# An item that came up on Facebook

**URL:** http://forum.driveonwood.com/t/an-item-that-came-up-on-facebook/7950
**Category:** General Discussion
**Created:** [August 8, 2024, 12:50pm UTC](http://forum.driveonwood.com/t/an-item-that-came-up-on-facebook/7950 "2024-08-08T12:50:30Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![ohlerron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v2/letter/o/b5a626/32.png) [@ohlerron](http://forum.driveonwood.com/u/ohlerron)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2024, 12:50pm UTC](http://forum.driveonwood.com/t/an-item-that-came-up-on-facebook/7950/1 "2024-08-08T12:50:30Z")

</div>

For some reason I was sent this link on Facebook. There are a lot of comments and I see at least one photo in response to discussion of a motorcycle on wooodgas/charcoal. I have not heard or read of Gnowangerup before.

I thought I would quickly share it before it is lost in the complexities of Facebook.

LINKS TO GNOWANGERUP  
In 1939 N.W Griffiths, son of John Griffiths of ‘Virginia’ Gnowangerup, invented a device that cleaned producer gas more efficiently than previous systems .

> **[Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10161186269443257&set=gm.8311581055528261&idorvanity=111075948912187)**

 ![453263332_10161186269438257_8480342965474264900_n](https://dow.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/original/3X/a/6/a633d82b4e297726ce80d8f37b44b93a057e24d9.jpeg)

I’ve attempted to capture the discussion to paste to my post but it became a lot of gibberish.

## [Merilyn Stewart](https://www.facebook.com/groups/111075948912187/user/545878256/? __tn__ =-UC*F)

Admin

Group expert

· [Stsenpordo 5M c10 9c7iPyu t5tJ108aul18aa1t65m:4lg2m8t461fa73](https://www.facebook.com/groups/gnowangerup/posts/8311581055528261/? __tn__ =%2CO*F) ·

LINKS TO GNOWANGERUP  
In 1939 N.W Griffiths, son of John Griffiths of ‘Virginia’ Gnowangerup, invented a device that cleaned producer gas more efficiently than previous systems .

The Speedy Tractor Service Co of Perth made him a business offer and they took up manufacturing the unit. Beam Transport demonstrated the device on one of their passenger coaches.

Ruth Griffiths: John said he was quite a genius, an untrained engineer who had a workshop in Tambellup and was very clever at making attachments for farm machinery, also made a gas attachment to use down rabbit holes.

Callan Rankin: My grandfather Harold rice used one on his vehicle around cookernup on his farms in the area during the war also

Peter Vaughan: Dad built his own gas producers in Buntine W.A.

Glenys Nottle: …..my father converted his truck to charcoal power and was also used to cook the evening meal on when they went to dances in the area.

Peter Batt: Dad talks of using charcoal producers to run their farm vehicles during WWII.  
I still don’t understand how they produced enough power from burning charcoal to run vehicles but needs must.

Image from the Pickering Brook Site. Not directly related to the above story.