No .. l .June i979
Dear Apprentice.,
Welcome to the Clubl I hope you enjoy the first newsletter,. and I 1 rn looking forward to your suggestions as to_ what we shoula·- put in the next one. At the moment we can't manage. -photogr~p_hs or complicated drawingr,.that will ·have to wait until we have enough_ -members to be abl_e to af:Cc:rd a properly printed magazine.- ~{owevE!-r, this -time -we have -some 'inte.resti c.g artic~es, a competition, some suggestions of things _to do, ·and a report on seine of ·the aTrang~·ments that- have ·been· m·ade ·spe·c-fally ·:ror .A,pprenti:ces. Next t,ime there will ·re space· for members __ , lett:ers_, -~o sen~ them _t_ome as so~n as you can.
The Club badges hav-e j as't' ·arrived -from t-he makers· •. -~f y_ou wa_r~_OU<:' of th~ first· members and ei:ititled to a fye-,e··o~e·, you ·will:' p-robabl;y ·ha,t~ received it already. If' it hasn't come1 by ls-t. July,-· 'Pleas-e;,,.·let the }•iembers-hip S~~elt:ll"Y know... If you wo~ld li'ke to b~~·-~ne·,' t~ey·_-~_os·t 65-p ? ·so sefld. a postar order made· out to •11Natiorial Traction Engine ·c1ub 11 to me, aµd I'll post one to you.. . .ii?tve an exoi ting Rally Season! r look ':forward i-o 'tne.eting:- some. of' you d~ring the summer.
Yours s incerelY:_, •
If.U:JPH
17,,atft,(~ • Editor.
WHO ltUNS THE STEAM APPRENTICE CLUB?
The three people responsible for organising·t-he.SAC at the moment are.-.
John ".1harton, - --··Chairman, Sylvia Berth-Jo_nes, Membersqip Secretary, ahd Margaret Joac·htm·, :who ed i tE • the'--~ew,s-let ter.
You wtll be ~earir;g more __ about how eac.h of the~ 9e9_ame i_n~ere_sted .. in · · tract-:j.on en.aines 1n later newsletters. · • ..__• .- • • •.,. • . . J~hn, Sylvia and 1l11argaret meet. re·g·u1a~1y ·;td :-a'isc-bs's ~lub. affafrs' 2nd they .:;-eport progress to the National Tract=forf ,Engine .Cluo, which· founc~ the SAC. Joh·n anq Sylvia btNn· engine's; llifarg·a~et·rs still. hopiqgl Tp.ey 2.11 welcoµie comments and suggestions about the .'SAC;_J?le_a,se send general commen.ts and merrJbership correspondenc·e t-o the Membership: -S-ec-r~tary ,Pouncj? Hall Cottage, Sewards .End, Saffron Walden Es~ex_CB10'2.LE. ·Letters arid articles ·for the newsletter should go t·o t_he ,Ed1t:or; 43 Halfcot .Avenue, Ped more, Stourbridge, West Midlands; DY9 ,-OYB.
f.EZ TEE NEXT PAGE FOR OUR GREAT SUlvlivIERPHOTOGRAPHIC CO~vJPETIT;I:ON ! fl ·•
. . ~-ffitJl' OGR/tPfiIC -t!OMPET IT I 01-1 too probably take photo·graphs ··of· the engines you see at rallies -most people do. If you-take· a particularly good- pieture this-summer, why not entei- it for the SAC Photo .9ompetition? It could win you a voucher to spend at the .National Traction Engine Club.Sales Stand! Read the details carefullJ, and then make sure you enter your best pictur~·-
CuA!PETITION DETAILS
6. 7. There- -9-re two classes::; BEST ENGINE PHOTO · :and .· BEST RALLY PH01'.-0. • There wi 11 be two: P!'.-ize 9 _in each .. cla,s.s; o.ne'._for the best black-andwhi te print_,- anq. O!)-El:_:for·the __ be!3t col,our prin.t. . Colour s],.ides wil~ .not .b~.. accepted (but, you can easily get a print made from yo·ur bes·.t;_"s.l~c:ie·,,if yoµ want ~o enter.). _ _ • ._ :Each SAC member may enter one print fo!' e2.ch class_ - :NQT ivIOBE !, >
Send your entry, with your full name ar,d address, and 1:1embership numoe,r, to: The Editor, 43 halfcot Av.cnue, Chaw:i Park, Pedmore, Stourbr-idge, We'st Mid_lands, .DY9 OYB.••.. , • . . :·. ··•· . . . :
CLOSING DATE: _lst. qcTo;eER, .1979. -·· .. . . . . . .. . . 1f you. 111~anty_our eq.t:r-ifs r~_turri.-ed-,, ypu- :--:~st _send ;:,, stamped, addressed env,elope with your entry,,-.so that we- c-a.11po 9 t the .pictures back. . '· .. ,. ' •
BEST ENGINE PhOTO - We are looking for reaily good pictu:-'es of engines,. on d,isplakya· or ;w-0r:lcing, :at .,a pi,:1lly.,~ o!l :~q:~_,roaj,_ on p~i'fat~ _land or even par e up , ~EST H~LY PhOTO - Many eve,n.t.?:-.ta½e~ at rallfes, ·not ·all of tr~em involving engines. We are l'ooking_:f.9.r pictures of these events, with lot~ of activity. You coulc;~:{l-J.;Sf~:~en~g~f;,bfo of' pe~pJ.e, a:i.irr:als or equi_pment (for example a fairground, or a coal delivery)"
PLEASE 7 with each picture, ser.::3'\s· 'd"etai Js of where and when it was • taken, and which engine(s) ar.d ether i~teresting vehicles or ·•· ·- equipment are shov:n. ••••••• ·~---· -··
£.YE.,E"Ki-mbell. '. •. : •.
l'he firs't>boy~ ,Nh~. gre-~ t1p Jiit:h:.s1"4e.13.·m iri .the fo·:r,~m:-we see it t.oday, were: the s·ons of fti'e men who ·arove portable engineci ·airiios0 150 years ago . ,. ~·, ..., .,· _ , _ _ _ _ _ , •.(\.bout ·then the ..lOcornot:tve boiler:, as perfecte.d by ·George Stephe,nson, of I'ailway f~me, V{as ,scaled dow1-:;.gpd, adap-~ed. f.or fa~m use:_ )t. h,~d_ a yery_ good ~p.R_we,1c-t_o_:we.{~h1!,-~!=¼fi-o 1 •:And::~'?l-?-+·db~. reacfily mov·ea. aro:1.md by horses. T_h:e-,-wa:t.er-J..ac_ke_:ted.f.ir:-ehox .at. one .enµ, witc1 up to. thJ.rty 2 11 tubes· takiJig ~m<>Jc~-~A.·fro{,i:as e.s_··tnrp:ugb:~-~l1f:bo il,er barr:"e'.L .to_,31. ·smO~~:-,box a_t --t):ie.-~~;t~X-11: ff¥~e.d, f.or highe~ .~:t;,e_am_.p::;_ess ures. than the_ la:r:&'er,:,.. shell_ ot: -:~h_e -'!Q-opn:iGh'.':ho.:j.:les _w~.tb its. s i_ngle _f.1u~:•The., .... ··• port.able_ .began t_o, ~~pl~~e- -the 11Cor:rJs.h. 1 r ·e:qzir:ie and vias se.en 1n :~<?,J::'E;.· plac-es, causing steBllt',..to_ ,becqme.,bet;ter, .. knc:m, . . .. . . . . . · Mounted on top. was\i" ....single-cy1indere<l stea'.ll en.gin~; \;ri th ttie •• crankf:,haft usually at the chimney end, ar:.d ca!"ryj_r:.g a heavy. flywheel on whicl:l went a b·e1t-fo-r-arivirrg- !Jach--inery • - general:.:: &. th:!:'es her-. Some had ~v~o_flywhe,els,_ t~~:_s.-m,aller for-drivir:g ..;slower maqhines SL 1 C~1 as· pumps. Exhaust steam was piped ·21ong f!'c'.Tl· ·the cylinC::er and tern·ea up
i:a:to the tall ehlmn.ey, which was binged to lie down for moving. On the aff'si~e (the turntable was under the lighter smokebox end), to be away :tr,om the la:!'ge flywheel which was almost al,vays on the nears_ide in England, an eccehtric driven pump for feeding the boiler sloped down from the cr,:,_nkshaft. That 1 s all there was to it, except governors - a pair df slo·'._,ly-revolving ball weights hanging on arms from a vertical spindle which spread out as the engine went faster. They lifted ·a collar on the spin0 7 c which in turn twisted a rod going into the steam chest, 01.:-;-, of s i~!:"'.,·,. Drivers rightly guessed that this movement partly closed so~e sart o: tap inside, checking the supply of steam, so that the engine did net over-run itself. The tap opened again when the engineran more sl0,·rly. causing the umbrella-shaped governor to lower its arms a~J slide the cbllar ~own the shaft. Another aid to equalising the speed was the he2vy flywheel. A sudden shock load along the driving belt would not slow th~ engine so much as with a smaller~ lighter wheel. Nor was speed gained so quickly with tte load gone, power first'~oing into the flywheel 11 • '.··tich, in scientific terms, is called "kinetic· energy''·
Exhaust steam going up the chimney brings about a_n air flow through tbe fire, c~]_led naraL"!ght", which is increased with a laboured exhaust di;'] to hard '.•;or:cing. But sometimes a fire can be overcompensated by excessive cr.-:rnght and raise too high a steam pressure, causing the __ safety valvr2 to lift and blow off waste steam. This could well happen with a boy learning how to "keep steam". Then the driver would point to the ashpanLr:, handle which, when closed, stops the draught coming up __ _ trirou;-n th'? :Cirebars. (On a cold day, smoke or haze from the chimney • , v,.1ould then -~·.irn to white, as not enough fumes would be coming out through the tubes to condense the exhaust steam). Except when raking out ashes, fp~ drivers liked a fully opened ashpan. It tended to l~t in too much cold air wt5.ch, when the fire was thin, could cause leaky tubes. So too would leav:. ~'; the firehole door open, particularly when pulling hard, • b~.~_a.Uf e co>·· air contracted the tube I s expansion in its hole. Only SJ..tgtly- opEu was enough with good coal and a clean grate, until it wa~ nearly time for a stop, wben the fire was allowed to die down by closing it.
There :will ce more of "Growing Up ~:'lith Steam" in our next issue, •
EJmon~ Kimbell, who has written this series for us, has ·be~n a tfaction· engine man all his life, although he has now given up driving. µis _ bo'ok '!The Co--:1pleat Traction Engineman'' is a marvellous descri_ption both'. of the ways that engines developed and of what it was like to operate tb-~m. -
FOct' PLASTIC_KIT ENTHUSIASTS
Ba:1dai have i;->roduced a magnificent kit to make the Garrett Showman 1_s _ EDgine "Per.ale ~ueen 11 • According to an expert kit-man who is -in the· , _____ :::L. p2oce_ss of 2ssembling it, this is a .superb _model but not realiy suitab1E:. for the beginner.· It is beautifully aetail~d, but· one or two it~ms • ••• (such as th2 governor and some of the external -tubing) really need_ modifying to achieve a first-class result. Tou·need a very·steady hand for the pair:-~ing, tool It is quite expensive but ·would make an excellent pr2sent - and it should be available from the NTEC Sales Stand.
l~ If' :,ou are - oot~eri 17 and 21 yearS. old, yo:..1,can :now be insured to clriv~ an e.~ine LThis . has -never been poss tble before, and. is a direct Fesµ1t, of the :.starting of· .the Club . .Al2: you have to do is to get ·_the. ,person who·;fµsux:es the engine·(usually -tt--_2-·owne.r) to\v~it.qto Tennant,· .Bµ~q_.Lta.,.-2"ivipg_yom~,narpe a~d_date of bi:r·t/n~ Fu11 ·a·etails··of this t1t~-~~ment ~ere _tfri~ted i~ "3t~am_ing 11 (the FTE? mag:izi.ne) in March,.
Note:· Ev~ri if insured,. you·must only c\r.i\re o'n fields, .Rally sites, etc. Yo-u may not d:H.ve··qr.i public roaci8 un-Eil yciu'are.··21.-· ,. .,
2. These rallie~. ai~e>~ffer.ring :free ent{·y to 2.pp::'enitces-!·. 23/?4. June:. l?.utney .. Show~ . . _ _ _ .- . 23/?4 June:. B<9.nbury. pteam_ t:1g,1.ne .Ra~JJ, . 23/24 June.: Iviorecamte. Bay. TE Club RalJ;-;: 0.:1.dqcu~t~y- S~16w, 14/J5, july: ·Br,is_tol .tte,a'.11.. 1 79. ·• :·. • 21/g2 J'uly:. Weeting. St'eam Er:i:~5-ne .t'2.JJ ,.- , : 4/5 August':' ' 1Yes ter,c:',ay Is' We.rid II TI: P..a.lJ.y,. 1/2 Sept.·; Brill Vi.r:itag~ 2,:9· V;'::::;."1-:-.Lngs~e::::.mRc:.lly'.~ •. 8/9 Septi.: • DacoruJn 3·ra. Steam.'1-cally an:J .__Sayre ... ,.. : ,. .
.Not a bad 1 i.ne-~p fo·r our first ye2..-r:, tho~igh we. hope t.b.0re will be more·. Jn 1980. For .more det.ailc J ._ i:;,ec youf R2.lly List. 5 cind rerr.ecber to 'TAK$ YOUR IvlElvlBERSHIP CARD to the ·:rw.lly. : - ' • .·
3. Geotfrey Whe~Her,- wh.o':sell.s ·tr_a·ctio!l en~ir-~ and ~--:.ilvray engj_ne. prin.ts at ma~y rallf:s,t. -ot~fers _s~a(>~al r.~?~lict~or..s _to· SA~ m,ei:2be_rs,. Ju~_t .s_how • youn .membership caro atr.b..LS .s-tani 't:L2.n yGu \'lclnt to .rYJ.Y something. t'" • . _t •• •.• • ~ • •
4. The _Three C'.ount1ei1 _'_sf.P..a!II~?"As eY\ 1 :1t t~h-- ·s,-:;::_g.:_yv:-ould \·;2 lc o::ne Apprentices -~q-_any oi' ·t.heir meefings These are he.Id c:i the third Tt:~sday in each month at th2 Devil I s Punch Bcwl t-::it,::J,., H.:_:1dhe2d, ·F'cr full details, contact Mrs. S M,.A_,T_,yons, 2 G::.~a.ys\'!OOC.:L·: 0 :i:-'.'·2, Mytch2tt, C.:::TJberley, Surrey.
The Banbury Steam Soc~__ety 01·1·ey-s a s J_rn2...L2:.."we.1.co~e" 1Je1,ai::i..::3.1.-1-ul!i J .M:j.11s. Pear T:ree Cottage 7 R?.dw2y, Wt:,rvr:ck-, Warw~.ckshire -~ . '. • • ,) •
5. Apprent.i-ce's:.carj.' bny _frcim .ti..0 l'J'l'.EC-S2:!_es. Staric::~-a\ 1(1lll'es-~ ~r qy: post,: at Members ( ::rr::L,ces" Show yqur mer.obel-,G~lJ.p card Ei.'t a. Bally. ,Stand,: or • . send it with your order td'A~G~V,U.Jon~ rr~c Na":-ion~l Sales O:fficer,. 7 Welton Road, Daventry, North3.nts N1Hl 5,p. We wj_ll pr:biish a full list of-stock and prices in·a later n2~s\ettcr; rreun~hile·if you have access to a recent copy of 11Stco.L1ing 11 full det2I.:2..$ are a2:Nays there.
There q.re five st.eam engines_ st.andfng Ic a row ·at a H.2.J.ly. :~2.ch j_s made. by a di.ffererit mar).,.1,1.facture~, eAch in a dff:ferent type 5 ;i.hd .e.ach is £l different colour .. .Eac.h engine b.2.0 -D .narne. 1 ar:1. ~t).'ey •all .Q.ave ,different owners~ The follow.ing inf'ormat1on :;_s n}12I1:i'Sle:···· • • ·•- •• •
1. 'l..'here is a·,-Marshal1 ..pcrtab;_~ ,.
2.The showman 1's engine is pair:.'t,ed c._:-r(,0:1.
3. The Foster engine is n2.rr:ed 1!Er..deq:rcu':' 11
4. The road roller is called 11Ent1=r-c:~j :e 11 ,
5. As you look at t1:l~ fro:-;.t o::".'1:,he i ~i:i.e uf er: 6 i'rir':J th0 Foster is immediately to the right of the F~wler.
6. J.vir. S::ii th ow:.-:s the red eng::_r:e.
7. The Garrett is o,-~Eed b/ i,lr Jc:1es.. (cor.tir.1_:ec~ next page)
:a.. T-he midd'l:e engine is I!a~.1ed llElizabeth 11 • '}·. As you look at the front of the line of engines, the traction engine is on the extreme left.
10. Mr. Baker's engine is next to the green engine. 11. The brown engice is next tofu~. Jones 1 engine. 12, Mr. Wilkinson owns 11Excelsior' 1 • 13. ',£'he tractor is owned by i~ir. Taylor. 14. The Burrell is next to the traction engine. ~liESTIONS: 1. Viho or:nG 11Excalibur 11?
• 2. Vlhat is the make o:f tb.e black steam engine?
Thanks· to J:..:hn r;.rhart~m for th-3t one - answ~ris nen time.
"All the fL1.n of the fnir 11 • These we~e the vrords recently read on a t· .:.:i a showman 1 s box van. To almost everyone, this expression means something different. To young people torJoy it pl'.'ooably suggests balloons, candyfloss, the Big 1Nheelr t,:1.c D8ccems, f::..ashing lights, sirer:::, and stereo music. To their parents and grc.cJr2ren~r1 the memorieG of the fair may be a monkey up a stic)<, tickling stj_cks, ht:it::ioug'.1, brandy snaps, the "Galloping Horses", the Helterskelter, the 11Bioscope 11 , naptho. 12.mps and the fairground organs. No matter when you were born, the fair can always bring back memories. As a child you walked along, desperately holding your parent's hand, _:_.'i frightened you would f2.ll or get l 1,st. C2n you rb'member being on a ride, and being totally surprised, t.o a state of fright, by the ruthlessness of a f'airground machine? v;tiether you wel"e riding in a fast-spinning 11Waltzer" car or a Stearn Yacht is immater~sl.
ho~v did fairground machir:.es evolve? To simplify these rides, they can virtu~lly all be placed in one of four categories; the roundabout, swing, gravi tationF:l 2pparatu3, arLd c, mi.scellaneous category in which the rider can crr9ose v1hich v:ay he 1:12.nts to co (e.g. the 11Cakewalk 11 and the Dodgems}. To clarify 2·,1y doubtful poic.ts, the Big V:heel (also known as the Ferris or Elt:: Wheel) is a rounJabo:..:·l, on its side; tl1e 11Rotor 11 is a roundabout, but instead of riding on a ho?~e or in a car, you ride on the wall; the 1 "Meteorite n :5.s also a roundabout: and the Hel terskel ter and Big Dipper are both ~ravitationel m~chines.
The shovtman can really be called guilty for exploiting and elaborating the things a child does on his own, without encouragement. Compare, for exampLe, the child sittj_ng 0:-1 a sledge or c. tin tray, sliding down a snowy slope; to a person sitting on a met, slipping down the HeltersKelter or sitting in a car on the Big Dipper. The fir3t fairground machines relying on gravity appeared in the mid-nineteenth century.
Ev·en in the 1970s you still find swings in p~ople I s backyards - a single rope h2.nging from the Lranch of a t:'ee with a car tyre tied on the end. 11Swing Boats II were developed from this idea. Initially there were two people per boat, tal.dng turns to pull tl1e two ropes. During the age of steam the s\·'fi:1g boats w2re pc_-;ered. The 11Steam Yachts r1, as they were then calle~, consisted of one or~;~~ h~ge boats seating about twenty people; they were S\'."Jng vertically by a steam engine. 'rhere were no straps or safety belts - you just hung on o.s best you could. This is probably the most exhilarating ride the ~~iter has ever experienced.
More o,f 11The Frm of the Fair ii ne:i:J:., t~ rne 1 and thanks to John Wharton for writing it.
That's all L:;:, this-::~-:·:~·:e~- Ie~ us-·kc::8~ \':tlJt-you-think-of It; and what you would like to sGc in the 2ext o~e. Me2nwhile, Gcod Steaming!
Steam Apprentice Club membe;rs can also b~nefi t from their- 'Free entry to one , Steam Engine Rally a year'. at the following rallies:
4/5 August Al,derhol t Steam Rally, .Alderhol t, Dorset.
18/19 August Fc:.irfor_d T.E. Rally & Show, Fairford Park, Fairford, Glos.