Ailsa Craig Engines
Encyclopedia
Ailsa Craig Engines was a manufacturer of marine and specialist made to order engine
s from 1891 to 1972. Named after the island Ailsa Craig
, the company began as a bicycle
manufacturer in Glasgow
in 1891, later moving to Putney, in London where the then owner went into partnership and set about building early vehicles, going on to produce the world's first V12
engine and even a petrol engine
d vacuum cleaner
for Hubert Cecil Booth
in 1904.
with a Royal Appointment being granted in 1926. Following successful work for the Ministry of Munitions and Admiralty during the First World War there was a massive war commitment in 1939 when 5000 engines were to be supplied from an additional factory site in Twickenham. Harold Linford who was the Chief Designer and General Manager was killed when an aerial bomb exploded over the Factory at Strand-on-the-Green in 1941. John Watson took over the running of the factory until the move to Ashford
in 1949/1950 and there produced further quality diesel engines, with the help of Ricardo Engineering, under the direction of Robert Kisch — son of Ellis between 1958 and 1963/4 when he was taken ill and moved ultimately to Jersey
. This ultimately resulted in the company being sold to the Warsop's Fram Group in 1964.
Engine
An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert energy into useful mechanical motion. Heat engines, including internal combustion engines and external combustion engines burn a fuel to create heat which is then used to create motion...
s from 1891 to 1972. Named after the island Ailsa Craig
Ailsa Craig
Ailsa Craig is an island of 219.69 acres in the outer Firth of Clyde, Scotland where blue hone granite was quarried to make curling stones. "Ailsa" is pronounced "ale-sa", with the first syllable stressed...
, the company began as a bicycle
Bicycle
A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....
manufacturer in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
in 1891, later moving to Putney, in London where the then owner went into partnership and set about building early vehicles, going on to produce the world's first V12
V12 engine
A V12 engine is a V engine with 12 cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of six cylinders, usually but not always at a 60° angle to each other, with all 12 pistons driving a common crankshaft....
engine and even a petrol engine
Petrol engine
A petrol engine is an internal combustion engine with spark-ignition, designed to run on petrol and similar volatile fuels....
d vacuum cleaner
Vacuum cleaner
A vacuum cleaner, commonly referred to as a "vacuum," is a device that uses an air pump to create a partial vacuum to suck up dust and dirt, usually from floors, and optionally from other surfaces as well. The dirt is collected by either a dustbag or a cyclone for later disposal...
for Hubert Cecil Booth
Hubert Cecil Booth
Hubert Cecil Booth was a British engineer who invented the first powered vacuum cleaner.He also designed Ferris wheels, suspension bridges and factories. Later he became Chairman and Managing Director of the British Vacuum Cleaner and Engineering Co.-Early life:Booth was born in Gloucester, England...
in 1904.
Overview
A little later, Ellis Kisch took over and the company moved to 46/47 Strand-on-the Green, Chiswick in West London. There was a concentration on reliable marine engineeringNaval architecture
Naval architecture is an engineering discipline dealing with the design, construction, maintenance and operation of marine vessels and structures. Naval architecture involves basic and applied research, design, development, design evaluation and calculations during all stages of the life of a...
with a Royal Appointment being granted in 1926. Following successful work for the Ministry of Munitions and Admiralty during the First World War there was a massive war commitment in 1939 when 5000 engines were to be supplied from an additional factory site in Twickenham. Harold Linford who was the Chief Designer and General Manager was killed when an aerial bomb exploded over the Factory at Strand-on-the-Green in 1941. John Watson took over the running of the factory until the move to Ashford
Ashford, Kent
Ashford is a town in the borough of Ashford in Kent, England. In 2005 it was voted the fourth best place to live in the United Kingdom. It lies on the Great Stour river, the M20 motorway, and the South Eastern Main Line and High Speed 1 railways. Its agricultural market is one of the most...
in 1949/1950 and there produced further quality diesel engines, with the help of Ricardo Engineering, under the direction of Robert Kisch — son of Ellis between 1958 and 1963/4 when he was taken ill and moved ultimately to Jersey
Jersey
Jersey, officially the Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. As well as the island of Jersey itself, the bailiwick includes two groups of small islands that are no longer permanently inhabited, the Minquiers and Écréhous, and the Pierres de Lecq and...
. This ultimately resulted in the company being sold to the Warsop's Fram Group in 1964.