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december 2013
No286
PlUmb loco
Mike Plumb’s superb Burrell restoration
medway Queen
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ROLLER ANOTHERRE CORD! D L R O W
Uk steam trams
Where are the survivors?
Peak Practice
Middleton Top Pump House
dorset year of the roller
How we pulled it off...
◆ Steam Plough Great Challenge ◆ A Marshall in Denmark ◆ Millers’ Trail run ◆ A Fowler field engineer ◆ Marshall ‘Britannia’ portable restoration ◆ News
Contents No 286 | December 2013 NEWS 6-25 News & Events 91
OG in Miniature News
FEATURES 32
Plumb Loco - Part 1 Mike Plumb’s stunning restoration of a Burrell road loco once abandoned in a market garden in Australia.
36 Young Restorers Thirteen-year-old Seb Austin and his collection of over 40 vintage lawnmowers. 41
44
Club Corner: Steam Plough Club The activities of the Steam Plough Club and its recently held Steam Plough Challenge event.
British built steam tram survivors Where are they now? A look around the world to 80 find examples of British-built steam trams that survived the cutters’ torch.
48
A Marshall roller in Denmark Marshall roller No 76089 flies the flag for road steam in Denmark with the Danish Steam Roller Club.
56
Middleton Top Pump House The lasting remains of a once-proud industry to be found in Derbyshire’s scenic Peak District.
66
72
News updates at oldglory.co.uk
92
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90
A Fowler Field engineer Part 2 Bill Harmston’s story of representing Fowler at home and overseas. Sunbeam: An uplifting engine A Burell crane engine in half size and the inspiration behind its build.
REGULARS
28 38 40 62 Great Dorset roller special 76 ‘How we pulled it off...’ 84 An insight in to how the 2013 97 spectacular was put together. 109 Rule Britannia A Marshall ‘Britannia’ portable from Chile became Thomas Baines’ first acquisition and restoration, learning some valuable lessons along the way.
News updates at oldglory.co.uk and at www.facebook.com/ OldGloryMag
Underbidder Enginelines Helpline Vintageworld Steam Archive Reviews Events Diary Tail Lamp Tom
READER SERVICES 30 Save money with a subscription to Old Glory 100 Advintage – The biggest Steam & Vintage marketplace.
62 Save money when you subscribe
See page 30
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76 Front Cover: Mike Plumb’s stunning restoration of Burrell No 2239 of 1899, once abandoned 140 miles west of Sydney, Australia and restored in Norfolk. ALAN BARNES This issue was published November 21, 2013. The January 2014 issue of Old Glory (No 287) will be on sale from Thursday, December 19. Having trouble ďŹ nding a copy of this magazine? Why not Just Ask your local newsagent to reserve you a copy each month?
24
Meet the team Colin Tyson
Derek Rayner
Steve Dean
Mike Dyson
Roger Hamlin
Andrew Bruce
Malcolm Ranieri
James Hamilton
OLD GLORY DECEMBER 2013 | 5
News&Events
Steam through the city RESIDENTS and tourists alike were treated to the sight of two engines from the Les Searle Collection roading through London on Sunday, October 6, 2013. ‘Girl power’ was to the fore as Burrell crane engine No 3829 of 1920 His Majesty was driven by Dee Searle and steered by Della Fagg, while McLaren road locomotive No 1652 of 1919 Boadicea (currently in showman’s guise as Gigantic) was driven by Les Searle with Dave Main steering. The engines were travelling from Bedford, following their appearance at the Bedford Steam Engine Society rally at Old Warden, back to their base at Horsham, West Sussex. Setting off at 2.30am, photographer James Hamilton found them at a water stop near Enfield (9am) and stayed with the pair until their next water stop on the A23 Purley Way, Croydon. It took them both three hours (between the water stops) to cover the journey through London, via the A10, Tottenham, Stamford Hill, Stoke Newington, Shoreditch, City, London Bridge, Southwark, Kennington, Brixton, Streatham, Norbury, Thornton Heath, Purley Way (12pm) indeed from north to south of the famous London A-Z atlas.
6 | DECEMBER 2013 OLD GLORY
Girl power: Della Fagg and Dee Searle were at the helm of His Majesty.
PADDLE steamer Medway Queen is in Avonmouth at the time of Old Glory going to press, awaiting a suitable ‘weather window’ to be towed around Land’s End and along the south coast back to the river Medway and its Gillingham base. Following the build of its
Got a story? Tell Old Glory 01507 529306 | ctyson@mortons.co.uk
new hull, which was rededicated in August, it was towed out of the dry dock on October 24 and moored in the floating harbour opposite the Albion Dock. On October 31, together with the tug Christine, the pair began their journey down the river Avon. The Medway Queen Visitor Centre will reopen when the ship
returns to Gillingham for final fitting out, although the hours of opening are not yet finalised. See www.medwayqueen.co.uk for updates on the big move. Above: Avon calling: Tug Christine and Medway Queen beginning their journey down the river Avon on October 31. PHILIP CLARK
Christine nudges the‘Queen’into position on October 24. BOB STOKES
Grown, harvested and threshed in the same field THE sun shone on October 5-6 at David Foden’s Heathfield Farm at Cotebrook near Tarporley, Cheshire. Three acres of oats had been grown and harvested and about to be threshed – organised by Cheshire Vintage Tractor & Engine Club and led by steam and tractor stalwart, Phil Moston. Phil is custodian of Foster agricultural traction engine No 12539 of 1910 Winnie, new to threshing contractor Bonell of Audlem and later used by Barlow’s of High Leigh. It’s been owned since 1976 by Frank Lythgoe and is now in the care of Phil and Giles Moston of Holmes Chapel. On the field were two threshing sets ready for action. The Foster engine was belted to a Foster threshing drum and Ransomes press
Foster Winnie belted to a Foster drum on October 5. DAVID McNAMEE
and single-cylinder Marshall tractor owned by David Bloor was lined to a Marshall drum and Howard baler. OLD GLORY DECEMBER 2013 | 7
Plumb
lOcO
Alan Barnes talks to Norfolk’s Mike Plumb about his just-completed stunning restoration of a Burrell road locomotive once abandoned on a market garden 140 miles west of Sydney, Australia
Part 1
→
BEFORE
Laid up in a market garden in Kelso, 140 miles west of Sydney in the 1970s. The engine provided a good home for the local bees.
M
→ AFTER The newly completed stunning restoration of Burrell No 2239 of 1899, seen in November 2013. ALAN BARNES
aking its rally debut at the Bedford Steam Engine Preservation Society rally at Shuttleworth Park last September was the 1899 Burrell SCC Road Locomotive owned by Mike Plumb. It was rather frustrating that the somewhat inclement weather during the event meant that my photographs did not really do justice to this superbly restored engine. However, a few weeks later I was only too pleased to accept Mike’s kind invitation to visit him at his home at Heacham, Norfolk, where the Burrell had been made ready. During my visit Mike also took the time to tell me something of the history of the engine and how it came to be repatriated from Australia 32 | DECEMBER 2013 OLD GLORY
where it had spent some of its working days. “The engine was built in 1899 as one of the Road Locomotive versions of the class of traction engine which had been introduced by Burrell specifically aimed at agricultural contractors and were subsequently referred to as ‘Devonshires’. The Burrell catalogue of 1897 detailed this traction engine type as being ‘designed to meet the requirements of threshing machine proprietors in the West and other hilly parts of England, who want a small, light and powerful engine to drive a 4ft 6in threshing machine and haul it from place to place with the greatest economy of fuel and capable of climbing the steepest of hills with ease’. The ‘Devonshires’ were very successful and from that original design Burrell
developed a Road Locomotive version. A total of 20 engines of this type were built between 1896 and 1904 in two batches and No 2239 came from the first batch. “Although built as a ‘Devonshire’ it would seem that the Thetford works was about as close as this engine ever came to the West Country as it was shipped via the London agents, Davis & Soper, to Cape Town in South Africa. Here it was used by AR McKenzie & Co – a firm of haulage contractors – and is thought to have been used to move goods from the docks to the nearby railway depots. By 1908 the Burrell was on the move again and was exported to Australia and there are some indications that the engine was used to haul wool from the sheep farms to the railhead.
STEAM TRACTION
However, further details of its working days in Australia are fairly sparse. “Later I learned more details about the engine from one of the previous owners Barry Tulloch who had recovered the engine from a market garden at Kelso which is just to the east of Bathurst, around 140 miles west of Sydney. Some 10 years before Barry had come across the engine the owner had offered the Burrell to another enthusiast for next to nothing on the understanding that when the enthusiast had arranged suitable accommodation for the engine he would return and collect it. However, it transpired that this same ‘enthusiast’ had told a similar story to a number of engine owners all over New South Wales and as a result it would seem that a
number of engines were lost to scrap. This placed the owner, Alan Booth, in a difficult position because he was not the type of man who would go back on his word. “Barry wrote numerous letters, made many telephone calls and arranged meetings with Alan’s accountant to discuss the possibility of acquiring the engine and eventually the accountant persuaded Alan to let the Burrell go, which would finalise the matter. It was agreed that no money would change hands but Alan did accept a dozen bottles of beer by way of a thank you for helping with the arrangements to recover the engine. Alan had bought the property with the old engine already there and he knew nothing about its history or how it had come to Kelso.
Barry Tulloch inspects the Burrell in 1974. OLD GLORY DECEMBER 2013 | 33
My lawnmower and me Seb Austin (13)
A
bout four years ago I started collecting lawnmowers. I’d always been keen on vintage machinery and lawnmowers seemed to be the perfect things to collect. Initially I collected anything that turned up but I have since narrowed my collection parameters and I now only collect those which were produced before the Second World War. The lawnmower was invented in 1830 by Edwin Beard Budding (who also invented the adjustable spanner). Budding went into partnership with John Ferrabee and the pair continued making lawnmowers for a number of years. In 1832 Ransomes (later with Sims and Jefferies from 1884) acquired the patents and the Ransomes name still produces mowers to this day. Other manufacturers joined in including Shanks of Arbroath (1840), Samuelsons of Banbury (1854), Greens of Leeds and London (1855) and Follows & Bates of Gorton, Manchester (1869), all examples being hand or pony/horse propelled. The 1890s brought steam mowers but these were followed in a couple of years by motor mowers, meaning steam had a very small window and thus only a couple of steam mowers exist. Many other manufacturers of powered and hand mowers joined in after the end of the First World War.
13-year-old Seb Austin mows the lawn with a 1920s Atco Standard.
40-STRONG COLLECTION
The four mowers that Seb has personally fully restored.
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My own collection boasts around 40 lawnmowers and it’s a collection that’s still growing – indeed I’ve acquired 10 mowers so far in 2013, which are a mixture of both motor mowers and manual mowers. I have a number of very early mowers that date from before the First World War, one of which is likely to have been built in the 1880s. I have recently acquired a Ransomes Mk. 2 – a motorised mower dating from the early 1920s which is quite rare and special to me. Unfortunately, it appears to have sat in someone’s garden for some considerable time. It was full of earth and leaves and was covered in a liberal coating of mould. It was also seized in almost every way imaginable. I have dismantled most of it and the cutting cylinder, intermediary shaft, main roller and the main roller ratchets are free. The engine and clutch have also been freed and all the
Seb has recently acquired a Ransomes Mk. 2 – a motorised mower dating from the early 1920s which is quite rare and special.
Seb’s awning display at the recent West of England rally at Stithians.
Purchased when Seb started collecting lawnmowers, he has now restored an Allen of Oxford Scythe, similar to the example shown here. Allen Scythes are featured in our sister magazine Tractor December issue. OLD GLORY ARCHIVE
original chains have been removed. Tasks that still need undertaking involve sorting out the ignition system as the HT lead had broken off and the coil/condenser is unlikely to be working. I also want to find an original type exhaust, which is all but missing. My biggest problem lies in the carburettor which at some point has been removed and in order to replace this with another carb the fuel tank has been removed and replaced in a non-original position. This has involved a certain amount of modifications which with time I can undo. The problem lies with finding an original carburettor which should be a Senspray type, well known to motorcycle enthusiasts. Sensprays go for fairly large sums of money (up to £100) which is problematical for me; still one day I hope to come across a cheap Senspray to complete the mower.
MY RESTORATIONS
I have completed four full mower restorations so far, which of course involved dismantling completely, cleaning each part down and then painting them – then after reassembly there is the lettering to be ‘picked out’. This is assuming that you’re starting
with a working mower which is very often not the case. One of my restorations is an 1898 Silens Messor, manufactured by Greens of Leeds and London. I have also completed a Patent Chain Automaton made by Ransomes Sims & Jefferies at Ipswich; interesting that both of these companies also made steam engines, cranes, rollers etc. among the more humble lawnmower. My other two completed restorations involved a Shanks Caledonia and a German-made Brill Cutwell.
ALLEN SCYTHE
Something else I recently restored is an Allen Scythe – which I bought when I first started collecting mowers. For several years this sat in my shed gathering dust but recently I dragged it out to see if I could get it going. The engine was unfortunately seized and about a tablespoon of rust had appeared in the carburettor bowl. I dismantled the carb, unseized the moving parts within and cleaned it all out. I then started on the engine, which was inexplicably seized, in that there was a small amount of play but the piston wouldn’t move more than a couple of millimetres.
A Shanks Wizard from the 1920s, built in Scotland.
After much thinking I came upon the problem. Someone had removed the circlips that hold the gudgen pin into the piston – the result being that the pin had half slid into the inlet manifold and consequently the piston was completely seized. This was soon remedied and I found some new circlips. Then I found that there was no spark; however by dismantling the parts that covered the flywheel and cleaning the points, the spark returned. I also decarbonised the cylinder using a special home-made tool and did various other jobs, then reassembled the engine. After some persuasion I got the engine running and after putting oil in the gearbox, found that the machine works quite nicely. Unfortunately one inner tube is flat; soon I plan to source a new one. Although it is outside my collection parameters, it was very satisfying to get it running again. I am a member of the Old Lawnmower Club and a local member, Fred Petit, helped me a lot when I first started restoring lawnmowers. It is a wonderful club and members gather together for an annual rally, usually among the vintage lawnmowers at Milton Keynes Museum, with club appearances at the likes of Banbury and Bedford rallies. I am also keen on all vintage machinery such as cars, tractors and especially traction engines, and am a member of the Steam Apprentice Club. n The Old Lawnmower Club was formed in 1990 to promote the collection, preservation and display of lawnmowers made from 1830 onwards, with over 500 members around the world. More info at www.oldlawnmowerclub.co.uk OLD GLORY DECEMBER 2013 | 37
Tail lampTom Telling iT like iT is
Cat G licences – are they really necessary? THERE is a very famous saying, ‘The law is an ass’, which certainly seems to be true when it comes to Category ‘G’ Driving Licences. The saying, taken from Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist, was written in the 19th century but still holds true. In my opinion, ‘The law is an ass’ when it comes to the rules governing the requirement of road roller drivers to hold a valid Cat ‘G’ licence to take their engine on the road. Technically, it would be possible for me to take a Cat ‘G’ test on a roller powered by a diesel engine and as soon as I’d passed my test I could then drive a steam roller – even though I have no competence in regards to steam engine management. When I passed my car driving test in 1971, I was issued with a licence which allowed me to drive a roller as a learner driver, as long as a Cat ‘G’ licence holder was supervising me. If the engine that I am driving is not equipped to take two persons I am allowed to drive that engine on my own. I would presume that my supervising driver would walk
alongside me and be prepared to take the controls should that be necessary. What a ludicrous situation. That would be like me taking an exam for a pilots’ licence on a little twin engine Cessna light aircraft and after passing my test being told that I’m now qualified to fly an Airbus A380 airliner – the largest commercial aircraft in the world! Has any roller driver been stopped on the road and asked by police if they can see your Cat ‘G’ licence please? And why is it that the poor roller owner is being discriminated against – when someone who owns a steam tractor (which go faster, or a Sentinel waggon, faster still) is not required to hold a Cat ‘G’ licence? No wonder so many roller owners convert their engines into something else. As far as the law is concerned as soon as you convert a roller into, let’s say, a showman’s engine and the logbook entry is changed to show that the engine is no longer a roller, the requirement to hold a Cat ‘G’ licence no longer exists. This is beyond all belief. This rule is nearly as daft as the
Rolling along the road, but is a Category‘G’licence really necessary?
proposed EU rule a few years ago that all hot parts on a steam engine should be painted yellow so that the public knows that they are hot. Whatever next? Everyone knows that a steam engine is hot – by its very nature it has a fire inside it to boil water which produces steam to propel it. Perhaps the European beaurocrats have not yet realised that the very name of the beast will tell you that
it is going to get hot when in use. When you are in your workshop and you switch on the kettle to boil some water for a cuppa you do not touch the side of the kettle because you know that it’s hot. Having said that, maybe it would be a good idea for me to paint my kettle bright yellow then at least I would be able to find it among all the other ‘useful items’ in my workshop.
The views expressed by ‘Tail Lamp Tom’ are not necessarily those of the editor or publisher.
NEXT MONTH
▲ AnAvelingtractorinthesamefamily ▲ Restored Ransomes returns to where it was found 50 years ago for100years l Restoring the last Lightning Skid ride l The petrol-powered barber shop l 2014 rally claiming dates l January issue on sale from December 19, 2013. 106 | DECEMBER 2013 OLD GLORY