Automotive
The triskelion on the front of the wheel is backwards. This happened by accident when transferring the image onto the wall; they forgot to reverse it, so, it's actually a mirror image of the symbol of Mann.
The heraldic device of the triskele has been associated with the Isle of Man for centuries. In 1405, Henry IV, King of England gave the Isle of Man to John Stanley. The latter gave Henry two peregrine falcons, and was to provide the same to every future English king on his coronation.
The symbol is closely associated with Sicily, and is attested there as early as the 7th century BC. In 1250, the Holy Roman Emperor died after having ruled Sicily for 52 years. Four years later, the papal legate invested the Sicilian kingship in the young son of King Henry III, of England and for about ten years afterwards Edmund was styled "King of Sicily".
The island was ruled by King Alexander Of Scotland, whose wife was King Henry III daughter, and this familial connection between the English and Scottish royal families could account for the introduction of the triskeles as a symbol of the Isle of Man.
Or, the appearance of the 'triskele' on coins of the tenth century Norse King, Anlaf Cuaran, whose dominion included Dublin and the Isle of Man; and it is probable that the later Manx Kings were a branch of the same dynasty. All the early examples of the Manx 'Legs' show them as if running sunwise (i.e. clockwise) and to that extent the heraldic symbol of the Island still retained an essential feature of the ancient pagan sun-symbol.
Why did I tell you all of that instead of posting about cars? I've always wanted to know about that 3 legged thing, and so, as I was learning about the Isle of Man TT, this kept coming up.
It was built in 1854 to pump water from the Great Laxey Mines, which also has a pair of steam locomotives, very small ones, named Ant and Bee
A water-powered wheel was used because the Isle of Man does not have a supply of coal for a steam-powered pump.
250 imperial gallons of water a minute from the Laxey mines some 200 yards away and 1,500 feet below ground
The mine employed over 600 miners at its peak, producing lead, copper, silver and zinc, until it closed in 1929. In 1965 the Manx Government bought the wheel and site. The wheel was restored; in 1989,
The head of the government is the Queen of England, but the island is like Bermuda, it's an internally self-governing dependent territory of the Crown which is not part of the United Kingdom, even though it's located off the coast of England.
The island takes a holiday for the TT Senior Race Day... and that... THAT is cool. Tell me of any other country taking a holiday for a vehicle race!
https://www.gov.im/categories/business-and-industries/iom-key-facts-guide/island-facts/
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coat_of_arms_of_the_Isle_of_Man
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laxey_Wheel
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Laxey_Mine_Railway#
