More Indianapolis parts: Diamond Chain Company

My friend Kipp gave me a stack of Diamond Chain Company employee newsletters from the 50s thru 70s called "The Chain Gang". I've driven by the factory for years but assumed incorrectly they made log chains. In fact Diamond is the manufacturer high quality roller chains for many industrial applications, timing chains and primary and final drives for motorcylces.

Diamond started off making bicycle chains in 1892. Two Hoosier bicycle mechanics used a Diamond chain in their first successful heavier than air flying machine, maybe you've heard about it:


The design and layout of the Chain Gang mags are out of sight; informational, inspirational and even beautiful:








It would be my guess that Diamond Chain Company is not a union shop which might explain their continued profitability. Especially poignent are some of the political messages included in the publications, very timely for our age:




Diamond sponsors flat tracker Kyle Long of Plainfield, IN on his H-D KR 750 using their 520 XLO O-ring chain, http://www.diamondchain.com/products/pro_motorcyclechain.php

Most people, even citizens, arent aware that Indianapolis has a long rich history of auto manufacturing and innovation second only to Detroit. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway was originally built as a test track for makes such as Lexington, Cole, Dusenburg, Marmon and Stutz. The founders of IMS were (L-R) Arthur Newby owner of Diamond Chain and National Car Company, Frank Wheeler of Wheeler-Schebler Carburetor, the legendary Carl Fisher and James Allison founder of Allison Transmission.

I love stumbling across the forgotten pieces of my city's automotive, motorcycle and racing glory. Diamond Chain is yet another living link, no pun intended.

A note from your humble correspondent

The mysterious technical fuckup from last month which rendered my blog completely black for a couple weeks had an unintended benefit. I started a second blog I call "Unfocused", http://unfocusederic.blogspot.com/. The title was intended to have a 2 fold meaning; a showcase for my photography and writing as well as a running commentary on my other aimless pursuits.

Now I find myself with 2 different blogs covering pretty much the same thing. So, rather than get rid of one or the other I will re-focus each.

Tip-top Of The World will follow the original mission as a supplement to my pieces in Greasy Kulture Magazine covering choppers, hotrods, biker culture and related historical topics.

Unfocused will concentrate on everything else that consumes my free time: records, guitars, music, modern architecture and furniture, junk store shopping, my kids family and friends, local history, gastronomic adventures and the occasional politcal rant.

I hope you enjoy my posts, please comment and share your thoughts. Afterall, that's what these blogs are all about.

Greasy Kulture #9 out very soon!

Guy should have the new issue up for sale on the website very, very soon.

I will be delivering some copies of issues #7-9 to Northside News as soon as I get my next shipment.

Check out my features on Jim Summit and Linkert Carburetors in #8,

and in #9 Nate Spainhower's XS 650, the first Japanese make bike ever to appear in GKM,


Dig it!

I've moved my blog to http://unfocusederic.blogspot.com

Sorry, this one is giving me problems and not everyone can read it. I'll probably transfer all the entries from Tip-Top Of The World at some point. Thanks for looking,

http://unfocusederic.blogspot.com/

-ejk

Colorado

Sorry I've been out of touch. I went to Denver to visit one of my very best pals in the whole world Hank Hays.

He lives in Sedalia, CO a little whistle stop town right at the base of the Rocky Mountains.

We went up into the mountains to Pike National Forest and the Platte River Basin. It was beautiful.





My visit was short. We didnt get to go to Arapahoe Acres or do a couple other things on my agenda. I tried to visit Irish Rich but he was unfortunately out of town. But I did smoke him out only to hear his dobermans barking.

We visited Red Rocks. I was amazed that it was completely open, anybody could walk in.

The highlight or my trip was playing a couple gigs with Hank's band, Ethyl and The Regulars. I was completely blown away by the crowd at Club Corner singing along with me while I sang Canada Dry.
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I miss having my homie Hank around. It was great to see him, if only for a couple days.

I came back to my 50 hour plus weeks at my job.
Then we got walloped by 12 inches of snow. I was stranded for 2 days in a marshmallow world of white death. Today I got held up by some guy that flipped his car on the highway.

The 1st month of 2009 was great. Here's to the new year, I love my life!