APPRENTICES from Babcock have recreated the body of a Victorian motor car originally built in Dunfermline 120 years ago.

In a nod to this historic piece of engineering, the replica of the 'Tod Three-Wheeler' will take pride of place in the new Dunfermline Carnegie Library & Galleries, which opens on Thursday May 18.

Babcock apprentice Rab Armit, who has worked on the project since early last year, said: “During the creation of the Tod car, we had to really put ourselves into the mind-set of Michael Tod & Son and imagine what tools they would have to work with when building the car over a century ago.

"It has been a fun challenge and we are all really proud to see the finished Tod car complete and in its new home.”

In 1897, the same year that Queen Victoria celebrated her diamond jubilee, two Dunfermline firms, coachbuilders George Kay & Sons and engineers Michael Tod & Son Ltd, began their motor car experiment.

The first ‘Tod Three-Wheeler’, built to the specification of a Glasgow engineer, had two forward facing seats and two rear facing.

Upon completion, the Dunfermline Press reported that it was ahead of its time by dint of its early Dunlop pneumatic tyres and capacity to reach 30 mph, a speed well in excess of what was permitted in the late 1800s.

For unknown reasons, only one was built and it never went into full-scale car production.

Using a copy of the original hand drawn Tod car plan from 1897, Babcock apprentices Rab Armit, Shaun McAllister, Ross Clark and Rochelle Rodger worked with production engineer Alf Ramsay to design and build the replica.

Techniques that would have been used 120 years ago were revisited with the team manufacturing custom metal springs and brakes to replicate the original components.

Ian Donnelly, managing director of the Babcock Rosyth site, said: “Our Babcock apprentices have done a fantastic job creating a replica Tod car.

"Their attention to detail has been exceptional and I am delighted to be here today to help officially unveil it alongside our friends at Fife Cultural Trust.

"At Babcock, we are proud to be able to support community projects and I’m sure many people locally and further afield will enjoy seeing the car and learning about its long history when Dunfermline Carnegie Library & Galleries opens.”

Present at the handover yesterday was Sandy Tod, descendant of Michael Tod, with Heather Stuart (CEO of Fife Cultural Trust) and Lesley Botten (DCL&G museum curator), formally receiving the car.

Sandy Tod said: “It is a great tribute to the Tod family and the businesses of Michael Tod & Sons and George Kay & Sons for this early motor car to be given such prominence in the new Dunfermline museum.

"It has been exciting for me to return to Rosyth Dockyard, where I started my career 60 years ago, and with my grandsons Alex and Ollie, to be able to make a small contribution to the splendid achievement of the Babcock apprentices in creating this brilliant full scale replica.”

David Harris, descendant of Michael Tod’s partner on the Victorian prototype, said: "George Kay was the great-grandfather of my late father, Norman Harris, who was proud of the involvement of George Kay & Sons in creating the bodywork for the Tod three-wheeler.

"He'd be delighted to see this wonderful replica bring the designs to life again.

"This car was one of the first ever built, and it's not well known that such an innovative and revolutionary project was carried out in Dunfermline."

It's hoped that Dunfermline Carnegie Library & Galleries will attract up to 280,000 visitors each year and contribute an annual visitor spend of around £500,000 to the local economy.

The building recently won Edinburgh Architectural Association’s ‘Building of the Year’ and ‘Large Project of the Year’ awards and a range of launch events are being planned to suit all age groups.

For more information and a list of events please visit www.onfife.com/dclg.