is normally my “bumper issue” month, but the December issue may be delayed or cancelled depending upon how things go following surgery. So I’ve managed to get four new articles up and running this month – hope you enjoy them!

The first such article deals with a pioneering model diesel from early post-WW2 Russia – the K-16 diesel of 4.44 cc which was produced between 1949 and 1955, becoming one of the most widely-used model engines in the former Soviet Union. Although it was manufactured in relatively substantial numbers, the K-16 was never exported beyond the borders of the USSR, hence being a relatively rare engine today outside its zone of origin. This is a pity because, despite its rather utilitarian appearance, it turns out to be a well-made and fine-handling unit which was able to give good service provided one’s performance expectations were held in check and the model could absorb the vibration! Well worth a look!

The second all-new article is one which is potentially of some historical significance but is probably of little relevance to the average engine aficionado because it deals with what appears to be a one-off Italian “Special” based on the well-known Barbini B.40 Testa Nera glow-plug model of 1956. This Barbini 2.5 cc Special may in fact be a modified Barbini B.40 TN created by (or for) the then-prominent speed flier Cesare Rossi (later of Novarossi fame), since he is known to have been an associate of Giovanni Barbini and his initials are prominently machine-engraved onto the crankcase. Even though the average collector will never so much as see one of these units, I still judged this engine to be well worthy of full documentation – hope you agree. It’s my hope that some Italian reader who knows more than I do will get in touch to fill in the gaps in this fascinating engine’s story.  

The third article this month deals with another of my personal favorites – the charming little AMCO .87 sideport diesel from England. Some might consider this to be another "Model Engine News" (MEN) transfer article, since one of my earliest pieces written for MEN dealt with the Mk. I rendition of this motor. However, I’ve expanded the article to such a degree, including full coverage of the Mk. II variants, that it really has to be viewed as an all-new article rather than a transfer. This deservedly well-liked little sideport diesel appeared in no fewer than four distinct variants, the progression of which has been widely misunderstood in the past. Time to set the record straight!

The unambiguous MEN transfer article for the month covers one of the most interesting and unusual model diesels to emerge in early post-WW2 Germany – the 1950 Zeiss Pioneer 1 diesel of 2 cc displacement, colloquially referred to by contemporary German modellers as the “U-Boat” for obvious reasons! This highly original design was developed and manufactured by one of the world’s most respected optical equipment producers, the long-established Carl Zeiss company of Jena in what was then East Germany. As we might expect from such a company, it was very well made and performed most capably despite a few operational idiosyncracies. A fascinating detour off the beaten track!   

That’s about it for this month, fellow enthusiasts! Whether or not I get a new edition out for December is entirely dependent on my ability (or not!) and motivation to sit at my computer following my upcoming surgery. Accordingly, I can’t guarantee anything at this point – all that I can do is assure you that it’s my present intention to resume business as usual as soon as possible! My recovery must take precedence, but I’ll be back at it just as soon as my post-operative situation permits. I’ll keep you all posted as best I can on any significant developments which might affect my activities. In the meantime, I really appreciate all the expressions of support that I continue to receive from so many of you! 

Take care, and I hope to talk to you again soon, after the cutting and stitching’s done!

Adrian Duncan 

British Columbia, Canada

___________________________________

Note regarding material to be found on this site - unless specifically otherwise noted, all images and text which appear on this site are my own work, and I hereby assert my right to be recognized as the originator of this material. For the record, this material is made freely available to all upon two firm conditions:

• No commercial use of any kind is to be made of any of the images or text posted on this site without my express written consent.
• No use of any kind, commercial or otherwise, is to be made of any material published in any form on this site without full and open acknowledgement of the source.