Image gallery of the Beardmore engine manual
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Beardmore Engine History
“Although built by Arrol Johnston Ltd, the name was adopted from the energetic and entrepreneurial industrialist William Beardmore”.
Developed and constructed by Arrol-Johnston, Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of William Beardmore and Co. The design, believed to be based on the pre-war Austro-Daimler engine, the Beardmore 160hp version was considered superior in many ways. Although built by Arrol Johnston Ltd, the name was adopted from the energetic and entrepreneurial industrialist “William Beardmore”. William Beardmore (Jnr) after his father’s death, continued to manage and develop the 18th century steel forgings business into an industrial giant, engaging a staff of around 40,000 during the WWI period. The factories spread out along the banks of the Clyde, producing ships, armaments, engines and aircraft.
The Beardmore engine incorporated some unique designs, one of them being the low speed but efficient oil pump design and another the use of electroplating to construct the one piece water jacket that ensured a light but durable structure to retain the coolant. Superb engineering, steel quality and construction methods meant that the engines were structurally superior to many similar types and survived in civilian service long after WW1.
