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STEAMERS FOR AUCTION AT KEELEY COLLECTION ‘SALE OF THE DECADE’
SPECIAL SCENIC BEAMISH WINSTON CHURCHILL
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HIDDEN TRACTORS OF ANCIENT ROME GLOUCESTERSHIRE COUNCIL ROLLERS
When Edwin
turned his attention to
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CLYDE PUFFERS KEMPTON ENGINE
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Wallis and windmills: Wallis & Steevens tractor No 2592 of 1902 on the Stotfold road run on December 29, 2015. SIMON COLBECK
Knock-down at Knowl Hill
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HERE is now a whole generation of young enginemen and women that will not remember the famous WJ King of Bishop’s Lydeard sale of 1988 or the Tom Paisley sale of engines back in 1980. The Fred Coupland sale of engines and fairground equipment in 2002 came somewhere near it and this sale holds a special memory for me as it was one of the first events that I covered when I took the editor’s chair at Old Glory. Sales of this magnitude only come along once in every decade or so and I am in no doubt that the forthcoming sale of the late John Keeley of Knowl Hill’s 15 steam engines, among other vintage kit, will go down as one of the legendary sales that will still be talked about in revered circles for generations to come. My successors that will write about engines in the future will also find that the name John Keeley will crop up frequently when looking at engine histories. John started his working life in the village garage at Knowl Hill and, with an eye for rarity and quality, amassed a marvellous collection of motorcycles from the early 1900s with
impressive models from the inter-war and post war periods. This collection came up for auction at Old Glory’s sister magazine’s Classic Motorcycle Mechanics show at Stafford last October, where an unrestored 1930 Brough Superior 11-50 achieved the top price of £93,340. John took up motorcycle scrambling and rode against many of the top names of the era. What is it with that generation of enginemen with their bikes? Both the late Richard Preston and Len Crane also enjoyed riding two wheels in the mud! But it is the Keeley’s engines that will take over the ‘show’ (for that is what it will be – note: admission by catalogue only) at the sale to be held on site at Knowl Hill near Reading on May 14.
● From horse trams to hovercrafts – both of these now-antiquated but very different forms of transport are under threat at the moment. The jury’s still out on the threatened Douglas Horse Tramway on the Isle of Man, while various collective heads representing Manx interests try and work a solution to hopefully running trams this summer and securing a
long-term future. A ride on this tramway to my hotel from the sea terminal at Douglas was my first impression of the island on my first visit back in the 1980s and although I’ve been back to the island around 13 times since, the tramway is such an intrinsic part of the island’s heritage transport fabric that it would be hard to imagine the promenade without it. Meanwhile on the south coast it looks as if the volunteer-run Hovercraft Museum at Lee-on-the-Solent will have to make a choice of scrapping one of its two hovercrafts to save the other one – both of which are not owned by the museum and are caught up in a legal battle. It is now 60-odd years since Christopher Cockerell demonstrated the principles of the hovercraft and these fine examples should not be lost.
Colin Tyson Editor
ctyson@mortons.co.uk
OLD GLORY MARCH 2016 | 3
Contents No 313 | March 2016 NEWS 6-20 News & Events 96 OG in Mini News
FEATURES 23 Hidden tractor treasures of Rome
A visit to a collection of tractors not open to the public included a steam ploughing engine.
26 Winston Churchill
An elder statesman among Burrell Special Scenic Road Locomotives is now owned by ‘Fowler man’ Allan Marchington.
32 Size matters at Kempton
Kempton Waterworks is home to the world’s largest working tripleexpansion steam engine.
42 Gloucestershire rollers
A study of the fleet of Gloucestershire County Council’s road rollers from old photographs.
46 New-build: The MarshallStratton engine Pt. 2
News updates at oldglory.co.uk www.facebook.com/ OldGloryMag
A bespoke freelance design of new-build 4-ton steam tractor is the pride of Romney Marsh in Kent.
98 Four-inch Burrell road loco
Further information has come to light on the French equivalent of Eddisons, resulting in happy endings for all.
REGULARS
52 Veuve Gaëtan Brun Pt. 3
60 Commercially minded at Beamish
The latest acquisitions, overhauls and future plans for the ever-growing collection of commercials at Beamish.
68 Our Friends Electric
Craig Crawford doesn’t like to leave ‘ohm’ without his battery-driven converted milk float.
70 When Foden went… shipbuilding!
A little-known foray by Edwin Foden into the shipbuilding industry, following the unearthing of original drawings.
78 Heritage Acres
A 29-acre site in British Columbia with a new solution to the old problem of involving the younger generation.
90 A double dose of VICs
Puffers VIC 27 and VIC 32 are both being currently worked on at Crinan Boatyard.
4 | MARCH 2016 OLD GLORY
Ready for haulage from a Steam Traction World kit.
38 40 82 86 102 114
Enginelines Helpline Vintageworld Steam Archive What’s On ‘Tail Lamp Tom’
READER SERVICES
36 Save money with a subscription to Old Glory
108 Advintage – The biggest Steam & Vintage Marketplace
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SEE PAGE 36
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Front Cover: Burrell Special Scenic Road Locomotive No 3909 of 1922 Winston Churchill. ALAN BARNES This issue was published on Thursday, February 18, 2016. The April 2016 issue of Old Glory (No 314) will be on sale from Thursday, March 17.
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78 82 Meet the team Derek Rayner
Colin Tyson Editor
Technical Advisor
Mike Dyson
Steve Dean Correspondent
Correspondent
James Hamilton
Colin Smith Correspondent
Advertising Executive
Malcolm Ranieri Correspondent
Contact us – details on Page 40
OLD GLORY MARCH 2016 | 5
News&Events
Keeley Collection’s fifteen steamers to come under the hammer in May CHEFFINS are pleased to announce that they have been instructed by the administrators of the estate of the late May Keeley to dispose of the Keeley Collection of steam engines, vintage and classic tractors and commercials and associated spares and equipment. Many readers of Old Glory will have fond memories both as visitors and exhibitors to the large event that was held each year in the village of Knowl Hill, Berkshire, on the main A4 between Maidenhead and Reading, writes Underbidder. The first event promoted as a steam and vintage vehicle rally was held on August 15-16, 1970 as a fundraising venture to build a new village hall to replace an ageing wooden structure that first saw service as an army barrack hut in the 1914-18 conflict. Over the following years the event grew enormously in size and stature to become the Knowl Hill Steam & Country Show and drew tens of thousands of visitors annually. Some had no interest in vintage vehicles but were drawn by the vast variety of rare breeds of birds and animals that were shown in the marquees. One year a special area was created to enable a small herd of
The late John Keeley, chairman of the Knowl Hill Rally Committee and a lifelong collector of all things mechanical.
water buffalo to be part of the show. Under the leading light of the late John Keeley, the show’s success continued to grow and with it the fundraising activities. This was administered by the formation of the Knowl Hill Charitable Trust. The new village hall was constructed plus a doctor’s surgery and funds were also used for repairs to the organ in the village church. With John’s passing in December 1999 a strengthened committee was formed and with the blessing of John’s wife May the show continued. The 2000 event was a huge success and was applauded in the local and preservation media.
Fowler No 14253 Master John – a Class T1 ploughing engine built in 1916 and rated as 10nhp.
Fowler No 13910 My Delight, a rare Class DD single-cylinder ploughing engine completed in September 1914 and rated as 8nhp.
Fowler No 17950 Class T3B roller completed in May 1930, seen here when in use with the Mechanical Tar Spraying and Grouting Co. 6 | MARCH 2016 OLD GLORY
The last Knowl Hill show was held on August 14-15, 2004. May Keeley died in April 2015 and since then there has been much speculation as to what would happen to the collection they had built up over the years. In what is probably the most significant sale of steam engines in recent times, the Keeley sale will feature no less than 15 steam engines – three steam waggons, four ploughing engines, two rollers, five portables and a Foden steam tractor – together with living vans and steam spares etc. There is also a superb collection of vintage and classic tractors and commercials. John was passionate about steam, vintage vehicles and motor cycles and over the years amassed a huge collection. The motorcycles were sold at
Got a story? Tell Old Glory 01507 529306 | ctyson@mortons.co.uk
Foden steam tractor No 12852 of 1930 Early Bird.
Bonhams Stafford sale in October last year where an unrestored 1930 Brough Superior 11-50 achieved the top price of £93,340. Bill King, director of Cheffins Auctioneers, said: “Cheffins are delighted to have been instructed to dispose of this fantastic collection which will undoubtedly go down in history alongside the sales for King, Paisley and Coupland. The auction offers a wonderful opportunity to acquire many interesting and rare steam engines and vehicles, many of which are untouched and highly original.” There are no less than 47 tractors to include: Eagle, Saunderson, IH Titan and Junior, Ferguson Brown, Whiting Bull, Waterloo Boy and a rare Mogul 12-25. More than 30 classic commercials are on offer including a 1933 Foden tractor,
1943 Scammell TBD, 1918 Latil, 1910 De Dion Bouton and a 1912 Garford to name a few. A fantastic variety of cycles to be auctioned includes penny farthings and tricycles, plus a large collection of lamps, steam spares and other collectables. The sale takes place on the premises at Knowl Hill on Saturday, May 14, 2016. Catalogues are in the course of preparation and will be available three weeks prior to the sale at a cost of £25 (admits two people). Entrance to the sale on viewing and sale day is by catalogue only. The April edition of Old Glory will feature an advertisement for the sale and a preview with photographs of the major lots included in the sale. In the meantime all enquiries should be directed to Cheffins by calling 01223 21377.
Fowler No 2013 Noreen. Amazingly this engine will be 143 years old by the date of the auction, having been completed in May 1873. A single-cylinder engine rated at 14nhp.
SALE HIGHLIGHTS TO INCLUDE: 1894 Aveling & Porter SC 8nhp portable No 3338 1912 Clayton & Shuttleworth SC 10nhp portable No 45269 1927 Foden compound 4nhp tractor No 12852 Early Bird 1873 Fowler SC 14nhp ploughing engine No 2013 Noreen 1914 Fowler DD SC 8nhp ploughing engine No 13910 My Delight 1916 Fowler T1 compound 10nhp ploughing engine No 14253 Master John 1930 Fowler Class T3B compound 8-ton roller No 17950 Fowler ploughing engine lacking front axle believed BB1 (derelict) Marshall portable steam boiler (no works number) 1937 Ransomes Sims & Jefferies model SF SC portable No 44042 May Queen Robey and Co Undertype portable No 49116 1929 Super Sentinel 5-ton waggon No 8109 Deborah 1935 Sentinel S4 dropside waggon No 9163 1936 Sentinel S4 dropside waggon No 9276 1924 Wallis & Steevens compound 6nhp 10-ton roller No 7799 Daisy May Several living vans and a good range of steam cultivating kit
This Scammell was a workhorse of the collection and was regularly used to move engines out of the shed and on to the rally field.
Robey Undertype Semi-portable No 49116. John Keeley purchased this engine at the sale of the Penrith Steam Museum in May 1994.
A Pickles Ransome steam-powered cross-cut saw that was also part of the Penrith sale. OLD GLORY MARCH 2016 | 7
News&Events Twenty years of model engineering excellence at Ally Pally THE eagerly awaited arrival of the London Model Engineering Exhibition heralds for many the start of the new year in their modelling world. It is regarded as one of the largest model engineering and modelling exhibitions in London and indeed the UK and is now in its 20th year, reports Paul Ritchie. Bringing together, in the Great Hall of the world-famous Alexandra Palace on January 15-17, was everything in the modelling arena for modellers young and old, from new kits full of all the latest technological wizardry to ancient models built by their exhibitors’ forefathers – there really is something for everyone to entertain and intrigue visitors. Everything from lathes to the smallest 10BA nuts, to the loyal society stands, the larger scale layouts in Gauge 1, 16mm and the five-inch gauge raised track
Searching for that elusive tool.
operated by the Polly Owners Group, together with the flying zone and trucking area, makes the format as popular as ever. But as always there are plenty of new items of interest. Making a welcome appearance and creating a lot of interest was the Great Western Society’s (GWS) ‘Night Owl’ project, a Churchward 4700 class. The 4709 Project was featured on BBC2’s Restoration Road Trip which saw Hairy Bikers Si and Dave rediscover, and help to fix, a number of lost treasures of the industrial age including that of 4709 – the recreation of Churchward’s final masterpiece. Paul Carpenter, the project’s engineering manager and an accomplished model engineer himself, explained to Old Glory that he regards this “as he would any other model engineering project: the only real difference being that this is 4ft 8½in gauge, 12 inches to the foot scale, and of course the cost is much larger!” With the work being managed across the GWS at Llangollen and Didcot, he has many model engineers on his team who happen to enjoy restoring full-size locos as well as model engineering. Originally nine 2-8-0s were built in the 1920s to run as
Displayed on the 4709 Project stand was No 4704, a 7¼in gauge‘Night Owl’ built by Dave Ball. ALL: PAUL RITCHIE 8 | MARCH 2016 OLD GLORY
high-speed intercity goods locos, their role being to transport fresh produce from GWR-served docks into London in the days before refrigerated vans – these overnight runs getting the nickname ‘Night Owl’. The project is using three donor engines from some of the last remaining engines left at Barry scrapyard, in a perhaps controversial manner to ‘build’ 4709, the ‘10th’ member of the class. Visit www.4709.org.uk for full details. Displayed on the 4709 stand was No 4704, a 7¼in gauge ‘Night Owl’ built by Dave Ball of Rusper, West Sussex. He finished the locomotive to an exceptional standard two years ago after a 10-year build from castings and fabricated materials, having always been a fan of the 4700s as his grandfather was employed at Swindon Works. With a working pressure of 100psi and a boiler capacity of almost 60 litres, this was one of the largest exhibits at the show. The locomotive has spent last year at the Great Cockcrow Railway, and can easily be transported in the back of Dave’s Mondeo, unlike his 4in Burrell traction engine which requires more substantial carriage! For many of us a box of Meccano, perhaps handed down through the generations, was how our interest developed. A model built specifically for the show to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the cult 1960s TV show Star
Meccano showman’s engine.
Star Trek’s USS Enterprise, constructed from Meccano.
Chelmsford’s winning stand is full of variety including a 3in Foden C Type compound wagon and a 4in Burrell Old Ted.
Trek was the USS Enterprise, constructed from Meccano sourced over a range of time periods. The 63-inch overall length model was conceived, designed and built by renowned Meccano modeller Rev Philip Smith, chairman of the International Society of Meccanomen. Some of his previous creations have been used for window displays at Liberty of London.
Colin Alexander’s 4in Burrell on the Harrow & Wembley stand.
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The Great Hall was packed out.
Winner of the London Exhibition Shield for Best Show Stand was Chelmsford Model Engineering Society. Their array of exhibits was recognised for its wide breadth and variety of models, across all gauges and motive power. Centrepiece of the display was Old Ted, a 4in Burrell agricultural traction engine build by Geoff Rudkin over nine years using Live Steam Models drawings. Although some castings were purchased, the hornplates, tender and wheels were all made from scrap material. Harrow & Wembley SME were placed second, and as always had an impressive display of models of all sizes. Traction engines always feature in their displays with Colin Alexander’s 4in DCC Burrell Scenic Showman’s Lady of the Lake one of the largest steam exhibits. Last year the engine featured on BBC’s The One Show, and is a regular on the rally fields. Colin started building the engine in September 2009 using Steam Traction World kits and completed it in June 2013 to a very high standard.
In third place was Kent Model Boat Display Team with a fine collection of models including an under-construction model of USS Kitty Hawk, the US navy’s supercraft. The exhibition has many family and children-based activities and points of interest, where children can get hands-on and learn how things work. The Imagineering Foundation is one such organisation which aims to inspire the modellers of the future, in an educational but fun way. New for the youngsters this year was a chance to have a go at driving a remote-controlled Tamiya truck. This is always a very popular area with the crowds vying for a ringside view of these 1:14 scale trucks. Also in this area was the Brickish Association, the UK-based community of Lego fans, where a model of the late Fred Dibnah’s steam roller was on display. With more than 50 specialist traders present, modellers were spoilt for choice for opportunities to buy those essential materials to keep their projects progressing.
For those demanding something a little more immediate to enjoy, £4995 could buy you a five-inch 14XX loco in a variety of liveries ready for the new season from Kingscale – were you tempted? Exhibition manager Avril Spence said: “The exhibition was a great success. Thank you to all the clubs, societies and specialist suppliers for making this event such a success. A huge thank you also, to all the visitors who travel far and wide to attend. We are looking forward to celebrating 21 years with you in 2017.”
Chelmsford MES member Bruce Henley is pictured holding the Best Show Stand shield with vicechairman Clint Wordley. Bruce’s blue 7¼in petrol hydraulic engine was built in 2010 using a Honda 160cc 5.5hp engine.
USS Kitty Hawk under construction. OLD GLORY MARCH 2016 | 9
News&Events wo a the n
New boat museum applies for lottery funding THE Tamesis Trust has applied for a Heritage Lottery Funding Grant of £2.5m towards its planned Thames Heritage Boat Museum near Pangbourne. Plans are already under way to build a museum which will be located at the popular Beale Visitor Park by the River Thames. The museum aims to tell the navigation story of the Thames starting with the very first uses
of mechanical propulsion during the 1800s to present, the effects these changes had on the river navigation, the surrounding communities and its boat builders, some of whom achieved worldwide acclaim. The display will interpret this diverse heritage, by exhibiting historic Thames craft complemented with a wide variety of early machinery and other artefacts that have been used
during the last 200 years. On site there will be specialist workshop facilities, as well as an archive department to house historic documents for research. Planning permission for the museum was granted in June 2014. Other substantial partnership contributions will also be needed, and work to raise these funds has already started. The trust is keen to consider additional potential exhibits or archives suitable for display. A Tamesis Trust spokesperson said: “If there is any way that you would like to help this project then please do get in touch. “Help can be anything from potential museum exhibits, monetary donations, or offers of volunteer support for the various
work involved. We need your help and support.” Brian Smith, chairman of The Tamesis Trust, said: “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to establish a high-class museum in a lovely part of the Thames Valley to exhibit and explain the diverse history of the Thames navigation. There are no other museums covering the fascinating story about the development of the ‘river launch’ which has taken place on the Thames during the past 200 years.” A first-round lottery application was submitted in October and if the outcome is positive, then the museum would be open for the 2019 season. More information at www.tamesis.org.uk or telephone 01488 658795.
View Medway Queen this Easter
Artist’s impression of the new Thames Heritage Boat Museum. 10 | MARCH 2016 OLD GLORY
THIS season’s reopening of the paddle steamer Medway Queen site is scheduled for Good Friday, March 25.The ship and visitor centre will then be open all four days of the Easter weekend from 10am-4pm.The opening time has been brought forward to allow visitors to the area to view Medway Queen on their way to the area’s other attractions such as the Medway Festival of Steam at Chatham Historic Dockyard.The weekend will include guided tours of the ship and a discovery trail for children. Additional attractions include a massive sale of second-hand books on transportrelated subjects including ships, buses and railways. Medway Queen is at Gillingham Pier, Pier Approach Road, Gillingham, Kent ME7 1RX.
News&Events President to Liverpool
THE Friends of President, based at the Black Country Living Museum, have confirmed that their steam narrow boat President will leave its museum base on April 25 to travel via Northwich to Liverpool to join the road and water steam festival being planned for the relaunch of steam tug tender Daniel Adamson on May 7-8.
Track for sale
WITH the decommissioning of the MoD munitions depot at Eastriggs near Gretna Green, 20 miles of narrow gauge rail with 90% steel sleepers is being offered for sale at offers in excess of £100 per ton. The closing date for offers is the end of February, view www. brownfieldsitesolutions.co.uk for more details.
‘Showman’s spectacular’ set for Old Warden Park
BEDFORD Steam Engine Preservation Society (BSEPS) is celebrating its 60th anniversary and this year’s rally, held on September 16-18, is set to be one of its biggest yet. Its theme this year is a Showman’s Road Locomotive Special – where it is hoped to bring together some magnificent examples of these engines from a range of manufacturers to showcase some of the biggest
engines built for use on the fairgrounds. Entries are welcomed from owners of any such engines built for this purpose. The ‘special theme’ has produced some spectaculars over the years – in 2007 this event drew all seven surviving Fowell traction engines back together, all surviving UK crane engines in 2009 and a steam wagon spectacular was held in 2012. BSEPS was formed in 1956 and
grew to become one of the UK’s largest regional societies with a membership of more than 500. Held in Old Warden Park near Biggleswade, the Bedfordshire Steam & Country Fayre attracts over 130 full-size engines viewed by more than 20,000 visitors. For further details contact Paul Worbey at Park Farm, Arlesey Road, Henlow, Bedfordshire SG16 6DF or tel. 01462 851711 or email show@bseps.org.uk
Telford for banknote
ENGINEER Thomas Telford is one of three key Scottish figures that have been shortlisted to appear on the Royal Bank of Scotland’s new £10 note, set to be issued in 2017. Civil engineer Telford, known as the‘Colossus of Roads’, lived from 1757 until 1843, and built more than 1000 miles of roads in his lifetime. He designed numerous infrastructure projects such as the Caledonian Canal and the Telford churches, as well as harbours and tunnels.
Tradition on Thames
SIR Malcolm Campbell’s world record-breaking speedboat will again attempt its first public outing under its own power at this year’s Thames Traditional Boat Festival at Henley-onThames over the weekend of July 15-17. More than 180 traditional boats of all sorts and sizes will participate, from‘Three men in a boat’-style Thames rowing skiffs and punts, Venetian gondolas to slipper launches and a fleet of Dunkirk Little Ships, including a return visit from Second World War torpedo boat MTB 102. The Queen’s Row Barge Gloriana will also pay a return visit and two historic passenger steamers will provide trips for visitors – the 1883 Alaska and The Windsor Belle.
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Last year’s showman’s engine line-up at Old Warden: it will be even more spectacular for the 2016 show. ADRIAN WHITE
New year steaming at Claymills THE NEW YEAR steaming at Claymills Victorian Pumping Station near Burton upon Trent was held on January 2-3 amid poor weather and flooded roads – although 400 visitors attended over the two days, reports Barry Job.
The refurbished steam winch draws the Moira Collieries coal wagon through the boiler house. ABOVE: The barring engine is being used to turn over and ‘run in’the B engine. BOTH: BARRY JOB
The four 1885 Gimson & Co of Leicester Woolf compound rotative beam engines provided the principal attraction. During the weekend the restored C and D engines were running, however, volunteers’ attentions have been directed to the A and B engines and it won’t be long before B engine is returned to steam. The weekend also saw a new attraction; originally coal wagons were drawn from the adjacent main railway line into the boiler house using a steam winch and endless wire rope. The winch has been refurbished and fixed into position allowing its Moira Collieries coal wagon to be moved to and fro; the demonstration proving of interest to enthusiasts as well as the public. The next steaming is Easter Sunday and Monday, March 27-28.
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Fresh hope for horse trams after closure shock THE Isle of Man’s Douglas horse tramway may be saved, despite a shock announcement in January that it was to be closed as a costcutting measure. On January 22, operator Douglas Borough Council announced that the horse trams, which began operation in 1876, would not run this summer. The service, which runs along Loch Promenade, finished in September and lost £263,000 last year. Prompting widespread anger throughout the island, the council said that the stables will be sold off, the rolling stock including 24
tram cars offered to museums and good homes would be found for 16 horses. Council leader David Christian said: “The council must always act in the best interests of the ratepayers.” The announcement led to demands for the Manx government to take over the 1.6mile tramway and thousands had signed three separate petitions calling for their retention. The public outcry led to a meeting being held on January 27 to see if there was a way to run the trams this summer and provide a long-term future.
After the meeting, a joint statement issued by the Department of Infrastructure and the council – which has run the trams since 1902 – said: “A very productive meeting of representatives of Douglas Borough Council and relevant government departments and bodies was held to discuss the horse trams. A number of workable options for the possible retention of the tramway were discussed. A working party comprising officers from government, the council, Manx National Heritage
and Culture Vannin has been established. They will gather information and suggest a way forward with a view to operating a horse tram service this season and to consider the long-term future.” Manx Chief Minister Allan Bell had already insisted: “There is no question of government stepping in to take them on.” A proposal had previously been made by the council to finance the scheme via a 30-year loan costing £4,800,000, but last month it decided that the plan was not financially viable.
Two hundred Shires set for world-class event THE WORLD’S largest gathering of Shire horses returns for 2016 with a new venue and a new format. The Shire Horse Society’s National Show 2016 will be run over three days, instead of two, and will be staged at Staffordshire County Showground from March 18-20. Expected to attract around 200 horses from across Europe and visitors from around the globe, the show has moved its ridden classes to the Friday afternoon due to the growing popularity of this section of the event.
The Shire Horse Society, based at Rockingham Castle on the Leicestershire/Northamptonshire border, has signed a five-year deal to stage the event at the showground’s Bingley Hall. The show is believed to be one of the oldest, almost continuous, horse shows in the world. It was first held at the Royal Agricultural Hall in Islington, London, in 1880, when the charity was named the English Cart Horse Society. Tickets are now on sale at www. shire-horse.org.uk
Shire Horse Show 2015. JAMES BEDFORD
OLD GLORY MARCH 2016 | 13
News&Events
Radiotherapy benefits from Goodwin steam-up
Goodwin’s yard in Cornwall on January 9 with hastily tied umbrella to keep the crew dry!
Burrell No 3159 The Gladiator lights up a winter’s evening. BOTH: COLIN HARRIS
IT ALL began around eight years ago. On the night of the annual charity carol singing in St Columb Major, Cornwall, a severe frost meant that the engines could not leave Emma and David Goodwin’s yard so the carol singing was cancelled. Not wanting to lose the chance to raise money for local charities, the Goodwins decided to open their yard in January and invite visiting engines in for a charity steamup. The amount raised was far in excess of carol singing (although I’m sure this is no reflection on their singing abilities), so an annual charity steam-up has been held ever since, writes Colin Harris. This year, January 9 saw heavy and frequent showers but six engines turned out – Burrell SRL No 3159 of 1909 The Gladiator, owned by the Goodwin family;
Aveling E-type roller No 10594 of 1923; Marshall S-Type roller No 88097 of 1937 fresh from a rebuild; Ransomes Agricultural No 42103 of 1931 Sister Wendy and those two well-known Cornish engines belonging to the Daniel Bros – Fowler BB1 ploughing engine No 15163 of 1918 and Burrell road loco No 3937 of 1922 Janet. The engines were joined by melodies provided by an Alan Pell organ. Whenever a shower came over, the crowds took shelter in the sheds where refreshments were served and a raffle and auction held. Santander offered to match funds raised up to the first £700, and more than £1720 was raised for the Somerset Unit for Radiotherapy Equipment where the late John Reeves was given treatment.
April’s Riverside rally changes venue to Leisure Lakes
Andrew Mawdsley’s Aveling roller at Riverside rally.
14 | MARCH 2016 OLD GLORY
THE Riverside Steam & Vintage Vehicle Rally is moving home and changing its name. The event had been held at the Riverside Holiday Park at Banks, Southport, for seven years and has raised £243,000 for local charities. Expansion of the Riverside site with more mobile homes meant that a new venue was inevitable. The new site at the Leisure Lakes complex at Tarleton is within half a mile of the old site. Rally coordinator, Alan Atkinson says:“I am delighted with our new venue and the extra six acres of space gained.
We did think the rally had come to an end, but there would have been a lot of disappointed people including the charities that have gained from our efforts.” The rally has been re-branded The Leisure Lakes Steam & Vintage Vehicle Rally. The current organisers are all engine owners – Peter Wareing, Alan Atkinson, John Johnson and Edward Atkinson – and 25 full-size engines will be in attendance, along with 500 other vintage vehicles. The rally takes place on April 16-17, sat-nav PR4 6JX. For more details visit www.leisurelakessteamrally.co.uk
News&Events
Gordon Brooke Collection up for auction AUCTION house Cheffins has been instructed by the trustees of the late Gordon Brooke to sell his collection of large-scale live steam engines and ancillary items. Gordon was an enthusiastic collector and had a passion for steam, owning a handsome pair
of full-size BB1 ploughing engines which were purchased from the Fred Coupland auction in 2004 and which he sold when he moved from his Yorkshire estate to his farm in the Borders where he raised rare breed cattle. Gordon was a keen model engineer and set up a fine workshop including an excellent range of machine tools which will also be offered for sale. In addition there are several tractors including two David Brown Cropmasters and an ultralow-houred Case 1494 with just 418 recorded hours. The models on offer have not been steamed for 6in scale Norman E Box low loader trailer. a decade or more but have all been
16 | MARCH 2016 OLD GLORY
maintained, stored and displayed in a heated building and kept in immaculate condition. “This collection offers a unique opportunity to acquire working steam models which have been constructed to the highest standards,” said Bill King, director of Cheffins. “Steam models of this type and build quality rarely come to auction, particularly of this scale. I have no doubt that the sale of these engines will cause much interest.” The collection will be offered for sale at Cheffins Cambridge Vintage Sale to be held on Saturday, April 16. Catalogues available two weeks prior at £17pp from the auctioneers, tel. 01223 213777.
4in scale McLaren 10nhp DCC Road Locomotive Minigantic.
THE ENGINES INCLUDE: ● 4.5in scale Burrell single
cylinder traction engine Alice ● 4in scale Foster compound road locomotive Rachel ● 4in Scale McLaren 10nhp DCC road locomotive Minigantic ● Pair of 4in scale Fowler BB1 ploughing engines ● Range of 4in scale ploughing and cultivating tackle, thresher, baler, living van, low loader, steam trailer, etc. ● 6in scale Fowler B6 road locomotive (under construction) Fully sprung, DCC three speed. ● 6in scale Fowler 16-wheel heavy-duty low loader trailer (as used by Norman E Box of Manchester) ● Fowler ploughman’s living van (full size). To accompany his pair of full-size BB1 Fowler ploughing engines ● 3in scale Marshall single cylinder portable engine
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Steam Fair FM returns to GDSF FOLLOWING on from the Great Dorset Steam Fair’s recently announced revised show dates for 2016 (now Thursday, August 25 to Bank Holiday Monday, August 29 inclusive), the show has confirmed that its own radio station, Steam Fair FM, will be back on air for the 14th consecutive year. Once again, the National Traction Engine Trust has joined forces with the show and Event Radio Associates who provide the broadcast. In 2015, the radio station moved back on to the show site into purpose-built studios within the new Control & Operations Centre complex, thus enabling improved communication of show information and an improved FM signal from a higher aerial mast. A record number of people also ‘tuned in’ via the online stream, which can be heard all
over the world via smartphones, tablets, computers, internet radios and in-home wireless music systems. Steam Fair FM plans to increase its broadcasting hours and will commence with an online ‘preview’ service over the weekend of August 2021. The FM service, and full programming, will start on Monday, August 22 as the gates open to admit exhibitors, traders and prepaid public campers. The station will broadcast 24 hours a day through to the last show day and will continue until lunchtime on Tuesday, August 30 to provide travel information for those leaving the site. GDSF managing director Martin Oliver said: “I am delighted that we have been able to once again come to an agreement with Event Radio Associates and the NTET to enable Steam Fair FM to broadcast at the 2016 GDSF.”
Patrick Heeley conducts a phone-in feedback interview to show director Martin Oliver on SFFM.
Museum fights to prevent hovercraft destruction AS DEVELOPERS move in with bulldozers, the Hovercraft Museum Trust in Hampshire is fighting desperately to save one of the two remaining cross-channel SRN4 hovercraft from destruction. Resident at the site since they were decommissioned in 2000, the Princess Margaret and Princess Anne are the last of the 250-ton monsters that used to cross the channel with 400 passengers and 55 cars on board, their gas turbine engines making the crossing possible inside half an hour in good conditions. They were built on the Isle of Wight by the British Hovercraft Corporation in the 1970s and operated from both Dover and Pegwell Bay before being replaced in 2000 by a catamaran service. Due to essential building work on the hovercraft museum buildings at Lee-on-theSolent, the hovercraft museum has not been open to visitors for nearly two years and only reopened in January 2016. But since then, visitor numbers have been encouraging and the future was looking promising for this small volunteer-run museum. Although stored at the museum, the SRN4s are not owned by the trust and there has been a protracted legal battle between the craft and site owners which these gentle giants have found themselves caught in the middle of. This has now come to a sudden resolution and the hovercraft
now face destruction and removal unless a lastminute reprieve is granted by the site owner, the Government’s Homes and Communities Agency. Hovercraft museum trustee Emma Pullen said: “The SRN4s are the central focus of the museum and our most important exhibits. Many people come simply to see these huge relics and their loss would be an enormous blow to the museum. “The trust is dedicated to preserving them and we hope that a deal can be reached to allow this to happen. The final decision is out of our hands and this has all happened at very
short notice but we will do everything in our powers to protect at least one of them.” The museum has acted quickly and submitted a proposal to the site owner to save Princess Anne (pictured, below) which is in the most favourable location and in better condition than Princess Margaret, which they have reluctantly accepted is likely to be broken up and sold for scrap. The trustees have set up a petition page, the link to which can be found on their Facebook page ‘the Hovercraft Museum’ and they are encouraging those with an interest to sign and share it.
Princess Anne is in much better condition than Princess Margaret, which is likely to be broken for scrap. OLD GLORY MARCH 2016 | 17
News&Events Machine tools master catalogue launched THE FIRST master catalogue of historic machine tools in Scotland was launched in December at Summerlee Industrial Museum by STICK, the Scottish Transport & Industry Collections Knowledge network. Project co-ordinator Daniela Wellnitz had worked with museums, preservationists and industry over the previous 12 months to identify heritage machine tools used in the metalwork, woodworking and stone-cutting industries. Now 279 machine tools have been identified and catalogued, ranging from imperial tolerance tools used daily by staff and volunteers at the Scottish Maritime Museum at Irvine, through similar machines in use in the Scottish Railway Preservation Society workshops at Bo’ness, to preserved items in museums across the country. The catalogue was launched with a lecture by Professor John Hume on the importance of machine tool preservation and of the survey, and a presentation on historic machine tools was given by conservation engineer Jim Mitchell. The information will be used by preservationists and museums to
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swap information and resources and to allow anyone who wants to use a working, historic machine tool to access one as well as seek guidance and advice. Daniela Wellnitz said:“The catalogue is now online and brings together 279 historic working and non-working machine tools across Scotland. It is a valuable resource which will boost the appreciation and conservation of historic machine tools, as well as fostering a deeper appreciation that, without them, neither the industrial revolution nor the subsequent development of technology could have taken place. “It is a living document and we still want to hear from companies, individuals and societies who may use or have historic machine tools so they can be included in the catalogue. There may be many more gems still unrecorded across Scotland, so, please let us know.” Daniela can be contacted at daniela@ scotmaritime.org.uk. The machine tool master catalogue can be viewed at www.stickssn.org
This vintage lathe is just one of the 279 listed in the STICK machine tool catalogue.