Thought to came come from a munitions factory in Birmingham, England, just after WW2, this most unusual lathe is fitted with chain-driven headstock and a vertical  drilling attachment that driven from a rear-mounted power shaft.
Surviving with the lathe are a number of well-made accessories that have the appearance of being either one-offs, constructed in the toolroom, or part of a small production batch. Although not connected, a reader reports seeing, many years ago in Redditch, a chain-driven machine constructed to split lead shot for fishing weights. Made as a "foreigner" in the Raleigh Cycle factory, it was also driven by pedal power….
Readers comments are invited.