Shanes Castle Steam Rally

By Rebecca Carson

The first show of the year! I had been looking forward to the Shanes Castle Steam Rally since Dad said that he had sent off the entry form. The Lister’s magneto had been sitting on the hearth since last autumn, so we refitted it, cleaned the points with some sandpaper and then checked the timing.

May 2nd was show day, so we were up early and ready to go at ten past eight. By half past nine we were signed in, the engine was unloaded and it was time to go round the auto jumble. I bought two cans, one Castrol and one Esso and the man gave me a Duckhams grease pot for free. On another stand I found a 5 gallon Agricastrol can, a round one with a cone top. I recognised the dealer from last year’s show and managed to knock him down to half price, and he even gave me a luck penny as well. A crackin’ deal! After the auto jumble we got the Lister started, and Mum and I were off again to go and climb a climbing wall set up by the army - I nearly reached the top! When I landed safe on the ground, Dad was there to say “well done” and ask me if I wanted to see the steam engines; of course I said yes. We talked to Joe Gwynne from Armagh who built his 4” scale (that’s ⅓ scale) Garrett engine. Mick’s Mac, a McLaren engine, was pulling the visitor rides trailer up the hill, there was one engine driving a saw bench and another belted up to a stone crusher. Jonny Fee from Tamnamore was there with his 16 year old horse, Magic, who was driving a horse walk barn thresher. Addie O’Neill was feeding in the corn sheaves whilst the hen stood on top of the mill in a scene from my great granda’s life. We walked along the lines of classic cars handing out some flyers for my school’s PTA Stationary Engine Crank Up and Classic Cars Show which will be held on the 20th August. We met some friends, including Robert Hoy who was there with his Morris Minor which had been a Metropolitan Police Panda Car. There were DeLoreans and Jags and some pre-war cars, including a Ford Model T and some old Austins who were there to celebrate the 100th birthday of the Austin 7. There were lots of colourful vintage tractors to see, but my favourite was an industrial Massey Ferguson 35. Of course no show in Northern Ireland would be complete without ‘Rambo the tractor driving dog’ who brought his owner, Albert Reid, along for a day out. The Lister never missed a beat all day and we seem to have the spark timing set up better than last year, as it wasn’t running anywhere near as warm. It was starting to rain as we were packing up to go home but it had been great show.

Joe Gwynne and his 4” scale Garrett

Rebecca

Robert Hoy with his Morris Minor Police Car