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Norton Camshaft Engine Evolution - Line Drawings

    
       
 

I thought it might be interesting to show the evolution of the Norton camshaft engine, using contempory line drawings. Many of these were published by the weekly motorcycle magazines of the time (The Blue 'Un and The Green 'Un) and were of very high artistic quality. They chart the history from the earliest Walter Moore CS1, right up to the last production Manx.
       
     

1927 CS1 Engine

Where it all Began - Original
Walter Moore 1927 CS1 Engine
 

1929 Hybrid Engine

The 1929 Olympia Show Arthur Carroll engine, which used the Walter Moore top half. No one was ever sure if the engine had any insides!

            
                                 
   

1930 Racing Engine

1930 Carroll Engine - this was the engine that started it all!
Note the coil valves springs, and the lack of a oil pressure relief and oil filter bolt in the timing case.

    
                   

1935 Engine

1935-36 International road based engine. By this time fitted with hairpin valve springs and filter in base of timing case. Downdraught TT carb (brass at this time) indicates Model 30 rather than CS1, but mag/dynamo shows it is a road going model

    
                             
   

1936 Castrol Advert

Same engine as above, used in 1936 Castrol advert, or is it? Note coil valve springs in this picture

        
                           
 

1935 Works Cambox's

Selection of Works camboxs from 1935
Top : Enclosed rocker SOHC cambox, I gather this was used on works bike and fooled press that DOHC was being used
Middle : Original Works DOHC cambox. Not a total success at first
Bottom : Another enclosed cambox. This version appears in a photograph of a Works 350 in my photograhps section

                      
                                         
         

1937 DOHC Engine

1937 Works DOHC Engine
This was the start of the twin cam Manx engine, although it would not be available to privateers for another 13 years

 

  
               
 

1950 Works Engine

1950 Works DOHC Engine. Note that the crankcase shape of this engine had changed substantially from 1937 engine and has a much deeper sump and taller barrel throat. 1950 was first year of the Featherbed frame

      
                                     
                                             

1950 Production Engine

Making an interesting comparison with the Works engine , this is the 1950 Production engine.
Obvious difference is the additional finning on the Works head, increasing airflow in the hottest areas

  

1950 Rotary Valve engie

Another interesting engine from 1950. This time a Works experiment with a Rotary Valve head

  
   

1954 Works Engine

1954 Works Engine. This was the last year of the works team and pretty much the ultimate development of the Manx engine (exluding the unfinished prototype laydown Manx, now completed and residing in the Sammy Miller museum). Note external flywheel

  
                     

1957 Productin Engine

1957 Production Engine. Shorter stroke by this time, but still using Oldham Couplings to drive the camshafts

              
 

1961 Manx Engine

1961 - Final development of the Production Manx engine, using coarse bevel gears and Oldham Couplings replaced with splined shafts

    
               
                                           

Could not resist this one!
This is actually a drawing of a proposed 4 cylinder Works engine, meant to replace the Manx in the early 1950's.
According to the late John Griffiths, castings still existed until the early 1960's

                                  
                                           
     


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