Seffle semi diesel

[GBBS]

I have some interesting historical paperwork relating to all of the seffle engines brought into the country by Willow Wren. most references engine numbers to help id

 

Dave

[koukouvagia]

I have some interesting historical paperwork relating to all of the seffle engines brought into the country by Willow Wren. most references engine numbers to help id

 

Dave

I used to have one of the Willow Wren Seffles and would be interested to know if your paperwork settles once and for all whether WR imported four or five.

Also I was also told that my engine had been rebuilt and was in fact much earlier than 1956. l did once have a list of all the boats which had a Seffle, but I passed this on when I sold the engine so I'd be interested to see your documents.

[Ditch Crawler]

Hi there i have an 8hp Seffle with reversing box sat in my workshop just waiting for a boat to put in in

 

from memory it came out of a claytons boat owned by Edwin Fasham then ended up in a tug called Parry two owned out Hugh McNight from there it went in to Starling after she was cut down, when starling was rebuilt it passed to my ownership about five years ago.

 

I dont know any more history of the engine or where it came from prior to being fitted in to the Claytons boat. This information is what has been given to me so it may not be 100%correct.

[TimYoung]

I have got an 8hp Seffle rebuilt in my shed.

 

It has paperwork that suggests it was supplied to Willowren at Brentford in 1962.

 

It isn't a big engine so what they wanted it for, who knows?

 

Tim

[Derek R.]

Volkswagen may be able to help -

[GBBS]

I used to have one of the Willow Wren Seffles and would be interested to know if your paperwork settles once and for all whether WR imported four or five.

Also I was also told that my engine had been rebuilt and was in fact much earlier than 1956. l did once have a list of all the boats which had a Seffle, but I passed this on when I sold the engine so I'd be interested to see your documents.

As far as I remember, your seffle was a 25hp with air starter which originally was in Jack monks AVOCET. It was then rescued from a coal heap and put into butty Baildon which was rescued from the wendover arm and coverted to a shorter 60' motor by seamus walsh at market drayton. It was subsequently removed from baildon at natwich basin end and sold to Chris Lake who fitted it into his then boat 'OWL' Chris is working for me presently and has photos of the engine coming out of baildon. It was then removed( by you i guess!!) at WFB and is now in storage - Not at WFB, I tried to buy it but 10k is far too much. I spent much time behind it on Baildon mostly dodging the red hot soot balls and watching the smoke rings.

 

If you have the engine number( Iam still waiting to get it from Baildons owner) I should have the original Seffle invoice for it

 

Dave 07812 039110

 

Does Owl still have it's K2 with the recess in the base plate for the flywheel?

[koukouvagia]

Does Owl still have it's K2 with the recess in the base plate for the flywheel?

 

Yes.. WFB did a very successful conversion on Owl.

[pete harrison]

Hi there i have an 8hp Seffle with reversing box sat in my workshop just waiting for a boat to put in in

 

from memory it came out of a claytons boat owned by Edwin Fasham then ended up in a tug called Parry two owned out Hugh McNight from there it went in to Starling after she was cut down, when starling was rebuilt it passed to my ownership about five years ago.

 

I dont know any more history of the engine or where it came from prior to being fitted in to the Claytons boat. This information is what has been given to me so it may not be 100%correct.

 

My records suggest that George Fasham (Edwin Fasham's father) fitted the Seffle BF 8hp into DART in 1961, and it was a new engine at that time. My records then agree with your account in that this engine was re-fitted into the converted ice boat PARRY II prior to August 1972 (DART was re-engined in about 1968). Hugh McKnight advertised this engine for sale in 1982, and it was advertised for sale again in 1999 but I do not know who by or where it had been in the mean time.

 

I do not have the serial number for this engine.

[pete harrison]

As far as I remember, your seffle was a 25hp with air starter which originally was in Jack monks AVOCET. It was then rescued from a coal heap and put into butty Baildon which was rescued from the wendover arm and coverted to a shorter 60' motor by seamus walsh at market drayton. It was subsequently removed from baildon at natwich basin end and sold to Chris Lake who fitted it into his then boat 'OWL' Chris is working for me presently and has photos of the engine coming out of baildon. It was then removed( by you i guess!!) at WFB and is now in storage - Not at WFB, I tried to buy it but 10k is far too much. I spent much time behind it on Baildon mostly dodging the red hot soot balls and watching the smoke rings.

 

BAILDON was at the boat yard of Malcolm E. Braine, Norton Canes in September 1972 with its stern removed. I had assumed that Mr Braine had carried out this counter stern motor conversion, especially as I had exchanged letters with Mr Braine concerning BAILDON and its original stern in October 2002.

 

I have got an 8hp Seffle rebuilt in my shed.

 

It has paperwork that suggests it was supplied to Willowren at Brentford in 1962.

 

It isn't a big engine so what they wanted it for, who knows?

 

Tim

 

My understanding is that Willow Wren Canal Carrying Company became an 'agent' for Seffle. The 25hp engines were fitted into their motors AVOCET, BITTERN, MALLARD and SANDPIPER whilst the 8hp engines were either sold commercially or fitted into pleasure boat conversions built at Braunston out of redundant Large Ricky buttys such as GODSWALL and WIDDICOMBE FAIR (exCOUGHTON).

Edited May 20, 2010 by pete harrison

[TimYoung]

The name Widdicombe Fair rings a definite bell, someone mentioned the connection soon after I got the engine but it made little sense then.

 

Parry 11 was sold by Hugh McKnight to Andy and Lynette Millward, later the owners of Monarch.

 

Tim

[XAlan W]

I have some interesting historical paperwork relating to all of the seffle engines brought into the country by Willow Wren. most references engine numbers to help id

 

Dave

I do not have a SEFFLE now but I owned a 25HP one from late 1963 to 1972. fitted to FMC motor LILY. It was purchased through Joe Gilbert at Charity Dock from Dennis Clarke I was told on purchase that it had a small crack at the bottom of the water jacket on the oiler box side. The story of why this was so, was that my engine was the first bought by Willow Wren & when it arrived it was mounted on a solid frame & so they thought they would start it [to see how it ran & sounded] They could not have drained out all the water as it froze in the workshop or where they had it stored & cracked the jacket, they did not find this out until they had bought more engines 4 more I was told. the others were fitted to boats & mine was used for spares as & when. This was borne out by the fact that on getting the engine, which was all in pieces, some parts were still in boxes sent from Sweden. ie, dynamo, & mounting bracket, water & bilge pump domes,& internal parts for pumps.Complete oiler box & pipes & some gearbox parts, inc. the gear engagement yolk, all brand new & in protective wrapping. As I worked at that time for a company the did repairs to cast iron castings it was no problem to get it repaired . I do not have the answer as to if it was in fact 4 or 5 engines although I was at that time told 5. When I sold the boat in 1972 I passed on all the paperwork to the new owners so I have no record of engine No`s etc.