Raising Steam 1996 Vol.10 No.1

RAISING STEAM

STEAM APPRENTICE CLUB MAGAZINE

EDITOR

Barry Sumsion, 1 Leicester Road, Newport, Gwent NP9 7ER Tel: 01633 262197 Fax: 01633 259089

CHAIRMAN, STEAM APPRENTICE CLUB

John Bosworth, 74 Main Road, Smalley, Derby DE7 6EF Tel: 01332 880405 between 8.00am and 10pm only

MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY

John Cook, Dolfarni, Church Lane, Kirby la Thorpe, Sleaford, Lincolnshire NG34 9NU. Correspondence only.

The Editor welcomes any contributions of articles, shorter items or photographs for inclusion in future issues. All material submitted is voluntary and payment cannot be made for any material published. The opinions expressed in the magazine, with the exception of Club announcements, are those of the contributors and do not indicate the views of the Club as a whole. All items are held copyright by the contributor and the NTET.

Please send your contributions to the Editor at least five weeks before publication. Typed articles are preferred but not essential. If handwritten put any names of PEOPLE, PLACES or ENGINES in BLOCK CAPITALS. If you require any part of your article (eg photos) returning please say so and enclose a stamped addressed envelope. Enclose your name, address and (if Apprentice) age with any contribution.

The Editor reserves the right to amend or refuse contributions, and will attempt to correct spelling and grammar!

The Magazine is normally published during the early part of January, April, July and October. The Club accepts no liability for failure to meet intended publication dates.

The Steam Apprentice Club is a section of the National Traction Engine Trust. NTET is a Registered Charity, No. 291578. Registered in England No. 1302197. Registered Office: Forum House, 1-6 Millmead, Middlesex TW18 4UQ.

Typesetting and Artwork by Kearline Graphic Images, 1 Leicester Road, Newport, Gwent NP9 7ER Tel: 01633 262197 Fax: 01633 259089

Printed by The Chequer Press Ltd, High Street, Lydney, Glos GL15 5DP

FROM THE EDITOR

Welcome to Volume 10 and with it hopefully a very happy steam-filled new year to you all. To those of you expecting No 4 of Volume 9, let me explain. Before I took over the reigns of Raising Steam,, its regularity had become a little haphazard and when I came to produce this edition, I was not sure whether to call it No 4 or No 1! Consulting with your Chairman, we decided to bring it in line with Steaming - the magazine of our parent, The National Traction Engine Trust. So the volume numbering will now start with the winter edition each year -and hopefully you will receive your four copies reasonably close to the expected times!

Well, what sort of Christmas did you have. How many of you received presents which were connected with steam engines in any way? Did you have perhaps a Mamod or a book about traction engines for example? Please write and tell me and your fell ow apprentices about your presents and what enjoyment you have or hope to get out of them.

Happily I have, again, received contributions from s01ne of you, and as prmnised, I have used them in this magazine. As I have said many times keep your contributions rolling in so that we can all enjoy your efforts and experiences. It doesn't matter what it is you send in, whether it be a letter, short story, drawing, photograph, competition or idea for one - just keep it cmning and you will see your work appear in print in your magazine. The more you get involved with the SAC, the more you and your colleagues will get out of it. So don't let it stop with contributing to the magazine - if you have any ideas at all about something you would like to do and you think others may enjoy as well, then write or telephone myself or Chairman John Bosworth and all ideas will be explored. We want you to appreciate what the traction engine was and is all about, and we want you to enjoy and participate wherever possible in their future.

I continue to receive copies of magazines and newsletters from other likeminded bodies within the steam movement, one of whom has very kindly said that I may use anything I find in their publication that I feel may be of interest to stea1n apprentices. (Many thanks to Reg Bosley, Editor of the Hollycombe Express.) Many of the magazines and newsletters from the various steam clubs contain very interesting information on the movement and condition of today's engines as well as stories from their past. If you glean any information like this, why not pass it on to your 1nagazine, perhaps in your own words - but please do not forget to get permission from and acknowledge the source from which you obtained your information.

You will know from my earlier writings that I sometimes drive a 3" scale Allchin tractor. This is based on the 7nhp single "Royal Chester". Many

people don't seem to realise that these models very often earn their keep just as their full size brothers do. This particular engine is now about six years old and is, to my knowledge, one of the hardest worked models up and down the country. If the owner (Ken Davies) chose to do so, he could be out virtually every weekend during the spring to autumn season, giving rides and demonstrations at miniat,L1ro rallies, fetes and carnivals etc. This is of course impractical - 111odolengines need regular maintenance just like the full size and that take8 titn('. /\h;o Ken would have no time to hi1nself or for his family. Occasionally Lhe11T i-;Landin for hin1 and take the engine to sometimes quite far flung plnr< H. rrhe picture below shows just such an occasion of a couple of' yf't\t'H ugn, when I took the engine to the Blaenau Ffestiniog Festival of rrrn11Hpn1·t.. During the day I drove the engine and trailers between my late frh 1 11d'H r;nrcten railway centre and the rally fieldabout a mile. I notched up n frw 111i It1H giving rides around the roads of Blaenau before putting the belt on in lhP 1•v1 1 ning to generate enough power to light up a couple of 12 volt flood ligh I 1-111Ln public barbecue held at my friend's

garden. The picture shows this latter work being done. If you go to a rally and hear a little engine working hard, go over to investigate - they can be just as impressive as their big brothers and usually their owners are more than willing to talk to you about their engine and its history. Who knows you may even be allowed to get involved- especially if you turn out to be a Steam Apprentice!

Barry Sumsion, Editor

CHAIRMAN'S COLUMN

After reading the Autu1nn edition of Raising Steam, I feel that the magazine is definitely making progress. It seems to me that because of the nu1nber of letters and articles forwarded to the editor it is really becoming your magazine at last.

I am proposing to organise a training weekend at Klondyke Mill, Draycott in the Clay near Uttoxeter, Staffordshire on April 13th/14th 1996. The site belongs to the North Staffordshire Club and is equipped with workshops, a club room, toilets and facilities for camping and caravanning, with a local bed and breakfast option. Please send a stamped addressed envelope for further details. Participants, who should be 14 years old and upwards, will receive their replies by April 4th 1996. The final cost for this weekend is not known at the present time, but I would expect it to be very si1nilar to last year's price of £28.00/£30.00. This includes morning tea and biscuits. Because of the poor response last year, the training course had to be cancelled so we are hoping for more support in 1996. It would be helpful if anyone interested could ring either myself (01332 880405) or Barry so we will have an idea of the number of people likely to attend.

I recently took on a Steam Apprentice who lives just over a mile away from my home at Smalley. His nam.e is Martin Bates and !le lives at Kilburn. He's a willing lad and works hard on two cans of coke! Last weekend we put my Foster engine "Sprig" to bed for the winter months and this was Martin's first experience of the operation. I've often wondered if the threshing contractors did this too? It was a long day for Martin and as we pulled "Sprig" out into the open to drain and wash the boiler out, the heavens opened, reminding us of the "Dorset Breakfast on the Shovel" episode! Martin went home dirty, tired and wet.

Does anyone have a parent who would be interested in becoming a coordinator to help match Steam Apprentices with local engines? If you know of anyone who would be interested in doing this, then please let me know.

Mr John Pelly, who is the great grandson of John Fowler, has recently donated to the Steam Apprentice Club a copy of a book he has compiled called "Steam Plough Stories". If anyone would like to borrow it on a monthly loan basis, the Steam Apprentice Club is willing to pay the postage outward if the borrower will pay for its return. Please contact me if you are interested.

John Bosworth, Chairman

AMERICAN ROLLER

Ralph Najarian is an American steam enthusiast who lives in the town of Manhattan which is located in north-west Kansas. He has owned a steain roller since April 1992. This rol loris a B11 rralo-Springfield machine, made at their works at Springfield, Ohio in 1924, works no. 11188 and weighs 10 tons. It is now named High PI.a.insQueen. 'I1hcroller originally worked for a contractor, Hugh Jones of LiLtlo FallH, Minnesota and was bought for preservation and came to KanHHH in J950, Romehow surviving the American coal shortages and war scrap driveH.

The boiler of the roller is of large diameter and rather shorter than American style traction engines, giving the roller the ability to ascend or descend steep hills and also plenty of heating surface so that it is quite economical in that it doesn't need as large a fire as a big agricultural engine. The engine itself is a two cylinder compound, fitted with conventional Stephenson valve gear and it has a Pickering governor, enabling it to drive other equipment such as a stone crusher.

Ralph steams his roller only about four times a year, in mid-July, in order to take her to his local steam event, the Tri-State Antique Engine & Thresher Show, in Bird City, Kansas. In order to do this he has to be a licensed steam engineer and has had to demonstrate his competency to look after a steam engine. In recognition of this achievement, he is able to wear a special design of baseball cap which is recognised at his local event as being worn by Officials and Licensed steam engineers.

Ralph has sent two of these baseball caps with Tri-State Antique Engine & Thresher Show and a Case traction engine logo on the front to Derek Rayner, the Archivist of the Road Roller Association of which Ralph is a member. Derek has been helping Ralph in answering one or two queries about steam and vintage motor rollers. Derek has passed these caps to the SAC for use as prizes in one of our competitions.

Derek Rayner Archivist - Road Roller Association & Assistant Editor - "Stewning"

Many thanks Derek for this very welcome contribution. John and I will now think up a suitable competition for the apprentices to win these two caps. -Ed.

MAILBAG

Dear Editor

This is my first time I have sent to you. I have got a Mamod traction engine, but have got no fuel to run it on. I like reading your mag but am too lazy to send letters. Frorn now on I hopefully will keep sending them and drawing pictures. I hope you got the picture I sent. It

is not my Mamod traction engine but it might be one of the Wilesco ones. I am nine now but when I was 5 or 6 I wanted one of the Wilesco ones but I could not tell the difference between a Mamod and a Wilesco and by mistake I got a Mamod. But now I like the Mamod ones just as much. My Dad says I might get a Wilesco one next year.

From

Gregory Smith

Age9 Redmile, Nottingham

That's the spirit Gregory - keep 'em coming! If only half of you wrote or sent a similar contribution, you would have a truly re,narkable magazine which was "all your own worh "! - Ed.

Dear Barry

I am probably considered as an older member of the SAC now being 18, and I assure you that when I joined the SAC about 6 years ago, my interest then is still as strong if not stronger today. It was shortly after joining the SAC that I was put in contact with an engine owner as so many SAs are, and this introduced me to the maintenance and running of traction engines. Fortunately I was stationed at Amberley Chalk Pits Museum (large open air museu1n) where engines were free to drive around. As I slowly grew older I was asked to steer engines around the museum and eventually drive them.

The museum introduced "rallying" an engine to me and it is from this that I now have so rr.lany friends all over the country. As I went to more rallies I met 1nore people who needed help, or were just kind enough to let me polish and steer their engines around the rally field. I have become great friends with Peter and Shirley Fagg over the last four to five years helping out on the beautifull Marshall "Victoria Enipress of India", No. 14242 built in 1886. Over the last couple of years I have been steering the Marshall on the road for quite some distances at a time as Peter trys to avoid low loaders! He is a very sensible engine man and there is no-one I look up to more. He only let me steer the Marshall on the road once I had my driving licence. Fair enough,. that ensures "no problems" I presume as far as insurance is concerned.

It is another matter that I am writing to you about, and hopefully you can put me straight on this. It see1ns that everyone I talk to has different ideas about what age one can drive or steer an engine at. Some say you can steer an engine at any age and dTive once you have a driving licence, others say 17 with a driving licence for steering and 21 with a licence for driving. I have

also heard that the SAC can insure younger enthusiasts to steer or drive on the road.

I write as I have been asked to drive an engine during the next rally season and I would like to know if it is perfectly safe to do so. I would hate to be found responsible for any accident through driving an engine and then find I was not old enough to be insured. I am sure that I am not the only one who would like this point clarified.

Neil Gough

SAC No.1440

Washington, West Sussex

Hm! Some interesting questions there Neil. I have put your queries to Chairman John Bosworth and he has come up with the following advice so far. It seems that first of all you 1nust be the holder of an appropriate driving licence to drive or steer on the road. So,ne younger apprentices who live in rural areas may have an agricultural (tractor) licence which I believe is available from the age of 16. However if the vehicle is not registered as an agricultural vehicle, then that licence will probably not be appropriate. Those of you who keep abreast of things ,nay realise that a new taxation type has been created to cover the licensing of "Steam Propelled Vehicles". For many owners this came as an enormous relief to the previous goings-on. However, what type of' licence may be needed to drive a "Steam Propelled Vehicle", neither John nor myself has so far heard. (What a strange situation if it was found that present owners were not licensed to drive their engines!) So far as insurance is concerned, an apprentice must ask the owner if he has checked with his insurance company to see if it is permissible for an apprentice to be covered by the owner's insurance. In some cases, according to John's investigation, this is perfectly possible. So the basic answer is - you must have a driving licence, and you 1nust be covered by the owner's insurance.

I would like to hear from anyone with current experience in this matter - I don't wish to distribute misinformation!

Ed.

Dear Editor

I would like just to point out a small mistake made in Volume 9 No 3, Autumn 1995 (last issue). On page 9, in the photographic competition section, you describe Burrell 3669 as a 5nhp Showman's Tractor, when in fact it should be classed as a 5nhp Showman's Road Locomotive. An engine weighing 14 tons could hardly be classed as a tractorr

Anyway, other than that, the magazine was as good as usual and I can say that mistakes such as this are rare.

Yours sincerely,

To1n Middlemiss

Huntingdon, Cambs

Tutt tutt-knuckles considered well and truly rapped! I should have hnown better; having spent some time talking to certain of the Middlemiss fa,nily upon that very engine at the Great Dorset recently!

The above drawing (in colour) was received from Thomas Parrott of Shardlow, Derby. This is an excellent effort fr01n an 8 year old. There was no other information sent with the picture. Perhaps Thomas or one of his parents would like to supply further inforniation.

Dear Editor,

At last I have met my hero! The 'Iron Maiden' (reg FX 661) at the Great Dorset Steam Show. I have watched the video film time and time again but didn't think the traction engine existed. I would like to ride on it, but at least I got to touch it and have my photograph taken stood next to it. But what about the other engines in the fihn ... 'Dreadnought' (reg HAN 557), 'Princess Caroline' (reg CRX/CKK 760) and 'Duchess of Avon' - S.L. Wharton Mechanical & Electrical End. Co. (reg?). Do they exist?

Also at the show was 'Maid Marion' (reg CH3282) being one of the stars of another of my favourite video 'Titfield Thunderbolt', though I didn't realise at the time. Does the 'Thunderbolt' exist? Where is it, and where is the railway station shown in the fihn?

By the way the Great Dorset Steam Show was GREAT but for a proper steam show with real atinosphere you can't beat Masham, North Yorks! After all big isn't always beautiful ... take me for instance!

From an obsessed 'Tracey' fan, Matthew Bate (age 6) New member 2562

Well now there's some interesting queries and opinions from a very young apprentice! See how many of you can answer Matthew 's questions about the various engines and the Tit/fold Thundebolt. Also see my remarks about different rallies in this edition. And see also that you don't need to be very old or experienced to make a potentially interesting contribution! - Ed.

here

Dear Editor, I have recently become a member of the SAC. I received my first up to date magazine a few days ago, and I would like to respond to your section about model steam engines. I personally have 3 of them.

One Mamod and 2 Wilesco (a German company). My problem is that the l sight glass on one of my Wilesco engines has become scaled up, making it i,l 1 hard to see how much water is left in the boiler.

I have enclosed a picture of my 3 engines.

Yours sincerely

Ian King Walton on Thames, Surrey

A friend of mine who is an accomplished expert on these model engines, suggests that you fill your boiler with a solution of water and concentrated washing up liquid and wash it out much as you might wash up your cups and saucers. I know this sounds unusual and is definitely not recommended for full size or model engines with proper locomotive type boilers. However for these simple pot boilers it seems it is as good a way as any. Please DO NOT be tempted to use a de-scaling agent or any chemical substance. Apart fro1n any danger there might be to yourself, there is a distinct possibility that your boiler fittings ,nay not seal properly afterwards. Make sure that you rinse out the boiler as completely as possible before using it for steaming again. If you live in an area with hard water try to locate a supply of pure water as used for topping up car batteries and electric irons. Then you should find that you do not scale up your boilers so quickly. - Ed.

Dear Editor,

May I first say how well set out and interesting your first few 'Raising Steam' magazines were and I hope they continue in this way. I have enclosed some photographs of a couple of the steam rallys I have been to this year to be included in the next magazine. The information for each photograph is paperclipped to each of them. Hoping you had a great rally season.

Best wishes Aubrey Tumnion

Paignton, Devon

Many thanks for your kind comments Aubrey. I have included your letter to show other apprentices how to send in their photos! Paper clips are OK if , not too tight on the photo, but please, of course, never staple anything to the1n or to each other. - Ed .. .. and here follows Aubrey's Photograhic Rally Roundup.

1927 Fowler 5nhp DCC Showmans Road Locomotive 'Jubilee'. Reg No. AV 1945. Torbay Steam Rally '95. Owned by W & I Beard from Truro, Cornwall. This engine was converted from a road roller by J Boughton of Amersham in the 1960s. It was then sold to Mr Gregory of Polperro who then sold it to the present owners in 1989.

1923 Burrell 4.5nhp

Showmans Road Locomotive. Reg No. RL 1978. Torbay Steam Rally '95.

Owned by P & I Wright from Bideford, Devon.

Only three of this type were built. It was sold to Sidney Jewell of Wadebridge in 1925 and this is the only known surviv01:

1916 Ruston Procter 6nhp Agricultural Tractor 'Queenie'. Reg No. EB8164. Torbay Steam Rally '95. Owned by G Train from Bridgwater, Somerset. This engine spent its working life on a fann in Anglesey, North Wales. It went to preservation in the early 1950s and was purchased by the present owner in 1986 and completely rebuilt.

1926 Wallis & Steevens 6nhp 'Advance' Road Rolle,: Reg No. HO6482.

Owned by B Dando from Chipping Sadbury, Bristol.

Torbay Steam Rally '95. This engine was new to Torquay Council in • 1926. It was purchased in 1963 by Eric Simms and Jim Snell for preservation. The present ownerpurchased it in 1973 since when it has had over 2250 man hours spent on it to bring it up to this condition.

Well done Aubrey, a splendid contribution. More lihe this will always be very welcome. - Ed.

Dear Editor,

I was wondering if you would like to show these photos in the magazine. (Yes thankyou, that's what it's all about - Ed.) The first is an Aveling & Porter (convertible) steam tractor No. 9317, built in 1920. Its first owner was Cavan County Council and it has been recently restored and in steam after nearly 40 years. This was taken at the Moynalty Steam Rally in August. Next there is the Burrell Special Scenic Showmans engine No. 3938 'Quo Vadis', built in 1922. Then the next photo is of a Ranso1ne Sims & Jefferies traction engine No. 13865, built in 1901. Ransome engines were very popular in Ireland and still are as there were no fewer than 7 at the Stradbally Steam Rally in Laoise in August where these 3 photos were taken. Finally we have a Fowler 6nhp compound traction engine No. 21649 of 1936 which was restored in 1979 by the Irish Steam Preservation Society Ltd.

Yours sincerely

Graham Smith Eire

PS. The Stradbally Steam Rally is one of the biggest in Eire. It has up to and over 30 engines every year. This year I spent 3 wonderful days there with up to 31 engines: 6 steam rollers, 3 portables, 2 showmans engines, 1 showmans tractor, 1 Mann steam cart No. 1216 of 1914 and 18 traction eng1nes.

Aueling & Porter No. 9317

Right: Fowler No. 21649

It may not show on the printecl version, but on Graham's original print I can see that this engine has a double 'T' ring in the front wheels. Can anyone shed any Light on this? - Ed.

Graha,n - not content with that excellent contribution then sent another letter:

Dear Editor,

On page 7 of the Autumn issue of 'Raising Steam', George Drewitt wanted infonnation on the engine shown. I cannot tell him much but it was a 'Savage' chain driven traction engine. It is not an original - it is a replica built some

years ago (1975 according to a book l have) of a 'Savage' engine, as none of this type have survived into prrnmt·vrd,io11.The steersman also had no ache as they sat beside the steering wheel. A11 example of where the steersman sits is shown on the front page of 'Old Glory' magazine for May '95. For those apprentices who are geLLiJ1gLhP '8teaming' magazine there was also an article on Savage tractors in tbe Winter '91/92 issue.

I also have a book which showl':la Burrell front steering engine but the steersman sits in front of the wheel-1nore suitable - built 1870s.

Hope this is a bit helpful.

Yours sincerely

Graham Smith Eire

NEWS FROM THE NORTH

Well, here we are at the end of another rally season. A season which has seen us take the Steam Apprentice Club stand to three rallies in Yorkshire and one in Bedfordshire, just for a change of air! These were Masham, Driffield and Harewood House in Yorkshire and Shefford in Bedfordshire (wasn't the mud wonderful!).

As always it was great to see some of you turn out to these rallies, but where were the rest of you?

At each of these we were able to pair apprentices up with an engine and all who were big enough got a steer - some even getting the chance to drive as well!

On the Saturday night of each event we held a bar-b-que which I think went down well, put it this way, there was never any food left.

One thing about this year's apprentices; they were almost all boys-come on girls don't you want to show the boys how it should be done?

On a slightly sadder note, we will not be able to be with the Steam Apprentices next year because John's job has moved once again, this time back to Derby. This means that we will have to inove out of Yorkshire (much wailing and gnashing of teeth). Do you know of any adults who would be able to help out (Mumor Dad perhaps), with such a great bunch of Apprentices the job is really easy! If you du plea::;ea:::;kLhern Locontact us or the Chainnan, John Bosworth.

One point that came out of our trip to Bedfordshire (with our own engine for once) was that nobody is organising any activities for apprentices in that part of the country so all you apprentices down there, talk to all the adults 15

you know and try to find someone who can get things going for you. Again they can contact us or John Bosworth. Keep your interest going during the winter and we hope to see some of you about the rally circuit next year.

John and Fiona Durling

Haxby, York 01904 766487

These pictures were taken at A1asham Rally in July 1995. You can see the lads enjoyed themselves?

NEW MEMBERS

Welcome to the following who have recently joined the Steam Apprentice Club. Enjoy your membership whenever and wherever you can, and remember the more you take part in club events or contribute to your magazine, then the more you will get out of it!

Christopher Lambert, Sta1nford, Lines

Robert Russell, Porthtowan, Truro, Cornwall

Richard Lupton, Motco1nbe, Shaftesbury, Dorset

Matthew King, Cheddar, Somerset

Nicholas Collier, Cred.iton, Devon

Jonathan Gittins, Craven Arms, Shropshire

Lee Clayden, Basildon, Essex

Ben Ward, Bognor Regis, Sussex

Dylan Mason, Bournemouth, Dorset

Gary Mallon, Wallasey, Wirral

Lee Webb, Par, Cornwall

James Snape, Tipton, West Midlands

Gavin Brown, Taunton, Somerset

Liam Floyd, Horsham, West Sussex

Samuel Hart, Goostrey, Cheshire

Henry Brown, Hurstpierpoint, West Sussex

Mark Thompson, Kempston, Beds

Robert Dodd, Edenbridge, Kent

Jan1es Kersey, Maidstone, Kent

Laurence Spry, Haddenham, Nr Ely, Cambs

Daniel Griffith, Clacton on Sea, Essex

Andrew Carr, Crowborough, East Sussex

James Pack1nan, Helston, CornwalJ

George Shackleton, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk

Robert Curtis, Breadsall, Derby

Rory Morgan, Thornbury, Bristol, Avon

J E Lines, Ludlow, Shropshire

AND FINALLY ...

At long last I am getting round to writing a short illustrated report on some of the rallies I visited during 1995. Such have been the excellent contributions fro1n yourselves that there was no space in the last edition and this time your efforts have been even better! However if I don't include my reports in this edition, we will be into the 1996 rally season.

I received a complimentary pass to the Somerset Traction Engine Rally courtesy of John Reeves the Editor of the Somerset Traction Engine Club. I had not been to this rally for a number of years and so looked forward to this visit. This rally was a little different to most. The events were split between two 'main' arenas. It has to

A good selection of steam wagons at the Somerset Traction Engine Rally. Above are (from left to right) Yorkshire Steam Wagon Co. No. 2108 'Yorhshire Lad' of 1 .927, Sentinels No. 9032 and No. 9075 'Holmevalicui' both of 1934, whilst on the left is Foden No. 13316 of' 1929. Below 5nhp Burrell 4014 'Pride of' Devon' attends to the tug'o-war:Such was the 'strength' of the children that the rope brofle!

be said that most interest was shown in the one in which the

steam events took place. I think ~;;;.;;;.:1 this may have proved a little unfair on those exhibitors whose lJ.f events took place in the other i:· arena. But what a good show!

There seemed to be something going on virtually all the time. From time honoured laps of honour to spectator participation events and finally with engines giving rides inside the safety of the unusually-shaped ring. A lot of people had a lot fun at this show, which whilst not one of the biggest,

had good variation and a good array of miniatures. I also took the opportunity of having a chat with Dr John Dyke from Cornwall with his Burrell Showmans 'Star'. Although a 7nhp ongine, she has an 8nhp back-end of particular interest to me in tho building of my 4" version. She made an interesting comparison to Alan Fry's fPrincess Royal', another 7nhp, but substantially different Jn mn11ywo..ys.'l1hisis one show I will try not to miss again.

I travelled to Yorkshire Lo a 111frtiaturerally held at the Kirklees Light building our own engines. 1iailway. The bait was the promise of"Lwo 4" showmans engines. One wafl a Burrell Scenic currently named 'Winston Churchill' (left), a 11ic0 engine enthusiastically driven hy i Ls owner. The other was a McLaren, based on 'Goliath', built i 11 nhout a year by the railway's ow 1101· and engineer Brian Taylor. Hlw was generating for his 1nodel o t·gH n. We use these visits to cli i-H·ovcr things to do and more i111po1'1,nnLlythings 'not to do' when

I have mentioned briefly in the lm-11Prl1Ucrn my visit to the 'Dorset'. This was, as usual, BIG! Now I do not think Uw yPnr would be co1nplete without this show. However you do need a loL of' tune Lo see the whole show and anybody unable to spend a few days t.hL 1 re will certainly not get round everything. This year I was involved l'or Ho1nc of the time vvith Steam Apprentice Club goings on. Several appn•ntkeH nppeared around the show at various engines. Some appeared to be hcuv1Jy involved with 'their' engine, but I was disappointed to find some who did not APen1 to know much about the club or its magazine. Their education wm, Rtn1-Ledimmediately! I still

I oo k forward to hearing from some of those I spoke Lo. M ooiing and putting f'at•c\H Lo some 'famous' 1u1.mer-; within the traction ong-incworld was a definite bonus, as was also the opportunity given to me by - one of the Daniel brothers to take his Burrell SCC engine 'Janet' (left) around

,.. the heavy haulage circuit along with long-time friend and traction engine mentor Peter Parrish. ( I'm still not sure which Daniel brother it was - now did he have the hat or not?)

Left: New apprentice Mike Sumsion finds his way around the Tasker 'Little Giant' No. 1318 of 1906 at the Steam Apprentice Club stand at the Great Dorset.

Last but by no means least, I visited the Hanbury Rally. This is one of the smaller shows, but what it may have lacked in quantity , it certainly made up for in quality! There was a good selection of engines present. The 1911 Robey 'King George V', presented in unrestored condition was a rare find and worth the trip if there were no other engines present. There were however, and these were easily accessible around the field with friendly and enthusiastic crews. Traditional arena events fol!owed to

entertain the very few members of the public present on the Sunday. The weather was generally fine, if cold, but occasionally treinendous squalls blew up devastating som.e of the traders present who were all but blown away. The event ended with the splendid spectacle of 1nany of the engines being driven home which involved quite a steep hill

alongside the rally field. A good day out altogether - I hope they hold it again next year.

Above: Marshall No. 87005 carrying the nanie 'The Brigadier' but listed in my register as 'Geo,ge III', and Right: the Robey No. 29450 'King George V', for me the star of the show!