Table of contents for March 2022 in Old Glory

It was in June when Dave Mansi asked Bryn and Trevor whether they were up for such an event using some of their implements, with the power coming from Dave’s ex-Tasmanian 1908 Marshall 6hp No. 51007 single-cylinder general purpose traction engine called Jess. The Marshall, made at Gainsborough, came back to the UK as a complete engine via Michael List-Brain of Preston Steam Services, Wingham, Kent. The engine was given the full works by the previous owner who even added a third speed in 2012, short canopy, chimney cap and smokebox ring. The engine has been with Dave Mansi since 2018 and he thoroughly enjoys roading Jess to many events with various road wagons behind. With the thought of using the engine to work on the belt with the Marshall,…

Got a story? Contact Old Glory • Email: peterlove@madasafish.com• Tel: 01323 833125 It was great to see out at the Hellingly Festival of Transport over August bank holiday Peter Haining’s March 1928 Tillings-Stevens petrol-engined single-decker KO7311. The vehicle was new to Maidstone & District with a 31-seat Short of Rochester body. It was withdrawn from service in December 1936 and sold to a dealer, but the intervening years to WW2 are lost in time. It was requisitioned by the army and used to help evacuate troops from Dunkirk on their arrival back on our shores and for other transport duties, but sold for scrap in 1942. The body was removed for use as a living van at Little Hallingbury, Essex. It was acquired by Nick Newman in November 1995, he…

It is with sadness that we report the passing of Bill Fell, just a few days short of his 91st birthday, says Richard Wade. Bill was an avid rally-goer for many years and was particularly fond of fairground organs and the shows that went with them, staged by John Saunders, the late Dick Preston and others. I first met Bill back in the mid-80s, when we both arrived at the entrance to the GDSF at the same time. We got chatting, and remained good friends ever since, attending many rallies across the south and east of England together. We got up to a few antics over the years and would discuss our memories over the phone when the advancing years meant Bill was ‘confined to barracks.’ I shall miss you…

Got a story? Contact Old Glory • Email: peterlove@madasafish.com• Tel: 01323 833125 No public trains will run on the 2ft gauge Leadhills & Wanlockhead Railway, the United Kingdom’s highest adhesion-worked line, until Easter 2022 at the earliest. The line closed at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic and has been shut since, the longest closure period in the railway’s 35-year history since opening in 1986. Track manager Alan Mackie said: “The various restrictions meant no work until recently, except for a weekly visit by our site manager who organised a clean-up of Leadhills station site, while work on the extension to Wanlockhead has also stalled because of the pandemic. Given our exposed location, subject to extreme winter weather, and remedial work on the mainline not being completed until February 2022,…

On the back was 1928 Wallis & Steevens 6 ton Advance No.7979 steam roller Kathleen. Neal put the engine in steam as we headed out towards Eastbourne to do a paid job, rolling in a new road complex that was being built in preparation for a small housing estate to be constructed. After stopping a couple of times on the journey to stoke up the fire, we arrived safely at the site and in plenty of time. The road gang were very much up for the day ahead, but the weather was so cold that at one time it started to snow, but there was no frost about thank goodness! The air lines were disconnected and the trailer axle locking ‘U’ bolts were undone when the hydraulic jacks were placed…

On Saturday 16 October the Goakes family and friends near March, Cambridgeshire organised a special day in their yard. It was to celebrate the life and times of Michael Goakes, husband, father, builder, friend to so many and of course former Road Roller Association chairman. Peter Love went along to record the event. In fact this was the RRA’s annual weekend away, so to speak, which obviously could not take place in March earlier in the year over the Covid situation. The Goakes family went out their way to make the event, dedicated to the late Michael Goakes who died over the 2020 Christmas period, very special. There was much to see and do during the day including some wonderful food that was put on for everyone. The sun came…

PART ONE This occurred at the time of being secretary for two different rallies in East Yorkshire that were planned for May and June 2003. These events were firstly a Threshing Weekend at Bridge Farm, Holme on Spalding Moor, the home of Alan and Sandra Baldry, owners of various fair and showman’s exhibits including a 70-key Limonaire (Military Band) organ from c1890. The June event was the Little Weighton Steam & Vintage Rally, on the land of David and Ann Byass, owners of February 1934 10nhp Foster showman’s road loco No. 14632 Success. A poster advertising these events prompted the then owner of C E Shackles’ miniature engine to contact me. They had enclosed two small black & white photographs of some engine parts in a wooden box and some…

The original smokebox numberplate from ‘Black Five’ No. 45110, as fitted to LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0 BR No. 45110, is to come to auction in February. The locomotive took the first leg from Liverpool Lime Street to Manchester Victoria at the beginning of the famous ‘Fifteen Guinea Special’ railtour, BR’s last steam-hauled passenger train, on 11 August 1968, before running from Manchester Victoria to Liverpool Lime Street with the returning train at the end of the day’s tour. The loco was purchased straight from service for preservation by fighter pilot David Porter and was based at the nascent Ashford Steam Centre where it was named RAF Biggin Hill and subsequently purchased by the Severn Valley Railway in 1970, where it has been based since then. Three months previously, Lancashire-based…

Bill Woodhead’s father, Fred, was a general engineer and millwright in the late 1870s and he established his business on Silver Royd Hill in the suburb of Wortley, Leeds. There, he built up a sizeable workshop and was able to provide not only materials and goods but also machine them, fabricate items and had labour available to fit them if required. The author was shown the account books kept at the time and they made fascinating reading; reflecting to a certain extent on the education and standards of living of the period. At the Royd Mill Paper Co, for example, some ⊠in ‘exegon’ nuts were fitted to studs and a joint made to hold a ‘scillinder lid’ [sic] down on their steam engine. Even in that era, double time was…

In 1890, at a time when the Lancashire cotton industry was thriving and rapidly expanding, one of the many new spinning mills being promoted across Lancashire was at New Hey near Rochdale by the Ellenroad Spinning Co Ltd. Ellenroad Mill was completed in 1892 and was designed for 121,850 mule spindles powered by a large horizontal twin tandem triple expansion engine built locally by J & W McNaught, one of Rochdale’s leading engine-makers who supplied mill engines to many mills locally and further afield. The engine was designed to develop 1800 indicated horse power (ihp) and had four cylinders of 24½in, 28½in and 43½in (2) diameter x 6ft 0in stroke and used steam at 160lbs psi. Power was transmitted to the five-storey mill via a 28ft diameter flywheel weighing 70…

Although the rally scene has once again been disrupted in 2021 by coronavirus it was a busy year for Dorset engine owner Dave Loader, who spent the season showing his 1910 Garrett single-cylinder 6nhp GP engine No. 28758 Earl of Eldon at local events and rallies, including visiting the Isle of Wight for their August Bank Holiday steam up, reports Paul Ritchie. Very much a local engine, it entered the rally scene in the 1950s and remains in the same family since just after the Second World War. During the winter of 2019/2020 it was stripped down for its 10-year hydraulic examination and the replacement of several tubes and various other work including the rubbering of the front wheels and painting and lining both sets of wheels. The 2021 season…

Got a story? Contact Old Glory • Email: peterlove@madasafish.com• Tel: 01323 833125 It’s with sadness that we have to record the passing of our greatest restorer of farm harvesting equipment, possibly in the world. Ron Knight’s combine restorations were works of art and they went as good as they looked. He was an early steam preservationist and I first saw Ron with the Ruston & Hornsby traction engine and Walker centre engine at the Ravesby Park Rally, Lincolnshire in 1962 as a nine-year old boy, both looked superb. This is what the family have written about him: Ron was born at Church Farm, Great Casterton. He quickly developed a passion for farm machinery and had fond memories of his father keeping him at home from school to help the threshing…

9-10 October 2021 The weekend provides vital funds for the historic Stotfold water mill and its surrounding nature reserve. Situated on the banks of the river Ivel there has been a water mill at Stotfold for around 1000 years. The current fully operational mill was rebuilt by the Stotfold Mill Preservation Trust after a fire in 1992 virtually destroyed the grade II listed structure says Simon Colbeck. The mill forms an integral part of the working weekend with the engines and exhibits located in the meadow directly in front of the mill. Stotfold is of course the home of the Saunders collection of engines and associated machinery and the event provides a superb opportunity to see most of the collection in action. The home fleet was ably supported by many…

The Leighton Buzzard Railway has announced that ticket sales for its 2021 Christmas season were the best on record. More than 6,200 passengers travelled on the railway during December, beating the record set in 2019. 107 trains were operated across 16 days, including Santa Specials and Mince Pie trains. Special events during the month included the visit of a miniature steam engine, performances from the Leighton Buzzard Philharmonic Marching Band and special ‘after dark’ departures. Due to a high level of demand and the reduced capacity available this year, priority was given to the railway’s newsletter subscribers, and more than 500 spaces were filled in the first 24 hours alone, representing 10% of the total capacity for December. To ensure safety for all customers, the railway used both sets of…

When the Lincolnshire Coast Light Railway has run its last Santa trains of the season, that’s when the ‘bogie men’ appear to work on the 22 wagon and carriage bogies that the line has for its five carriages and three bogie wagons. The basic requirement is for 16 bogies for eight carriages and wagons so with 22 they have more than the bare minimum but as ‘bogie man’ volunteer Peter Balderston says, “The spares are very valuable to enable us to switch bogies around. In addition to the bogies required for wagons and carriages, two more are required for our track repair rail bolster. So we require 18 bogies out of the total of 22 which means that four bogies are spare. The spare bogies are now being used to…

Remarkably there were two cars here that took part in that very first GP and we came across the 1925 Halford Special first. The chassis of this car, No. 1916, started life as a Bamford & Martin (later Aston Martin) that was crashed in 1924 and bought by Major Frank Halford, who rebuilt it as firstly the AM Halford and later the Halford Special. Amazingly the Major designed and built two 1.5 litre six-cylinder engines with twin overhead camshafts and started off with a Roots supercharger, later changed to a Berk supercharger. It ran in the JCC 200 mile race at Brooklands in 1925 with 95bhp under the bonnet and the following year it won two Brooklands Outer Circuit races. It made a fastest lap of 109.94 mph. Frank Halford…

Got a story?: Contributions welcomed by Derek Rayner, email: derekinvicta1915@gmail.com By post: Old Glory, Kelsey Publishing Ltd, The Granary, Downs Court, Yalding, Kent ME18 6AL During May 2021, reports Andy Plunkett, the Millmerran Historical Society held a grand opening of a purpose-built display building that houses the launch, Water Baby. This ceremony was attended by descendants of the Gore and Purcell families. The Yandilla Station was located on the floodplain of the Condamine River, some 45 miles south-west of Toowoomba on Queensland’s Darling Downs. During 1876-77, sheep station owner Francis Gore designed the vessel and John Purcell, the station blacksmith, built the hull - the unusual frame of which was forged to shape from flat wrought iron strips and then hot riveted together. Galvanised sheet-metal formed the skin, the panels…

Following the publication in OG 383 of the splendid 1966-dated black & white image of eight steam rollers, by then out of use in the Dietikon yard of the Swiss contractor, Walo Bertschinger, some more information has come to light regarding Wallis & Steevens roller No. 8083 pictured on the right hand end of the line-up and which was subsequently scrapped. It was stated that this particular W&S roller was new in 1931 but additional information available from the Museum of English Rural Life in Reading, together with further details from the Swiss National Boiler Inspectorate (SVTI), has now revealed that the roller was not manufactured in 1931 but it was dispatched from Basingstoke to Switzerland in 1934.…

• www.kelseymarketplace.co.uk • Tel: 01323 833125 • Email: peterlove@madasafish.com PEGGY CHANGES HANDS Seen heading for its new home in December is 1929 Aveling & Porter AA No. 12450, a late 6 ton piston-valve roller that was new to G S Faulkner, Reigate, Surrey who kept the engine all it’s working life before it went to the Spurlings Group in 1958. Since then it has been round the houses, moving as far as Somerset before ending up with Shaun and Alex Swain of Llandysl, Wales. Peggy, as the engine is called, had major boiler work by Allison Engineering before it was 95 percent completed back at its Welsh base, including rubber tyres on the rolls. The Swains have now sold the engine to Yorkshire following a new engine project. We wish…

We have yet another packed issue here for you; have you told us about your event, rally, road run or club gathering that’s taking place in United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland? It’s for our two-part 2022 Events Guide, the first part of which will be attached to the next issue of Old Glory. Do please get your details in right now to make sure you don’t miss out this year to: peterlove@madasafish.com Our lead article this month features a most enjoyable event that took place on 28 December when Dave Mansi, Colin Evans (91), Bryn Kemp and Trevor Manuel came together to stage a threshing day at Piltdown, Sussex. It was in a tight yard and typical of so many farms in the area where steam threshing took…

It is with great sadness that we record the death of Reuben Smith, writes Chris Raworth. Reuben was well known for many years as a model-maker and exhibitor across the south-west; his wide range of models covered fairground rides, steam engines, and ploughs. He also built a whole range of full-size spinning wheels and was remembered by many for his large collection of sheep shearing equipment. He had, in his earlier days, owned a Foden steam wagon and numerous tractors. Local folk always knew who to go to if they needed something repaired, or a part making. For a long time, Reuben lived at ‘The Yews’ in the village of Cross in Somerset with his wife Kath. This was a rather unusual residence as the front garden contained several strangely…

Full terms and conditions can be found at shop.kelsey.co.uk/terms. Offer applies to UK subscribers only when paying by direct debit annually. Gift is subject to availability and maybe replaced with an item of equal value. Please allow 28 days for delivery of gift. Overseas and other offers available at shop.kelsey.co.uk/OGLHAT22. Offer expires 31/03/22. The Old Glory beanie hat features a double layered knit design with a thinsulate lining making it comfortable and insulated. WORTH £11.99 Save 15% off the full price Free gift Never miss an issue Delivered direct to your door SUBSCRIBING IS EASY ONLINE AT shop.kelsey.co.uk/OGLHAT22 BY PHONE 01959 543 747 and quote OGLHAT22 Mon-Fri 8am-5.30pm. Calls charged at your standard network rate.…

This year’s SoDEM road run took place on Saturday 13 November. SoDEM stands for the Society of Drivers and Enginemen and their November runs always raise money for the Poppy Appeal. The 2021 run, unlike recent ones, took participants from different starting points rather than one single start to the picturesque Trout Inn at Lechlade, says Dick Bodily. Five full-size steam engines, plus a miniature, gathered at John Wharton’s yard on the outskirts of Witney. Three engines were to be seen stripped down and being worked on in his workshop. Of great interest was his recent acquisition of Foden tractor No. 13238 Pendle Duke which previously belonged to his friend David Prince of Manitoba, Canada. It is to receive a new boiler and firebox, John has already tacked up the…

A group of engineers are recreating the North Wales Narrow Gauge Railway single Fairlie locomotive Gowrie, built in 1908 by the Hunslet Engine Co and last recorded in 1931 before it is believed to have been scrapped. The loco will be an entirely new build and will be fitted with both air and vacuum brakes to facilitate running on both Welsh Highlands, in addition to several other lines. The construction is being handled by the team of volunteers that restored Hunslet Edward Sholto, the Middleton Railway Trust’s Hudswell Clarke No. 1238, and the restoration of WD Hunslet No. 1215 of 1916. Following delivery of all the platework for the frames and stretchers during December 2020, there was an enforced delay until the end of March 2021 due to Covid. Since…

PART ONE He was lucky enough to meet a few of its early workforce and to gain a complete list of chassis numbers and customers from steam historian, R A Whitehead. A brief résumé of Nick’s findings follows which, for the first time, brings together links with other Scottish motor firms and explains the mysterious involvement of steam pioneers, Garrett in Suffolk. It also reveals how various railway locomotive and steam engineers hoped to capitalise on the growth of road transport. Becoming the owner of a rare motor vehicle lets you into a whole new world. Everything you find out about it draws you into the minds of its creators, whether designers or holders of the purse strings, and you feel a responsibility to find out more and record it…

On occasions, it’s amazing what is to be found whilst trawling the interweb. What’s below is a case in point. It’s a report about a steam roller taken from a local newspaper in Chile - La Tribune - in Los Ángeles, a suburb in the south-east of the city of Santiago. The story goes that the roller was acquired by the municipality of Los Ángeles under the administration of the mayor, about 50 years ago. It was used for repairing the city’s streets, especially when urbanisation began and the roads were made of stone and earth, there being no other way to repair potholes. Regarding its arrival in this capital of the Bío Bío Region of Chile, the current regional councillor, daughter of the previous mayor commented that it worked…

Early in 1936, New Zealand’s Public Works Department (PWD) ordered twelve 4-w diesel mechanical type ‘D29’ locomotives from the Leeds firm of Hudswell Clarke, built to the PWD’s own specification, writes Phil Barnes. These locos, which strictly speaking were tractors (Trs), were dispatched in January 1937 in two batches, one of three and the other of nine. Once in New Zealand, they were used on both islands as shunters at major public works projects and were numbered D591 to D602. Over the years some were sold to other government agencies, which included NZR and these were classified as Trs - whilst others received new numbers in 1948 when the PWD became the Ministry of Works. After a long life, several were scrapped but six eventually found their way into preservation…