Engineers oil cans

Quite by chance we discovered that those engineer’s oil-cans associated with railwaymen in the time of steam locomotives but useful in the workshop, with pressure feed from a convenient button, are still made by Sutcliffe Pressings Ltd. of Horsforth, Leeds. Although their range has been somewhat pruned, a variety of 1-pint and 1 1/12-pint cans are available, together with heavier stove-enamelled force-feed oil-cans in 1-pint and 1 1/2-pint sizes. What is more interesting is that Sutcliffe’s still make those miniature oil-cans, also force-feed, which are useful for oiling model traction-engines, miniature locos, etc., but which would be appropriate to bicycles, model-cars or as a pleasing work-bench embellishment. Stove-enamelled in bright colours, these little oilcans contain 1/8-of-a-pint of oil. Presumably available from the usual retail sources, if difficulty is experienced, it might be useful to remember that the makers are Sutcliffe’s,

W.B.