RAISING STEAM
STEAM APPRENTICE CLUB MAGAZINE
EDITOR
Barry Sumsion, 1 Leicester Road, Newport, South Wales NP9 7ER Tel: 01633 262197 Fax: 01633 259089
CHAIRMAN, STEAM APPRENTICE CLUB
John Durling, Hawthorn Cottage, Stubwood, Uttoxeter, Staffordshire ST14 5HX Tel: 01889 591188 (between 08.00 and 21.00 hours only please)
MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY
John Cook, Dolfarni, Church Lane, Kirby la Thorpe, Sleaford, Lincolnshire NG34 9NU. Correspondence only. Membership fee £5.00 per annum.
The Editor welcomes any contributions of articles, shorter items or photographH 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 aro 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, Fairoak House, Church Road, Newport, South Wales NP9 7EJ Tel: 01633 262197 Fax: 01633 259089 Printed by The Whitehouse Press Ltd, High Street, Lydney, Glos GL15 5DP
FROM THE EDITOR
At last I am getting round to putting together your new magazine. I am sorry it's a little behind time, but the volume of work I am currently trying to get through is causing many things to be a little late. That same volume of work has meant that I have been unable to visit many steam events this year. Indeed, apart from the wonderful time spent with some of you at the Kelston Sparkes collection earlier in the season, I have only been able to spend an afternoon at the Much Marcle rally and a shorter than usual visit to the Great Dorset. SO, that means that I am looking more than ever to you all to supply me with reports and photographs from the various rallies, etc that you have enjoyed this year.
Having said that, I have to say that I enjoyed my visit to Much Marcle, as is usual, with this comparatively small, but very friendly and active rally. I was able to meet with Alan Sparkes again who was there with his newly rebuilt Burrell Showmans Masterpiece. When we visited Alan with the SAC in the spring, this engine was still in an incomplete condition, with work still to be done. The engine is a credit to Alan and his volunteer team who assist in the maintenance and rebuilding of the several engines in their care at Stanton Drew.
Brian Sismey's Robey 'Minerva' is taken around the upper arena by two apprentices on the Saturday morning. Notice the 'rubber' strakes on the back wheels of this engine. Brian told me that they were proving to be very satisfactory on the road and on the field, indeed he had been able to pull other engines up the hill through 'Watford Gap' on the Friday evening, where other engines just could not get any grip at all. You will, however, notice the mud thrown up onto the fiywheel - the only drawback I could see with these rather deep strakes.
My visit to the Great Dorset, I view with mixed feelings. The weather can make such a huge difference to the enjoyment of this event, and of course, this year the weather was generally not too kind. I arrived late Thursday evening, and trudging around the site in my 'wellies' was not too bad-it had obviously not been a bad day Friday too, was not too unkind but events in the heavy haulage arena were somewhat curtailed by the state of the ground, engines being generally unable to get up the hill through 'Watford Gap' until later in the afternoon, and then not with the usual heavy loads. Indeed in the early evening it became necessary to winch engines to the top of the hill, where the customary heavy haulage camp site was.
The SAC was throughout, in full swing, with John and Fiona organising apprentices onto engines where they could and running the SAC corner with all the usual things to do for apprentices who preferred to be inside playing with model engines or jigsaws etc, rather than outside in the variable weather. However we were lucky to have the run of the top part
Apprentices at breakfastabove on the engine 'Britannia' and right dismounting from 'Old England'. In all of these photographs taken at Dorset, I do not know the names of the participating apprentices - it would be nice if' they would write in and identify themselves and tell us all how they enjoyed their time at Dorset.
of the main arena in the morning before the show officially opened and haulage demonstrations were to begin. Brian Sismey from Fareham brought his Robey compound tractor Minerva and Dave Dicker his Wallis Expansion 7294, into the ring for apprentices to have a go at driving and steering their engines around two courses of cones, laid out by Chairman John. Several apprentices took advantage of this and had a thoroughly enjoyable time. One or two had obviously had previous experience, whilst others, I think, had never stepped onto an engine in their life before. It was extremely good fun, and our warm thanks go to Brian and Dave (and his son) for their good natured and helpful handling of apprentices 'taking over their mounts'. Of course, at all ti1nes the
owners were on their engines, so that no harm could come to apprentices or engines. I was 'forced' to have a go with both engines, indeed Brian 'made me' drive the Robey back to the NTET tent, where it remained parked up while he had a well earned cup of tea. That, for me, made going to Dorset particularly worthwhile. Once again thank you both, Brian and Dave.
On the Sunday morning we had the now customary SAC breakfast on the shovel, again organised for us by Steve Parrot. Steve is now the owner of the unusual Clayton & Shuttleworth Showmans engine Old England. Appropriately our breakfast was organised among the showmans engine lineup, with Old England, the newly rebuilt Fowler The Pride of The Shannon and the Burrell Britannia, providing clean shovels and fires to cook the breakfasts After a slow start, apprentices turned up and all three engines were involved in cooking. Many thanks to the owners and their crews for participating in this much enjoyed activity.
It is now unlikely that I shall get much more steaming this year, except for the occasional afternoon pulling lots of passengers with a friend's 5" gauge class A3 locomotive - but that's another story. My work load has also taken its toll on the progress of my 4" scale Burrell Scenic Showmans engine, but with my colleagues we are now putting more time back into the project, and at the moment we are building the back wheels -all ten of them - we are building 5 engines between us. With the boilers all but finished, we should have them on wheels at least by the new year. Maybe they will be on show (if not finished) for the Burrell event at the Great Dorset in the year 2000. Watch this space!
Good
steaming,
Barry Sumsion, Editor
Mike Penny, steersman of 'The Pride of The Shannon' serves freshly cooked bacon to a hungry apprentice. I believe this was the first time Mike had been a chef, a duty he performed most professionally.
CHAIRMAN'S COLUMN
As we come to the end of another season we have the chance to look over what has been achieved.
The year I think that the SAC has done quite well: the various visits, the driving course and the rallies where we have had SAC co-ordinators.
One activity which worked very well was the engine driving we were able to organise in the haulage ring at the Great Dorset Steam Fair. We had two engines and about 10 apprentices who all had the chance to drive (if they wanted to) and Left - Just to prove that your Chairman gets himself totally involved with SAC goings-onhere we see him having just persuaded one of the engine owners that he was an apprentice and needed his breakfast cooking on a shovel just like the rest! Hope you enjoyed it John.
steer the engines through some cones in the safety of the ring. This, I am sure you can imagine, was very popular with those who were there. We are trying to organise special driving days for next year at various locations round the country - if you think you would be interested in a day spent driving an engine on private land PLEASE write to me and let me know! This sort of activity can only work if there is enough support. (Unfortunately you need to be 14 to drive an engine but you can steer if you are younger provided that you are physically big enough!)
On a different note you will see the results of the drawings and photographic competitions elsewhere in this issue. Both of these competitions were judged by your Chairman and Helen Wells (daughter of Chris who did the drawing for us). The job was again difficult as the drawings were all well done. Congratulations to those who won and 'better luck next time' to everyone else. We only had three photographic entries this year, so please take your cameras out with you and send in pictures for next year.
As this will be the last opportunity to talk to all of you this year-have a good Christmas and get out and about with Steam as much as possible during the winter and be ready for next year.
John Durling, Chairman
PS. Has anyone photographed Morning Star yet?
MAIL BAG
Dear Editor,
I would like to tell you about a steam rally I went to on 20th June. This was when I became a member. At this rally there was over 300 stationary engines, 130 tractors and 16 steam engines. Although it rained on the Saturday morning when the sun came out it was lovely. There were 2 steam lorries, 3 rollers and 8 traction engines. We stayed there a long time as I was teaching my father about steam engines. My favourite engine was a Burrell built in 1901 reg. no. EB 3051 Old Glory. It was in a tatty state but was still working. If there are any engine owners in the Gloucestershire area who would like an apprentice would you please let me know. I don't mind working hard or getting dirty.
From David Symons (age 13)
Quedgeley, Gloucester
P.S. If any engine owners can help my telephone number is 01452 728631.
Dear Editor
The photos on pages 10 and 11 (Raising Steam Volume 12 No 2) are mine! The first one is Foden traction no. 1294, a 7 NHP compound of 1907. Then we have Fowler "Berkshire Tariff Queen", a 7 NHP R Class single cylinder traction no. 11814 (MO 2909) of 1909. She worked in Berkshire until the war, when she was used by the Forestry Commission. She then lay derelict for a number of years until purchased by F.G. Brotton of Tiverton. In 1976 she was sold to G.A. Fincham of Shillingstone in Dorset who restored her. Her present owners are B. & T. Downey of Staplecross, Sussex. The boy on the footplate is me!
Next is a Foden wagon. This is no. 13488, owned by Jim Searle of Horsham, Sussex.
I liked the photo of Burrell 4049 Daphne taken by Emma Turner on page 8. This engine is very similar to the engine I help on, Burrell no. 4019 Britannia. I also agree on Emma's comments on my favourite engine, Fowler 15653 Renown. In my opinion there are three types of engine - Fowlers, Burrell tractions and the rest!
On page 1 our editor wrote about rubber strakes. These are great - solid rubbers are useless in the wet (try moving an 11 ton Burrell traction on rubbers into a muddy timber yard), while cut-out tractor tyres only look good on Fowler agriculturals!
Thanks for the great magazine, it's almost as good as Steaming!
From Kevin Mills (13) Durrington, West Sussex
P.S. I would like to write to any apprentices (male or female) who live in the north of England. My address is: 18 Rochester Close, Durrington, West Sussex BN13 3RP.
Many thanks for the information and the kind comments about the magazine. As if that wasn't enough, Kevin includes this fine photograph of Burrell Scenic no. 3887 'Prince of Wales', despite his apparent leanings towards Fowlers! However, it has to be said that your magazine is only as good as your contributions - more like this from Kevin will be most welcome. Editor.
Dear Editor
Last year (1997) I enjoyed out of all the rallies, Dorset Steam Fair the best, because we camped for two days. It is the biggest rally with lots of traction engines and the chieftan tank was there which I and my brother went on. This year I am looking forward to our very own steam rallies which we have in our garden. I have got a Wilesco fire engine, my brother has a steam lorry, my Daddy has a steam car. We also have several traction engines. I have enclosed a photo of our steam rally at home.
From Lara Heaver (age 9)
Wantage, Oxon
Lara and brother Rory Heaver enjoy running their very own rally, at h01ne in June 1997.
Dear Editor
I am writing to let you know it was me cleaning Keith Evan's half size Foden wagon at the training weekend at Dingles Steam Village, Milford Farm. The picture of myself and engine being on page 3 of Raising Steam volume 12 no. 3 Summer 1998.
I had a lovely 2 days with the other apprentices, people taking their driving course and driving instructors, luckily we had 2 dry days. I learnt a lot about the engine workings on the smaller engines and we all had a chance to drive them around the workshop yards and the field after we did our work of maintenance and cleaning.
Dingles Steam Village is where I am an apprentice, so the training weekend was a bonus to me. I clean several engines there one of which is my favourite, a 12 ton Aveling & Porter roller.
Enclosed with this letter is a photo of the roller being used at the training weekend with myself and the instructor sitting in the coal tender.
From Simon Glanville (age 12) Yelverton, Devon
PHOTO & COLOURING COMPETITIONS
This year the competitions were shown and judged at the Great Dorset Steam Fair as usual. Entries were a little low this year, but the quality was good. We show here the photographic entry winners pictures and announce that the winners of the Colouring Competition were as follows: First, Erica Chick, Second, Lara Heaver and Third, Gareth Pearson. Congratulations to you all. The winners of the Photographic Competition were: First, Robert Bance, Second, Gregory Chick and Third, Craig Mewett. You should by now all have received your prizes, once again congratulations to all and thank you all for entering. Now let's get started for next year, and perhaps we shall have a bigger entry. '·
This page shows two of Robert Bance' s entries. Above is Faden C Type tractor no. 13484 of 1930, and right is Fowler14 ton 8 NHP crane <· engine no. 8920 seen at Weeting in 1997.
Gregory Chick of Cambourne, Cornwall and who is only 7 years old, chose to enter his photos of well known builders' crests, which brought him second prize. Here we see: top left the Marshall, top right the Fowler and centre the Faden badges.
Left and over the page we see the entries from Craig Mewett from Polegate in East Sussex. Craig, who is 11, obviously gets around a bit, judging from the locations of his photographs. On this page we see his picture of Sentinel DG4 Timber Tractor no. 9097 taken at Rushmoor Rally in July this year. Turn the page to see more of Craig's work and of Robert Bance, our overall winner.
Craig Mewett's other entries were, left: Buffalo-Pitts traction engine no. 299, seen at Wilstead Fun Day, July 1998 and below: Marshall Roller no. 89549, taken at Derek Marder's road run in October 1997.
Craig is obviously a real enthusiast who, I guess, must have equally enthusiastic parents to take him to all these places!
Finally, but by no means least, we show Robert Bance's '½i photograph of Fowler Showmans Road Loco no. 15319 'Queen Mary'. Of 7 NHP and weighing 16 tons the engine was seen by Robert at Knowl Hill Rally in 1997, and helped him to win First Prize in our 1998 Photographic Competition.
MORE MAILBAG
As I mentioned in the last edition of Raising Steam, I had more mail than I could possibly include within the standard number of pages. So, as promised, along with new material, I include some letters and pictures which it has been necessary to hold over. If your earlier contribution is here, then I am sorry for the delay in its appearance, but please keep it coming -I WILL print it as soon as space allows. Editor.
Dear Editor
With the rally season upon us again, I think I've nagged my daughter enough about writing to you about last year's rallies. A daunting task really as she is only 6 years old! So I'm writing to you on her behalf. Claire is used to being dragged from rally to rally, but last summer the Great Dorset changed that from being "dragged to" to being "hooked on" rallying. Let me explain: Claire's big brother Adam wrote to you last year to thank the owner and crew of His Lordship for a wonderful time at the 1996 Great Dorset. Of course Claire wasn't quite old enough or quite big enough for anything but polishing the hubcaps then, but last year she took her overalls and her baseball cap in the hope of being allowed a trip up the steps of a real traction engine. Well not only did she get a trip up the steps but a seat in the coal tender for virtually the whole week! Claire (and Adam but he can write his own letter) was made so welcome and enjoyed the company so much that when we came home she couldn't mention the GDSF without getting quite emotional, thank you to Neil, Ben, Keith and Kerrie the apprentices and especially Andrew, Alan, David and John the crew for being so patient. Adam ought to have written a special thank you to Graham Atkinson (the owner) for stepping down and letting him start up His Lordship on the Saturday morning. Claire has chosen to go to the GDSF this year rather than stay at home and have a birthday party with her school chums -her birthday is 4th Septembe1~so it's cakes all round folks! I'm sure the first thing she'll want to do this year is find His Lordship and her new found friends. Oh by the way, when Claire went back to school in the autumn, the topic in her class was transport. Enclosed is a photo of Claire's favourite mode, which her teacher allowed her extra time to complete.
Here's hoping to see everybody again this year!
From Claire Meredith (age 6) Cirencester, Glos.
This letter is reproduced after the 1998 GDSF, so I trust you all enjoyed the visit as you had hoped for. Editor.
Dear Editor
I would like to tell you about my hard-working Dad. He has spent most of his life with steam and has even built many models and trains which he enjoys spotting whilst going out on day trips to the local steam gatherings.
All the years he has owned our Foden Steam Wagon, it has been his pride and joy. At the Thurlow Steam Rally 1998 he won his first award. It is the Brian N evard Memorial Cup which was awarded to my Dad for travelling the longest distance to the rally in miles. Enclosed is the photograph which my proud Mum took of Dad by the Foden and his trophy.
In the photo, in the Foden's cab is a brand new windscreen which my brother built by himself from studies of past and present Foden steam lorries. We all think it is very well built and looks smart. For 8 years we have been and are a 'family with a Foden'.
It would be great if you would print this with the enclosed photograph as it would give my Dad a nice surprise.
From Julie Forshaw Clifton, Beds.
One nice surprise coming up with our pleasure. Editor - and why not send in some more photos and experiences of your family with a Foden!
Dear Editor
My name is Ashley Whiting, I am 51/2years old and a new member of the SAC. Here is a photo of me ashing out our club road roller which is an 8 ton Fowler built in 1937. Me and Dad are members of Hockley Heath Steam Association and I have been going there since I was a baby. We regularly rally this engine which along with other members we drive to lots of events. I
would be very pleased to see my photo in the magazine, so I can show all my friends at school.
From Ashley Whiting Leamington Spa
P.S. I had to get Mum to write this letter as my writing isn't very good yet. My Mum can't understand why I get so dirty but I think it's because I am closer to the ground than everyone else!
I'm surprised your Mum can't understand Ashley, after all, it seems she is married to a steam buff, who must come home slightly soiled from time to time!
-Editor
Ashley Whiting raking out the ashpan on his local club's Fowler roller.
Dear Editor
Hello, my name is Jason Gallop. I enclose two pictures. One is of John Sanderson's 4" scale Fowler road loco, at the Moira Rally in 1993, and the other is of Fowler crane engine no. 8920, built in 1901. I would like to build this in 4" scale when I get older.
I was the artist who drew the two "un-owned" drawings on page 7 of Raising Steam Vol 12, No. 2 Spring 1998. I was 12 when I drew them and these but now I am 13.
See over for Jason's drawings
Here are Jason's latest drawings. I guess he must be a bit of a Fowler fanatic - never mind, at least he sends them in for us all to see. Not bad either - Editor.
MORE FROM THE GDSF 1998
Although I still have more material, particularly from our resident novelist Neil Cobb, I think I have now printed all the outstanding letters. Including this photo feature from Dorset now, is probably the best time to do so, as they will soon become old hat. Taking pictures at Dorset this year wasn't the easiest. Apart from the weather generally not being of the best; the coal provided was probably some of the smokiest seen for many a long year, and the whole site down wind of any engine was decidedly grey! Also all the engines used by apprentices both on the driving experience and breakfasts were engines with canopies, so available light was generally not as good as it might have been. As before in this edition, apprentices' names were not taken at the time (we were all enjoying ourselves too much!), so please write in if you recognise yourself or your friends to tell us all about your time at Dorset or any other rally you may have recently attended.
''I've done this before, but I'm enjoying driving
Dave Dicker's Wallis anyway!"
Suitably dressed for the occasion, this apprentice soon got the hang of driving this single cylinder machine.
On this page we see . three different crews on Brian Sismey's Robey tracto,~ Quite a varied assortment of apprentices here - who are you?
Once again notice the mud spread around the engine's fiywheel, which was almost too big for some!
Above left: We see an apprentice watching steersman Mike Penny cooking his breakfast on the footplate of Fowler Show1nans engine 'The Pride of the Shannon'.
Above right: Having just had her breakfast cooked on Burrell Showmans 'Britannia' this young lady apprentice does not look too sure about eating it, much to the consternation of Britannia crew member Mike Deering, seen scratching his head wondering if he's done something wrong.
Left: The Deering brothers pose in front of a Garrett Showmans tractor at the Dorset Steam Fair, with their trophy awarded to them at the 1998 Chiltern Rally. Write in and tell us all about it boys!
Finally total concentration and determination at the wheel of Dave Dicker's Wallis from this young man. So, come on all of you write in now and tell us all about it.
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