EDITOR
STEAM APPRENTICE CLUB MAGAZINE
Barry Sumsion, Kearline Graphic Images, Fairoak. House Business Centre, Church Road, Newport NP19 7EJ 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, Kitby la Thorpe, Sleaford, Lincolnshire NG34 9NU. Correspondence only. Membership fee £5.00 per annum.
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 l)y the contTibutor 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 al'ticle (eg photos) returning please say so and enclose a stamped addressed envelope. Enclose your nan1e, 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 failnr<' to et intended publication dates.
The Steam Apprentice Club is a section of the! Natfrmal Tr NTET is a Registered Charity; No. 291578. RegiHl,Prr.din Registered Office: 4 Church Green East, Rmfdit.{~h,Wor
Typesetting and Artwork by Kearline Gruphic Im Church Road, Newport, South WaleR NP l H 7TtlJ'l, ] email: bsumsion@kearline.fsnet.co.uk
Bu~fneasC1;Jntre, ll\lx:01633 259089
Printed by The Whitehouse Press Ltd, Jligh Atl't•1 t, if JoaGL155DP
FROM THE EDITOR
Here's your Spring issue and not too late this time! Now is the time that engines are being got out and checked over, boiler tests done etc., in time for a busy season of rallying ahead. This is a good time to try and get apprenticed to an engine near you. If you think you would have the time and the ability to get to an engine, then try to make (polite) contact with the owner to see if they would appreciate a willing helper. Write to our Chairman if you do not know of
A lovely picture of George Chiverton 's Ruston Proctor No. 52329 Sweet Charity. This engine, Reg. No. CT 5554 was built in 1918..Mr Chiverton and his engine, from Ringwood, Hants, are regular supporters of the SAC at the Great Dorset Steam Fair where this fine photograph was taken by Daniel Wilmhurst (age 13) in 1999.
a suitable situation near you -no promises, but he may be able to help. And isn't it a busy season! It seems that there are rallies and such like going on all over the country almost every weekend from now through the Summer and Autumn. With this issue you will find the NTET rally list which lists all those rallies which are approved by the NTET and to which you can obtain free entry on production of your current SAC membership card. If you wish to be placed on an engine at a particular rally, then telephone the rally organisers before the event and you may get information about which engines may be happy to have help on the day. At some of these rallies the NTET and/or SAC will have representatives -they will usually try and help you to team up with an engine crew wherever that is possible. Most engine owners are friendly people, others do not always wish to have young people about their enginesso be polite and please do whatever you are asked.
Now, not all of you will be able to get onto an engine, but that should not diminish your enthusiasm. You can still enjoy traction engines by watching and listening and most importantly by writing to Raising Steam about your experiences and taking photographs, both to appear in the magazine and to enter into the Photographic Competition to be judged, as usual, at the Great Dorset Steam Fair. Talking of which, many of you will know that the engine manufacturer to be featured this year is Burrells. (Sorry to Dave Main of Gillingham, Kent, but this year the premier manufacturer is to be specially represented! - I like 'em all really.) It is just possible that the first of the 4 inch scale double crank compounds that myself and two colleagues are building may be in steam, although not fully finished. The 'hulks' of the two Scenic engines may be there on their wheels but a long way from finished.
The weather will hopefully be kind to us this year, and I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible about the rally fields.
Good Steaming,
Barry Sumsion, Editor
THE CHAIRMAN'S BIT
Oh for the delights of warmer days and the opportunity to work on engines without freezing to death - those people with heated engine sheds won't understand this of course!
Having reported in the Winter issue that we are again running the SAC Driving Days I am pleased to report that they have proved a.s popular this year as last with approximately 70 of you taking part at the various locations in England. But what happened to the courses being offered at Old Milverton Lane near Warwick and at the Bursleden Brick Works? So few wanted to go to these two that they have had to be cancelled. If you thought of going to one of these two and then decided not to, please let me know why so that we can learn for the future.
The extension of these driving days is the NTET driving course which we are invited to. This year two of you have signed up for this -which I hope will be • the start of your progress through the NTET Voluntary Driver Training Scheme. It is hoped that we can start a properly logged training scheme, following in the footsteps of the NTET such that you can earn a Certificate of Achievement to show that you have learnt the basics of engine driving and operation and can be trusted to work an engine safely when the public are about.
We still receive a steady trickle of questions regarding the driving of engines on the rally field by youngsters. Can I take this opportunity to re-state the position as it stands at the moment.
The licensing requirements have not significantly changed for many years and basically say that you must be over 21 and hold a full group B licence to drive a traction engine on the highway. For a steamrollcw you need to be over 21 and hold a group G licence. These requirementR At ill a1Jply on the public roadl and for any rally that does not have NTET Authod1-111t.ion. I lowever, if a rally is
operated as an 'Authorised Event' under the NTET Code of Practice then the situation can be different.
Under age, non-licence holders may be allowed to steer or drive a steam vehicle at an Authorised Event if all of the following conditions are met:
1. The insurance cover for the vehicle specifically includes Steam Apprentice Club members (as per the NTET Insurance Scheme).
2. The person is a bone fide member of the NTET Steam Apprentice Club.
3. That, age not withstanding, the 'Apprentice' is not prohibited from applying for or holding a driving licence.
4. The 'Apprentice' is closely accompanied at all times by a person who is a full licence holder for the type of vehicle being used.
5. The minimum age shall be 13, with a minimum height of 1.4m. The known conduct of the 'Apprentice' is not likely to detract from the Safety standards of the event.
Another great picture taken by Daniel Wilmhurst at the 1999 Great Dorset Stearn Fair. This time the engine is Burrell 6 nhp road engine No 3593 Duke of Kent, Reg. No. KE 3865, working in the heavy haulage ring. The following engine is (I think) Burrell crane engine His Majesty. Anyone care to confirm or otherwise?
6. The Safety Officer has given formal sanction following a risk assessment of the 'roadways' and vehicle manoeuvring places.
7. The Rally Organiser has given written notice to the Exhibitors and Public of his intention to allow such movements (via notices and the Rally programme).
If these conditions are met I hope that you will enjoy the chance to drive or steer at a rally and (hopefully) to learn how to do it properly.
I hope that this makes the issue clear.
On to a different subject: this year the SAC is 21 years old (which must mean that it no longer qualifies to be a steam apprentice!). We are hoping to mark
this occasion during this year's Great Dorset Steam Fair and also hope that some of our 'Old Boys and Girls' can join us. I hope that many of you can come to see us in the NTET marquee this year. More details in the Summer issue. Don't for get that we will again be running the photographic competition this year and need sets of
three pictures to judge. For this it is much better to use real film rather than a digital camera as the reproduction 1s much clearer.
Happy Steaming
John Durling, Chairman
The illustrations dotted around this page) whilst not
I thov~\.-t I 'ro\o ~<)v not to JO<"°" s TEAM ROLL E.R·-
M
particularly seasonal, show three drawings from Thomas Attwood who was the only apprentice to attempt the intended competition for a SAC Christmas card design last year. Well done Tho,nas, a pity no-one else had a go!
MAIL BAG
Dear Editor
This is a rally report of a major rally of 1999. It was the Elvaston Castle steam rally on the 3rd and 4th of July.. I arrived on the Friday night and we hitched up the caravan and I had a look round at the engines, hoping I would f'ind J'ohn Durling and Morning Sta,: I was curious to know where he wa~. Howt}ver it was still
interesting to have a look round the rally field and recognising engines from last year's show as well as making new friends (both people and engines).
I had to go and have my tea and, by the time I had consumed it, I heard a familiar hoot and, sure enough, along came Morning Star with Land Rover and all which they had roaded from Klondyke Mill which had taken them about 4 hours to complete the journeY, but it included a break.
When the engine had been put in place, Ian Durling showed me how to put an engine to bed, to find that it would be me doing it the fallowing evening.
Unlike the other members of my family (who went to find the beer tent!) I was quite happy to stay on the engine and eajoy it while I could. Saturday morning arrived as well as the usual coffee, to wake myself up, I decided to take a walk and sniff the smell of coal smoke coming from the fires of early steamers. After breakfast, John was ready and waiting, cleaning the ashpan and while he was at that stuff I started attacking the brass, and before long the fire was lit and was making steam. He taught me how to polish pipework and Ian taught me how to oil up an engine. Then, when we had enough steam I was taught how to put an engine in motion and I got a go at handling it while it was ticking over.
Because of the amount of people there it was a little difficult to go for a ride but we did manage to get to the beer tent and I was allowed to steer.
Soon after, time arrived for the arena and again I got a go at steering. After that we manoeuvred the engine into its place and just let it tick over for the remainder of the day. When the time came for the engine to be put to bed, I opened the fire door and started raking the fire forward. It started to get a little tiring and so Ian took over. When that was finished we turned on the injector and waited for a full boiler at which we left it and I went to the beer tent with the rest of the family and just chilled out.
Sunday morning brought hot sun and a clear sky and we started as we had done on Saturday and again we took a ride to the beer tent and we stopped there and watched a show. We went back to the parking spot, went in the arena for the last time and then we just let the engine tick over until it was time to go.
I would like to say a very big thank you to John and Ian for such a great weekend and also for letting me have an apprenticeship on his engine.
Martin Treanor (age 12)
Duffield, Derbyshire
Dear Editor
This year (1999) has been a great year for traction engines and I have now learnt lots more about them. I started off in February with a visit to the Beamish Open Air Museum, Chester-le-Street where there are supposed to be four engines. Unfortunately, I could only find an old Aveling & Porter without the works number on it. I had, a better time at the Commercial Vehicle Museum in Leyland where I saw a Fowler B6 Showman's engine 10318 called Sunny Boy 2 Reg. No. WR 6790, plus a Foden steam wagon 10788, Reg. No. AU 6695, which I now have the Corgi model of in my collection. In May I went to the SAC driving day at Grange Farm, Wakefield where they had three different makes
of traction engines for us to work on and drive around plus a Garrett steam waggon to ride on the back of down the main road. We had a great time there and the organisers put on a massive food feast for us and they also let us park our caravan there overnight.
Last year (1998) I went to the driving day at Frank Lythgoe's farm which was also very good and I am hoping that there will be more to come next year. The day after, my Dad and I went to Urmeston, Manchester for our first rally of the season in Flitton, which was excellent.
We always like to arrive on the rally field early on the morning as it is nice to walk round watching the exhibitors setting up, watch the engines being cleaned ready for steaming and to smell the bacon sandwiches.
The next weekend was even better when we went to a special steam day at Kelham Island Museum in Sheffield where ten traction engines turned up to help raise money for a Fowler B3 agricultural engine, No. 7233 (WR 6662) which has been laid in a farm field for 15 years. The next day I went to see my hero Fred Dibnah at his house in Bolton, and had a good look around his brilliant workshops, plus I saw his Aveling & Porter roller Betsy again and another one he is restoring which I couldn't find a number on. Fred had lots of funny and interesting stories to tell and let us see how all of his machines work, before we went to the pub with him.
During the summer I went to rallies at Leeds, Durham, Helmsley, Masham, Chester-le-Street, the big one at Pickering and a new one at Barnard Castle which for the first one was superb. During our summer holidays we went to Lincoln where Fiona Durling had arranged for John Bosworth, the owner of Foster engine Sprig to put me to work on The Busy Bee which is a Burrell Showman's No. 3555, Reg. No. AO 6262.
Later on I went to Hollycombe which has lots of different engines and is very interesting with lots to see and do. We also went to the Breamore Countryside Museum where they have The Dreadnought Burrell engine 4053, Reg. No. TD 804 7, and then to Beaulieu National Motor Museum where they have Fowler Showman's engine Supreme 20223, Reg. No. EU 5313, which is another of my models.
The best part of the year was the Great Dorset Steam Fair which we last went to in 1995. With the help of Fiona again, I managed to spend two full days on an Aveling & Porter steam roller 11675 (RK 8041) and was allowed to steer it up and down the arena pulling a tar sprayer while the heavy haulage engines with their massive loads came past us. Mr Nick Fields who owns the roller and his friend were very kind to me and told me lots about how everything works and what it does. This was brilliant fun ... thank you Mr Fields, your friend . and Fiona.
I am now taking drumming lessons so that I can join a band, make lots of money and buy my own steam roller that I can rebuild and take to rallies. My Dad says that we both might spend the full five days there next year! On our way home we stopped near Bath to look around the area where the Titfield Thunderbolt film was made which included an Aveling & Porter steam roller, 5590 in it called Maid Marion Reg. No. CH 3282. And then it was onto the Bass Museum in Burton-on-Trent where they have a Sentinel 1488, Reg. No. AW 3407.
Lately we have been to a vintage ploughing match near home and a smaller rally at Hornby Castle and soon we will be going to Nottingham to a steam event at the Arkwright Industrial Museum. I would like to go to a Christmas steam event like they have in Huntingdon town centre on the 10th of December but it is too far and I can't find anything similar near home.
From Matthew Bate
Stockton-on-Tees
(November 1999)
You do get around don't you Matthew. You are very lucky - and don't let go of your dream to be a rich musician surrounded by steam engines! Ed.
Dear Editor
I have been to a number of rallies this year (1999) with a 1916 Ransomes Sims & Jefferies traction engine owned by Mr R Remington. I have steered the Ransomes many times in the rings at previous rallies. I met up with Mr Hemington one day when he wa$ 6n his own with the engine and it has just carried on from there and I am getting more and more involved with it. I gave up my weekends to go and restore certain bits of the engine. I am a SAC member and have done many dirty jobs. They always say you should start at the bottom of the ladder.
From Martin Leigh (age 13)
Stanway, Colchester, Essex
Dear Editor
I am writing to tell you about when I went to the Great Dorset Steam Fair. I was invited on an Aveling & Porter road roller called Pegasus No. 7771, by my friend Kevin Mills. The engine is owned by Martin Howe. When I got there Kevin was already hard at work with his sister Haley Me and my Dad put on our overalls to help. We started by cleaning the engine. While we were cleaning the engine our friends Ann and Bill from the guest house that me, Mum and Dad were staying at came to see me and my Dad and they threatened to take photos of me helping out. A few minutes after they had gone Graham arrived (one of Kevin's friends). Kevin and Graham went off to the engine owners meeting and left me, Dad and Haley with the engine. It was about
Left: Emma in her St John Ambulance uniform.
Above: Emma steers the roller around the heavy haulage ring at the Great Dorset Stea,n Fair.
lunchtime when they came back because my Mum had brought some sandwiches. My Mum and Dad went to look around the site in the afternoon and left me on the engine. During the afternoon Haley went to look around the site with her Mum and Dad. About 4 o'clock me, Kevin and Martin took the engine into the heavy haulage ring for the roller parade then we went in the National Traction Engine Trust tent for a well earned cup of tea. After I had a drink I had to go back to the guest house to get cleaned up for our tea at the local hostelry (The Saxon Inn).
On Thursday I met Kevin at the engine. At 10.00am it was the apprentice turn to be in the ring. We were going round the cones and several times round the bottom half of the heavy haulage ring. When we had finished me, Kevin, Graham and Martin all went for a cuppa' in the NTET tent. Then we took the engine back to the line up. Then we went back to the ring and we went on a convertible from Ireland and I got to steer all the way round the heavy haulage ring. At 4.00pm we went round the ring again. Afterwards we all went for a brew. I went back to where I was staying to get cleaned up and to go to the Saxon Inn again.
On Friday I did not help Kevin because I was looking round the show. In the afternoon I went to see Kevin and Haley and showed them some photos and rosettes.
On Saturday I went out for the day with my Mum and Dad. In the evening we all went to the steam fair and I found Kevin, Martin and another steam apprentice in the NTET tent. Soon after I arrived Graham came in clean (I nearly died of shock.) When we'd stopped nattering we all went to break some wood up for the engine. Afterwards Kevin took the little apprentice to his Dad and that was the last we saw of him. Soon after Graham left. Later in the evening Kevin and me took Pegasus round the site in the dark. Then it was
time for me to go, as I had to pack, as I was going home on Sunday. I had an excellent time helping out.
Now Fiona Durling has told me that I am the only SAC member who goes to St John Ambulance Nursing Cadets, and the only Cancer Research Campaign Millennium Personality Junior Queen. All the title means is I go to carnivals and courts of queens on behalf of the Cancer Research Campaign, along with the other Cancer Research Royalty in Derbyshire. As Princess and Junior Queen I have raised about £500. I've been with Cancer Research for two and a bit years.
From Emma Turner (age 14) Buxton, Derbyshire
Lefi: Emma in her Cancer Research Queen's dress. The expression 'scrubs up well' comes to mind. That's perhaps a little naughtyEmma is obviously a very hard working young lady who seems to throw herself into almost anything she can - and appears to enjoy it!
Dear Raising Steam
Being parents of an apprentice we decided to get more involved in the club. As a result you will notice two new faces at some rallies, don't be afraid to come and say hello, we don't bite, well not very often anyway. I'm Steve and my wife is Donna and our
apprentice son is David Taylor, we also have a daughter Donna. We will be mostly at Midland rallies although we do stretch further afield sometimes. We hope to have a stand at the rallies we attend but when this is not possible you can find us with the other caravans, the Steam Apprentice Club sign will be on show.
We will try our best to match you up with drivers at every rally and if you can let us know in advance that you will be there so much the better.
Living close to the General Secretary of the Road Roller Association (an exapprentice) we also hope to be able to link up more of you with owners out of rally season.
More news, nearby we have Snibston Discovery Park who have a Marshall engine, a miniature and many other items of interest. During the summer apprentices have been invited behind the scenes to see the engines under restoration, watch out for dates etc in the next issue.
Surprisingly few people realise that most rallies will allow non-exhibitors to camp and caravan for the length of the show so why not make a weekend of it, just contact the rally organisers for details.
A quick note for parents - why not do as we have and volunteer to help, the more helpers the more rallies that apprentices can really get involved in, let's not just leave the committee to do all the hard work - you never know you may be surprised how much you enjoy it.
We will be attending the following rallies:
Snibston Discovery Park, Coalville 30th April
Tallington Steam Festival, Tallington 20th-21st May
Derbyshire Steam Fair, Hartington Moor Showground 27-29th May
Wolverhampton Steam & Vintage Fair, West Park, Wolverhampton 3rd-4th June
3rd Midsummer Vintage Festival, Ashby Magna 17-18th June.
Steve Taylor, 11 Charnborough Road, Coalville LE67 4SF
Tel: 01530 832695
That's very encouraging news from Steve Taylor and family. Please make their efforts worthwhile by getting in touch and attending as many events as you can where they will be organising on your behalf - Ed.
Dear Editor
Here is what I have been doing over the period of Christmas. On the 18th December I got up at 7 .30 because we were going to see our friends Tony, Hilary, Andy, Neil and Craig in Wimborne in Dorset and it would take about 2 hours to get there. We got to Shaftesbury and had a stop to have something to eat. We went a different way than we would normally go. When we got there we had a cup of coffee at their house and had a talk about what we had been doing. Then we went to the barn to see the Marshall steam roller that they had been restoring. It is a double crank compound and we did some work on it and polished some brass. Then we drove around and went into the town centre and got fish and chips for lunch and took them to the garden centre where Craig had taken his 4" scale Garrett. Dave Loader had his Wallis & Steevens oil bath steam roller there called Gertrude Lucy. On the roller they had made a trailer up and they put lights on it and they go and collect people to carol sing at night. We ate our fish and chips and I polished the roller and the Garrett.
A bit later the fire went out and we needed to get some water in the boiler
so me and Neil went down to the yard and got some logs and I got the fire going. Then I had a drive on the Garrett. Craig dropped the fire and blew it down. We put it away in the door of the garden centre and let it cool down. Then we sheeted the roller over and filled the boiler with water. By this time it was tipping down with rain. Then Craig put the Garrett to bed in the garden centre and we made our way back to Neil's house. Hilary made us some lovely tea and we gave each other presents, it was 8.00pm so we said good bye and left. Dad was driving home and it was pouring down with rain, but when we got to Salisbury we were at the bottom of the hill and there was a big white cloud on top of the hill. When we got there it was a snow blizzard and when we got home there was 3" of snow on the path and it was 11.00pm. I went outside to build a snowman
From Adam Meredith (age 11)
Cirencester, Gloucestershire
William Hadland poses on the Aveling & Barford roller - see below.
Dear Editor
I have been very lucky this year with helping a family friend, Paul Stratford, crewing the Aveling & Barford 6 ton steam roller. This roller is owned by Dick Blenkinsop and Paul has had fun with this roller for the past five years.
We (Paul, my Mum and myself) spent the whole weekend at Welland rally. Paul had been invited to attend a small gathering of traction engin~s at the
deer park on ·Eastnor Castle Estate. On the Sunday evening after Welland, Paul roaded the roller from Welland to Eastnor (11 miles). We stayed over the weekend at Eastnor and camped up with the other crews that took their engines there. The weekend was organised for a balloon festival and the steam engines were invited as another attraction. The balloons were blown up and took off three times over the weekend. It was a spectacular site to see a balloon tied up to a traction engine. They held traction engine races with members of the public steering. Paul and his steerswoman won the race on the Saturday afternoon. I really enjoyed helping Paul and the added attraction of the balloons made it even more exciting.
Yours sincerely
William Hadland (age 12) Stratford upon Avon
Left: we see the Aveling & Barford roller with an 'Action Man' balloon flying above it.
