Raising Steam 2013 Vol.27 No.2

Raising Steam

2013 Driving Days details with this issue!

Steam Appr entice Club

Editor

Nanette Durling , 19 Mill Lane, Barton under Needwood, Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire DE13 8HE Tel: 01283 712818

sac raisingsteam@ntet co uk

Chairman & President

John Durling , 19 Mill Lane, Barton under Needwood, Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire DE13 8HE Tel: 01283 712818

sac chairman@ntet co uk

Vice Chairman

Elaine Massey, 21 Down Close, Northolt, Middlesex UB5 6NS Tel: 020 8248 6570 elainermassey@live co uk

Membership Secretary

Sue Cook, Dolfarni, Church Lane, Kirkby la Thorpe, Sleaford, Lincolnshire NG34 9NU

membership@ntet co uk

Membership fee £10 per annum

Webmaster

Nick Bosworth, 9A St Wilfrid’s Road, West Hallam, Ilkeston, Derbyshire DE7 6HG

Tel: 01159 309868

sac webmaster@ntet co uk

SAC Committee

Joe Black Tel: 07595 466353 joe@seddonandblack co uk

David Lee davidjameslee2003@yahoo.co.uk

Matthew Lund Tel: 01329 832462

matt lund@engineer com

Jenny Massey jen massey@hotmail co uk

Kevin Munn Tel: 020 8573 9180

sac contact6@ntet co uk

Barry Sumsion Tel: 01633 671798 barrysumsion@gmail com

Helen Tyrrell Tel: 01793 751830 helen@thetyrrells org

Burrell Project Co-ordinator

Hugh Dyson Tel: 01353 667150 hugh dyson@inbox com

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 The Editor reserves the right to amend or refuse contributions The magazine is normally published during 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: 4 Church Green East, Redditch, Worcestershire B98 8BT

Produced by Kearline Graphic Images Ltd, Fairoak House Business Centre, 15 Church Road, Newport, South Wales NP19 7EJ www.kearline.co.uk

Fr om the Editor

Nanette Durling

Hi all! By now you have all had the new style magazine which has been split into two halves. What did you think of it? I have not had any letters from you yet letting me know whether you find it more interesting set out this way Depending on how many articles I get sometimes one half of the magazine may have more pages than the other, it may prove difficult to keep both halves the same size. If you could please send me some articles to include in the magazine, either half, it would help me greatly, without your letters it is very difficult to make the magazine interesting for you.

Please take note of the remaining driving days listed in the front half of the magazine and make arrangements if you

wish to attend It would be a shame if you left it too late and missed your chance of a place.

As you can see this year ’s model is a Mamod scale living van. The theme for the Steam Fair this year is ‘Rollers’ so it seems like a good idea for the model to be a roller living van. Elaine has given you some suggestions on what materials you can use; of course you can use your own ideas too. The models will be judged at Great Dorset Steam Fair later in the year I’ve booked the sunny weather for this year so we’ll have a good season!

John and I are planning our usual busy season so I hope I’ll meet lots of you at the various rallies we get to.

The Chairman’s bit...

John Durling

As we start the new season we are pleased to welcome two new members to our committee; Dave Lee and Jenny Massey. Jenny is Elaine’s daughter, so she comes with a pretty good idea of what is involved in being a committee member Dave and Jenny are getting married at the end of April – congratulations to both of them It’s really good to have younger people come and join us to help run your club.

Morning Star has received the routine winter maintenance and also some new parts. We have fitted new little end bearings to remove the wear and the noise. We have also fitted a bonnet over the safety valve to take the steam up through the canopy so that it doesn’t blow in our faces when we’re driving . The biggest job we have done will be hidden when the engine is working . We have fitted a stainless steel plate in the regulator to make the regulator steam tight. As we haven’t yet steamed the engine this year I can’t tell if it will work; I’ll tell you more in the next issue

New Appr entices

The SAC welcomes the following new members

Sabrina Beever, Bournemouth

Stan Blake, Powys

Nathaniel Davis, Swansea

William Ounsley, Chesterfield

Thomas Ravenscroft, Solihull

You will see a reminder for the Driving Days in this issue, as well as a reminder for the NTET Driving Course. If you’re already involved in technical work then think about the Technical Achievement Award Last year it was won by George Balsdon – to get your name on the trophy read the details of how to apply

The model competition this year is a Roller Van to coincide with the Great Dorset Steam Fair theme of steam rollers Elaine made this design a few years ago but the style of a living van hasn’t changed for ages.

Take a look at the competitions page in this magazine and see what you want to get into.

Remember that, as a SAC member, you can steer and drive at many rallies, see the details in Raising Steam Vol. 26 No. 2 or look at the website.

I look forward to seeing many of you at the rallies and shows.

Happy steaming!

Adam Shore, Middlesex

Albert Stephenson, Shropshire

Harry Vickery, Toddington

George Vickery, Toddington

Thomas Vincent, Dorset

Steam Appr entice Club

2013 Driving Days

Stithians, Cornwall County of Salop

Stithians, Cornwall 4th May John Sawle 5th May John Sawle 24th August Stephen Milns

Tinkers Park, Sussex 21st September Adrian Vaughan

Being run on the showground at Stithians First of two SEPARATE days WESES are running as demand last year was high.

Being run on the showground at Stithians 2nd of two SEPARATE days WESES are running as demand last year was high.

Being run on the Saturday before the County of Salop Rally.

Well established now at Tinkers Park set in East Sussex own roadway so can operate in all weathers.

The aim of these driving days is to give SAC members who do not have regular access to an engine the chance to drive one for a day. Therefore, if any course is over subscribed, we reserve the right to offer the places to members from non- engine owning families

NTET DRIVING COURSE

The perfect opportunity to get some first class instruction in traction engines and engine driving 11/12 May 2013 at Astwood Bank

SPECIAL PRICE FOR SAC MEMBERS

Steam Apprentices get a great discount on the normal price age 13 – 15 = £60, age 16 – 21 = £90 for the two days

Contact Joe Black at :- Weston House, Calver hall, Whitchur ch, Shr opshir e, SY13 3PE Tel: 07595 466353 Email: joe@seddonandblack.co.uk

Mailbag

Write to us!

L i l y J a n e

Dear Editor, I wanted to tell you that my Dad gave me a big surprise on New Year ’s Day when he unveiled our first (Mum says only!) traction engine. It is a 4” Foster,

built in 1990, and we have called her Lily Jane. I didn’t know, but Mum and Dad had bought the engine at the West of England rally last year, but had kept it hidden at Graham Viant’s Mawla Yard until the 1st January When they bought the engine there were metal tyres on the

front wheels and strakes on the rear wheels, but because Dad wanted to see it used on the road he sent the wheels away to Reliant Rubber in Batley, West Yorkshire, where they did a brilliant job of fitting new rubber tyres.

We had our first outing last Saturday (2nd March) when Mum and Dad, me, Lily Jane and our friends Justin and Carley with their 4” Garrett called Cherr y attended the Saint Piran’s Festival in Redruth. Please see the photographs I have attached. Lots and lots of people stopped to look at the engines and ask questions. Lots of people took photographs too. When we got home I was allowed to drive Lily Jane around our stable yard. I am very excited and looking forward to going to other events and rallies this year Maybe you will see us there. Thank you.

Lewis Thomas Steam Apprentice 5256, Redruth, Cornwall

Editor’s Note: Lewis tells us that the engine is named ‘Lily Jane’ af ter his Grandmother, who is now in heaven.

SAC Competitions 2013

Once again we’re running competitions to be judged at the Great Dorset Steam Fair. This year we’ve got the Photographic Competition, a Colouring Competition and a Model Competition. This year we’re giving away a badge for every entry!

Colouring Competition:

The Great Dorset Steam Fair is having a R oller Special. In the July edition of R aising Steam we’ve got a picture of a road roller for you to colour in! This year the competition will be open to any age. A badge will be awarded for every entry and prizes will be awarded for 1st 2nd and 3rd place from the selection shown

Model Competition:

To keep with the Great Dorset Steam Fair ’s Roller theme, we have plans for a Roller Living Van Design plans are elsewhere in the magazine and on our website. A badge will be awarded for every entry and prizes will be awarded for 1st 2nd and 3rd place from the selection shown below!

Photo Competition:

This year is a little different to previous years. We’re only asking for one photo

instead of three We have some MEGA prizes for the winners and every apprentice who enters will receive a free badge.

Rules

1 Entry to this competition is restricted to fully subscribed members of the SAC.

2. Each entry will consist of 1 photograph which may be a print or digital

3. The photo must be taken between August 2012 and August 2013.

4 Entries must be sent to Nick Bosworth, 9A St Wilfrid’s Road, West Hallam, Ilkeston, Derbyshire DE7 6HG or emailed to sac.webmaster@ntet.co.uk. Entries should arrive by Wednesday 21st August 2013.

5. If you would like your entry returned, please include a SAE.

6 If sending a print, please DO NOT mount your photo for display.

7. All entries must include: Name, address, age and SAC membership number; place, date and details of the engine or subject.

8 Copyright in all entries will remain with the SAC member and the Steam Apprentice Club.

9. Entries will be displayed at the 2013 Great Dorset Steam Fair in the NTET tent. Entries with a SAE will be returned after display and/or publication in the magazine.

10 The competition will be judged in two age groups: up to 15 years; 16 years and over. Prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in each age group will be awarded from the selection below. The best overall entry will receive the Dorset Trophy shield, to be held for one year.

Judging

The judges will be looking for originality, composition and technical ability. Photographs do not have to be of traction engines, but other subjects must clearly be related to the traction engine movement. The judges’ decision on all entries will be final and members are asked to accept them in a spirit that will bring credit to themselves and the Steam Apprentice Club

Prizes*:

£10 Amazon Gift Certificate

£5 Amazon Gift Certificate

Build A Burrell Hoodie

Build A Burrell Mug

Corgi ‘ Vintage Glory of Steam’ Model

* Prize selection may be added to: model presented may differ to the one shown.

Competition instructions: Roller Van for your Mammod

Elaine Massey, Vice Chair man

I have devised this to keep you all busy on non-steaming days, and hopefully provide an enjoyable challenge. The aim is that you all bring your models to Great Dorset Steam Fair and a prize will be awarded for the best one. The plans can be found as the loose drawing with the magazine.

EQUIPMENT

A sheet of mount board (the sort of board used for framing pictures)

Some small blocks of wood

Some thinner cardboard (eg . cereal box)

PVA glue

Four wheels e g HW3 from the Hobbies catalogue approx. 5cm diameter

A small piece of acetate, from a box of cards or Easter egg

Small piece of dowel 7.5cm for each axle

Wire coat hanger or similar

Cut out and label all your pieces. Glue the two bases together and place under a weight so that they dry flat Do the same with the ribs, gluing them in pairs. Repeat with the two belly box bases. Leave them to dry.

Cut out the door from one end and a window in one of the sides if you wish. If these are done carefully, the board cut out can be used for the door/window.

Make up the door and window and re-attach, hinging them if you wish It is best to use a small piece of thin fabric for this, gluing it between the layers of card. You will need a narrow strip of card to act as a door frame to sandwich your hinge.

When the base is dry glue on the third piece positioned 2mm from the sides and

rear of your base. When this is dry then glue the bottom of your sides to the edge of the base and then glue the back of the van in between the two sides. Glue the front of the van between the sides level with the front of the smaller base.

To make the roof you need to glue the thinner card onto the four ribs spaced equally but making sure they all fit inside the walls of the van When this assembly is dry reinforce with a second layer of card. The roof could also be built using small wooden planks (coffee stirrers or similar) To make it look real you could cover the roof with thin fabric to look like calico, or even use food cans to look like corrugated tin.

Make up the belly box and glue to the underside of your van Make your doors using the same method as the van door.

The rear axle does not need to turn so glue the dowel, with wheels attached, onto a small block of wood approx. 3cm deep and glue that to the underneath of the van behind the belly box

For the front axle use two small blocks of wood that match the rear in height i.e. approx. 3cm. Drill a central hole in these and bolt them together with a washer between them. Glue the dowel with wheels attached to this block then glue the whole block to the front underside. The ‘A’ frame for towing can be made very simply from wire bent to shape: see the diagram on the drawing for details.

To decorate the outside of the van, simply paint, or ‘plank’ it using very thin card. To furnish it use the scrap card and your imagination!

G e t Te c h n i c a l !

Build a Burr ell Pr oject Update

Hugh Dyson

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Back Cover: The Davis' Foden No. 13832, returning from a run during the Burrell Build Day. Photo – Hugh Dyson.

• C y l i n d e r, p i s t o n a n d s l i d e b a r s

• T h e b o i l e r h a s b e e n d e l i v e r e d

A t t h e b u i l d s e s s i o n a t S E D a v i s ’

t h e s i x A p p r e n t i c e s w o r k i n g t h e r e w e r e

a b l e t o s e e t h e e n g i n e o n i t s w h e e l s f o r

t h e f i r s t t i m e . T h e t e n d e r, b o i l e r,

s m o k e b o x a n d c h i m n e y w e r e a l l f i t t e d

t o g e t h e r c o m p l e t e w i t h t h e b a c k a x l e

a n d b a c k w h e e l s . U n f o r t u n a t e l y t h e

f r o n t p e r c h b r a c k e t h a d b e e n l e f t

b e h i n d s o w e c o u l d n’ t a c t u a l l y a t t a c h

t h e f r o n t w h e e l s . T h i s w i l l b e

c o m p l e t e d a t t h e n e x t b u i l d s e s s i o n .

N o t b a d f o r j u s t 1 1 b u i l d i n g d a y s !

A l l t h e f e e d b a c k a n d c o m m e n t s t h a t

w e r e c e i v e d d u r i n g t h e s h o w s a n d

w o r k s h o p w e e k e n d s h a v e b e e n v e r y

p o s i t i v e a n d , t a l k i n g t o t h e

A p p r e n t i c e s , t h e y h a v e b e e n e n j o y e d

g r e a t l y b y t h e m .

O u r p l a n s f o r b u i l d s e s s i o n s c o n t i n u e

w i t h t h e f o l l o w i n g v e n u e s a n d d a t e s :

1 1 t h M a y : We l l a n d Va l l e y S t e a m C l u b ,

M a r k e t H a r b o r o u g h

1 5 t h J u n e : C r a f t s m a s t e r Pa i n t s , O v e r,

C a m b r i d g e s h i r e .

6 t h & 7 t h J u l y : E l v a s t o n C a s t l e S t e a m

R a l l y N e a r D e r b y.

3 r d & 4 t h A u g u s t : G l o u c e s t e r s h i r e

S t e a m & V i n t a g e E x t r a v a g a n z a , S o u t h

C e r n e y.

2 8 t h A u g u s t - 1 s t S e p t e m b e r : G r e a t

D o r s e t S t e a m Fa i r.

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Advanced Driving Days

Kevin Munn

Your Committee are always looking to improve and increase the activities we arrange for you. In your log book are sections where you can record what you have done with the engines you work on. There are also various tasks you would not normally do on a conventional driving day; coupling to trailers, manoeuvring in tight places, the emergency stop and driving a belt are just a few.

To help you achieve these skills we are looking at the feasibility of doing a couple of Advanced Driving Days NEXT year. We would only have about six

Apprentices at each event so you would all be able to have a good go at each task so you can perfect your skills at doing them.

If you are interested in going to one of these events and are 14 or over and have had at least two years driving experience, please write to me NOW at:56, Blacklands Drive, Hayes End, Hayes Middlesex UB4 8EX Or email on sac.contact6@ntet.co.uk. Make sure you tell me your name, age, membership number and where you live in the country.

General Council of the NTET

Ir vin Bar raclough

My name is Irvin Barraclough and I have been a full size engine owner since 1964. It was with great pleasure that I read the Burrell Build Diary in Raising Steam Vol.27 No.1 January 2013. I am a member of the NTET and have served on the Engine Owner ’s Section since about 1990 and the General Council since about 1992 We are often asked, “ What do these committees do?” The following notes may help Steam Apprentices to understand that the sudden appearance of a kit of parts to build the SAC 4” Scale Burrell Traction Engine Lady Sylvia does not just happen!

The General Council of the NTET was informed on 16th October 2011 by the SAC Chairman, Kevin Munn that the SAC intended to buy a kit of fully machined parts for a 4” scale Burrell Traction Engine The purpose was to involve Steam Apprentices in the assembly of the engine and it was highly educational because it would enable them to see in detail the construction and working principles of Traction Engines in general Although the idea was well received by the members of the NTET General Council because of the educational and practical content of the project, there were those, myself included, who saw many difficulties ahead. Such as, how will it be paid for? Where will it be kept? Particularly as assembly proceeds and it becomes larger and heavier. Where will it be worked on? Who will be responsible for the quality of the assembly work? If any corrective work such as machining is required to make the parts to fit together, who will make the decisions and organise and be responsible

for these operations? The General Council instructed the SAC officers and committee to put the project ‘on hold’ until they had put together a ‘Business Plan’ to overcome these difficulties and have it approved by the General Council

At the General Council Meeting held on 11th December 2011, the SAC Officers and Committee presented a business plan which outlined how the perceived difficulties could be overcome and, indeed, how some of these difficulties had already been overcome. Promises of help and provision of some materials had already been received. It was a great step forward and showed how much the SAC Officers and Committee had committed themselves to the project. I was completely convinced that the Steam Apprentices, who will take the opportunity to work on the project, will gain a great deal of knowledge on the construction and the working principles of the Traction Engine as well as the satisfaction and achievement of contributing to the assembly of the engine. I was very pleased to be able to support the decision which enabled the project to proceed.

It requires a lot of work and dedication on the part of the SAC Officers and Committee to find the money required to buy the kit of parts. To find people who are willing to make room in their engine shed or workshop for the storage and the assembly to take place, also to find people who will supervise and take responsibility for the quality of the build, to store and transport the engine until it is complete. Finally to teach

the Apprentices how to drive, look after and carry out adjustments and maintenance. I look forward to seeing reports of progress and eventually seeing Lady Sylvia in steam and giving enjoyment to the Steam Apprentices. Before concluding these notes, I would like you all to consider being part of the team which guides and drives The Steam Apprentice Club. This can be done by becoming a member of the SAC Committee All that you need to do is to let one of the Officers or one of the SAC Committee know that you are interested in becoming a committee member If your application and nomination is successful, you will soon find that you have joined a body of people with a common interest. That is, to guide SAC into organising events which are wanted by the SAC members such as, the driving days, the photographic competition, visits to places where interesting work is carried out such as Full Size or Miniature Boiler Making and Repairs, where castings are produced, where machining of engine

parts such as bearings, shafts and gears are undertaken. All events which you believe would be of interest to Steam Apprentices You will also learn how meetings are conducted in a business-like manner. All these activities will benefit you when you complete your education and are trying to find employment in the Real World

With best wishes for the success of the SAC and the build-up of your Miniature Burrell

Editor’s Note. I would like to thank Ir vin for taking the time to write his thoughts down for us As Ir vin has said he was not immediately convinced that this project would work. Your Committee did listen to what he had to say because he has a lot of experience of engineering and also many years working in industr y. It is therefore even more pleasing to have his support now that the project is under way and you, the S AC members, are showing what can be done. Elsewhere in this magazine you will see a progress report on the Burrell build

Nearly 21 years old?

SPECIAL PRICE NTET MEMBERSHIP FOR SAC MEMBERS

If you ar e appr oaching the time when you will be too old for the SAC you can benefit fr om half price membership of the NTET for the first year.

Send your expir ed SAC membership car d to Sue Cook, together with a cheque payable to the NTET for half of the full member price (curr ently this will be £15) and you will r eceive your first NTET membership car d.

(This offer only applies to SAC members who have been in membership at their 21st birthday)

Machined brass hub-caps

Julian Tyr r ell

As part of the ‘Pimp your Mamod’ challenge that Elaine Massey set for SAC members at last year ’s Great Dorset Steam Fair, I changed the hub caps of my Mamod to a more realistic brass type that models the look of the full- sized engines This article describes the process using turning , die -thread cutting and thread tapping I found the website www.steves -workshop.co.uk useful as it shows basic lathe techniques and also has lots of other interesting models

You will need a lathe (or access to one at school and a helpful teacher) and a length of 1⁄2” diameter brass rod to machine. You will also need a 4BA tap and die (with suitable holders) and a set

of twist drill, the 1 0 to 6 0 set in 0 1mm increments is very useful for model making . The drawing shows the design and dimensions that give a reasonable hub cap scaled to the Mamod models, it’s based on a 1⁄2” brass rod but a near equivalent will be fine with the required adjustment of the dimensions. I have drawn the design in metric, as I have a metric lathe; but as there is exactly 25.4mm in 1” it is reasonably easy to convert the measurements to imperial Start by removing the push-fit hub caps from the end of the axles. This is quite a task as they are designed not to normally come off; I found that I had to carefully file the edge away to get the

teeth in the cap to release from the axle.

Now we have put a 4BA thread on each end of the axle rod. The specifications for a 4BA thread are found in many of the engineering data books and mine gives those shown at the bottom of the page (all of the dimensions are in mm):

This shows for a thread to be cut on the outside we need a diameter of 3 60mm Mount the rod in the lathe and turn the diameter down to 3.60mm over a 4.0mm length from the end. Set the lathe saddle gauge to zero with the cutting tool on the end of the axle as this gives you the reference for the 4 0mm length that you have to machine. The Mamod axle is 3/16” (4.76mm) diameter steel, so we are removing just over 1mm off the diameter; I normally take about 0.4mm off the at a time, measuring the resulting diameter with a digital vernier callipers to check the progress. Remember that it is very easy to take material away with a lathe, and impossible to add material back if you cut too much off!

Once you have turned the diameter down to 3.60mm, cut the thread using a 4BA die In order to get the thread to start

easily I put a small 45° chamfer on the end of the rod to get the cutting teeth in the die to start. I have a tail- stock die holder (see photo) to help keep the die perpendicular to the rod being threaded, as a wonky, or drunk, thread can easily be achieved if the die isn’t at 90° to the work. It is important for safety that you always hand cut the thread when using taps and dies, the lathe is only used to hold the work piece.

Once both ends of each axle has been turned and threaded, the hub caps can be made using ½” brass rod. Start by facing the end of the rod, which makes the back of the hub cap flat. To cut the 4BA thread in the brass we need to drill a 3.0mm hole that goes 5.0mm deep, too deep and it will come out the front of the cap and too shallow and the thread on the axle won’t fully screw in. To start use a centre - drill (check that the stub - end is smaller than 3 0mm) in the tail- stock which guarantees the hole is central and gives a guide for the 3.0mm twist drill (a centre drill won’t get to 5mm deep) Use the zero on the tail- stock gauge when the tip of the drill is at the face, which helps get the correct depth

Now cut the 4BA thread with a tap; I modified a 2nd tap by grinding the end flat, so that the thread reaches almost the end of the hole (see picture). In order to get the tap and thread concentric with the hold, use the chuck in the tail stock to gently hold the end of the tap (so that it is free to rotate) with the tap holder clamped partway down the shank of the tap. The photograph shows the setup. The final step is to relieve the initial 1mm of thread so the axle screws in fully. As the thread on the axle doesn’t cut to

the end (a limitation of die cutting) we need to drill 3.6mm clearance in the hub, no more than 1mm deep. This can be done on a ‘try and see’ method, with the axle screwed in to check that it fits whilst keeping the work in the chuck.

Once the thread is complete, the outside of the hub can be turned. This is done with a parting tool to cut the 10mm diameter. Again zero the saddle with the cutter flush with the end of the bar, and move along 2 0mm before cutting , see figure 3 which shows the first cut 2.0mm in from the end. Use a vernier calliper to measure the diameter to achieve a reasonably accurate 10mm. Move the cutter along to get a total of 4mm length of the smaller diameter. Finally part off at 6.0mm from the end.

All that is needed to finish the hub cap is to polish the machining marks out. I did this using a small buffing wheel in a Dremmel with the hub cap screwed onto the axle to hold it.

NTET Driving Course, Astwood Bank, 12-13 May 2012 (Part 1)

John Hawkes (SAC No. 4854)

Having just reserved my place on this year ’s Intermediate driving course it made me think back to my time on the 2012 foundation course. After looking back through photographs I decided to put pen to paper and prepare the article below

Further to submitting my application in January 2012, I was really pleased to receive a letter advising that I had been awarded one of the three NTET driver training course scholarships. Finally the weekend of the course arrived and Mum, Dad and I packed up the car ready for the three hour drive to Astwood Bank where we were booked in for two nights

at the nearest hotel. On the Saturday morning we headed to breakfast bright and early in order to ensure we reached the course in time for the 9.00am start.

As we drove into Davis’ yard and turned the corner traction engines of all shapes and sizes came into view First stop was the largest of three marquees for the welcome and safety briefing and then it was time for our first lecture ‘Introduction to Traction Engines’. A second lecture ‘Boiler Construction and Fittings’ followed and then it was time for lunch.

After tucking in to sandwiches, crisps, cake and fruit it was back to marquee 1

for a further lecture on ‘Motion Work, Drive Train and Brakes’ followed by the final lecture of the day on ‘Lubrication and Gland Packing’ Armed with all the new knowledge I’d gained it was at last time to head off to the engines for the engine driving session. Rowland Twelftree and I had been allocated to John Durling’s engine Morning Star which you’ll no doubt have

read all about in R aising Steam After telling us about the basic workings of the engine we put Morning Star into gear and headed off to complete a few circuits of the yard. We then drove down the hill ensuring that we took great care in restricting the speed of the engine so we didn’t lose control.

Editor’s Note: The rest of John’s report will appear in the next issue of Raising Steam

Applications are invited for the SAC Technical Achievement Award. Areas of achievement may include: Engineering work on full size engines, Model Engineering or any other appropriate steam related subject (bearing in mind that we are essentially a road steam organisation).

The purpose of this award is to encourage young people to develop hands - on experience with engineering skills. This can include using various machines such as lathes and milling machines as well as handwork. Nominations should be entered by a sponsor for whom they have been working , or an Apprentice may nominate him/herself.

Applications should be received by August 16th and consist of a brief description on one side of A4 paper with 3 or 4 photographs and/or sketches. See address inside your latest copy of R aising Steam. The judging committee will then contact the nominator or Apprentice by either phone or in person to discuss the application. From these discussions, suitable candidates will be chosen and final and fully detailed submissions will be invited to be with the Chairman by September 13th.

Judging will be completed by mid October with the announcement of the winner by end of October The award will be presented at the NTET AGM Judges will be from members of the SAC Committee plus invited persons with expertise appropriate to the subject entered if required

Please note that due to the all r ound experience we ar e looking for it is unlikely the awar d will be given to an Appr entice under 15. Though, as we know, ther e is always an exception to the r ule, so please don ’t hesitate either to enter or contact the Chair man or Vice Chair for guidance.