Mystery Engine

When we started with old bikes for more than 30 years ago, we often stumbled across parts for bikes we had never heard about.

There were still some farmers, blacksmiths and repair shops with old timers who had a different attitude to stuff than we have now. Nothing was wasted, this was before wealth and oil money had changed the view of things.

We went around asking for old motorcycles and bits; often we pulled a lot of “scrap metal” home. The bikes and engines where skillfully identified with the help of a copy of “Illustrated Encyclopedia of Motorcycles” by Erwin Tragatsch. But some bits remain a mystery to this day…..

Some of the parts we found puzzled us, they were not supposed to be here…..bits for bikes never sold in Norway. We had heard of sailors bringing bikes home, but why make a Rudge multi gear compressor with a FN four cylinder petrol tank….

After a while the mystery was solved….Just after the WW1 a local shop owner had bought two or three train wagons filled up with mechanical stuff. The story I’ve been told are that there was auctions held by the English army. They sold of big lots of damaged vehicles and parts collected from the front and nearby villages.

A big auction was held at the train station at arrival, and a lot of homemade farm devices were created.

Most of the parts we dragged home have found good homes all over Europe, but I still have some of these parts in my workshop. I like to have pieces of history to look at.

Can anybody identify this engine? WFW it says in the casting. I have been thinking of Wanderer but I have not found any proof…..Would be great if anybody knows…..Please send me a mail if you do.