During the month of February, Master Linal Kularatne came up with a proposal to convert a foot peddled bicycle into a motorcycle. After studying the feasibility of the project, it was approved by the College Authorities. And so we began this great project with Middle School students, the first project to be carried out in the newly opened Automotive Workshop. The group worked with great enthusiasm from the very beginning, with some of their friends also joining in. The engine was donated by Master Joshua Sathish Kumar, and the bicycle by Master Danitha Perera. Other components were bought and assembled by the group. A slight setback occurred due to the April 21st security incident. Although we received the bicycle by the end of the first term, the engine and the components could only be delivered to the College in May. First, the frame was disassembled completely, and then painted in red and black. Then we faced our first challenge – the original hub was incompatible with our transmission and had to be changed. Our next challenge was the holding bar for the fuel tank, this had to be welded on to the frame. Due to the fact that this frame was not tailor made for the project, we had to improvise at every step of the way, but the students worked tirelessly without giving up and were able to get through all the challenges. The group received assistance from the members of Senior Automotive Society during the assembly process, including the President, Master Gayendra Amarasekara and two other grade 10 students. We also thank our master-in-charge, Mr Subash Dhanasekara who continuously supported us and taught us to the completion of the project. The project was completed and the motor was first started on 18th of July, 2019. The team members : S. J. S. Kumar G. K. D. T. Perera D. H. Premawardhana N. T. D. K. Naththarampotha J. D. R. S. Wickramaratne L. B. C. Kularatne W. M. T. R. Wijayasundara R. N. Weerasekara E. A. D. N. Hope U. K. S. L. Udunuwara L.A. Mallikarachchi Review by Linuka Mallikarachchi Following is a video review of the bicycle:
The Trinity College Automotive Society has a great history, with the roots stretching back to the late 1940s. The Society evolved and thrived for many years before becoming dormant for some time. It was was revived in 2010 by Master Subash Dhanasekara, forming a committee and heading it as the President, under Mr Somasinghe, the then MIC, but the society had faded once again by 2015. In 2016, the society was revived formally under the presidency of Master M. Premawardhana, and Mr Subash Dhanasekara – now taking up the post of MIC, having joined the College as a trainee teacher for Motor Mechanism. Since then the society has worked hand in hand with DIMO PLC, a leading company in automotive engineering with many facilities across the island. The society had the privilege of making two industrial visits to DIMO facilities in and around Colombo. Mr Asela Ratnayake, being the General Manager of Business support at DIMO PLC, an old boy who left College in 2002, saw the potential of the society and the subject, and was instrumental in rebuilding it. He worked very enthusiastically with the committee and the MIC, and generously worked on getting the society a well refurbished four cylinder engine and a transmission for the purpose of educating the students. His friend, Mr Junias Ranasinghe, who happens to be his batch-mate, has also helped in making this project a success. Having observed the lack of a permanent learning area for the students to gain practical exposure, Mr Dhanasekara and the College Administration worked on building a dedicated automotive workshop to house the equipment and give the students the opportunity to work on their own on this newly refurbished engine and future projects. The engine block was formally handed over to the society and the workshop declared open on 24th of May, 2019 with the presence of Mr Asela Ratnayake. The present committee headed by the president Master Gayendra Amarasekara organized the occasion along with the Automotive Society members. The engine that was handed over was taken from a Mitsubishi van, and is a 2.5 liter (approx) carburetted petrol engine complete with gearbox, alternator, distributor, and other ancillaries. The society plans to start the engine and run it as a demonstration for students in the near future. During the occasion, citing the future plans, Mr Ratnayake revealed the society will be getting a proper chassis with a working motor and a transmission mounted, and further assistance will be provided. We wish the society all the best for its future ventures.