This exceedingly old photograph shows a group of Russian Gendarmes in Moscow around 1890, the chap in the middle of the frame is sitting atop what is quite clearly a Penny-farthing designed for use on the railway lines. There is a counterweight on the shaft leading to the offset left wheel, I assume to keep him from falling off to his right, he also has a long handle in his right hand and I can’t for the life of me figure out what it’s for. Any ideas?
Ben Branch has had his work featured on CNN, Popular Mechanics, the official Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with millions of readers around the world and hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
Background: An Inventive Family Marshall and Milton Reeves were American brothers whose inventions made their mark on agriculture, commercial vehicles, and industry. They were Christians known for their humility and when their company became large and successful, they could be found with their sleeves rolled up working on the factory floor alongside their employees. Both…
At first glance this 1958 Ice Speedster looks like a prop from one of the original Star Wars films. In fact I wouldn’t be at all surprised if George Lucas had encountered one and used it as a base for the X-34 Landspeeder driven by Luke Skywalker on Tattoine. Snow Planes Those of you from…
This is likely the last original unrestored P-51D Mustang in original military configuration left anywhere in the world, and fortunately for someone, it’s currently for sale for the not inconsiderable sum of $4,500,000 USD. Exactly how this warbird ended up being dry stored for over 30 years isn’t publicly known, but we do know that…
Captain Malcolm Campbell, who would later become Sir Malcolm Campbell, had a genuinely fascinating life that included being a racing driver at Brooklands, a war time despatch motorcycle rider and pilot, a multiple time land speed record holder, and the man tasked with taking the royal family into hiding if the Nazis invaded Britain. Sir Malcolm…
The Ford GTB-G622 “Burma Jeep” was developed during World War 2 for carrying up to 1.5 tons of cargo over difficult or unusual terrain. It’s best remembered for its work on the legendary Burma Road, a 717 mile stretch of mostly dirt tracks that extended from Burma (now Myanmar) up into southern China through some…
Tim Caraco has made a name for himself in recent years by capturing the zeitgeist of the 21st century chopper/bobber scene in America, Australia, and Europe. The hardcover book is 148 pages long and it includes a huge array of bespoke photography as well as the work of world class builders like Max Schaaf, Chase…
