Table of contents for March 2026 in Old Glory

You are ALL welcome to join in, please do! If you have a story or pictures no matter what, do get in touch peterlove@madasafish.com Tel: 01323 833125. David Reed Editor-at-large - Former York school teacher who has worked with the editor since 1995 and has a wealth of knowledge on steam, commercials and tractors. Derek Rayner Technical and Vintage World Editor - Derek’s knowledge is extensive, a steam roller owner since the 1960s and a world traveller in search of nothing but the best. Bob Moorman Rally Archive Editor - This former engineering inspector is a fount of knowledge and has been rallying since the 70s. His own restos are award winners, as his ex-Kings 1927 Foden will be now that it’s finished! Mike Neale Diecast Models Editor – It’s…

Clever engineer James Allison has been finishing off a number of jobs on 1924 Robey tandem No. 41593 for the Mayor of Llangollen, Aled Morris, who has acquired the engine from the late Phil Moody’s estate. All new gears have been fitted and a number of bearings as well, to put this roller back in top order again. It is just right to roll in new material around Llangollen when they have an emergency pothole situation like the rest of the country has at the moment. The engine now carries a second gear, but James says it’s still painfully slow along the road! Well, there will be no chance of wearing it out then!…

At the East Anglia Group NVT&EC AGM in November it was announced they were able to give away £1,000s to local charities from their May 2025 Stradsett Park Vintage Rally near Kings Lynn. These were: £5,000 to East Anglia Air Ambulance, £1,000 Charles Burrell Museum, £1,000 West Norfolk Cats Protection Centre, £1,000 MAP Kings Lynn, £1,000 Pandora Project and £1,000 MacMillan Support Bury St Edmunds. The 2026 themes are: 80 Years of Banner Lane Tractors - celebrating the legacy of tractors produced at the famous Coventry factory; 60 Years of the Orchid White David Brown - a special focus on this specific era of David Brown tractor production; 80 Years of Zetor - marking eight decades of the Czech tractor brand; and Centenary Tractors - a dedicated display for tractors…

Chris Hall’s 2010 scratch-built 3in Allchin Royal Chester was bought by Peter Hewitson of Newcastle before passing to Chris in October last year. The majority of the engines on display were 4in, but 6in and larger were very popular here. Malcolm Kirby made the trip to Chester-le-Street from Uphall West Lothian with his Alfred Dodman engine that is aptly named Doddy. Built in 2004 by Bernie Fairbanks, it represents the only single-crank compound built by Dodman, while also making the trip from East Lothian was Tony Wallace with his 4in Burrell general purpose engine Wally that was built by John Rex between 2012 and 2013. As is often the way with a field full of miniature engines, the Burrell name dominated, with Ken Rodgers being seen on his 4in single…

Well how about this then! In heavy rain I attended the Lamma Show at the NEC Birmingham on 17 January, our largest agricultural show, which was absolutely packed both days, but traders reported that money is certainly tight. I was on the road at 5.15am and had only been going a few miles when I hit a massive unseen pothole and got away with it, but on the way up and back I came across no less than 15 stranded vehicles with blown-out tyres parked everywhere. It happened to me on 20 December on the A21 near Hastings, in that case it was a back tyre and luckily I was able to get home before it finally went flat. That was only the start as my Michelin 20in diameter tyres…

Earlier in the year Mark Jay sold his AP roller through Old Glory and added a new Aveling & Porter roller to his collection in the shape of 1923 Aveling & Porter piston-valve compound No. 10669 NX7282. The engine was new to Stratford-on-Avon Corporation and in 1956 to Bomford and Evershed, Salford Priors. It entered preservation in 1969 to A Allibone, Hetton, Warwickshire, was named Katie and changed hands to Graham Burberry of Rugby who looked after it well and was sold to Mark in August 2025. The engine is in good condition as such and Mark looks forward to taking it out in 2026. Lorry driver/mechanic by trade, he is looking to replace his fine 1971 ERF tractor unit which carries a Cummins 205hp engine with 12-speed David Brown…

Over in Staffordshire top-class engineer Thomas Fields-Pattinson has been rebuilding the boiler of 1928 Foden D-type tractor No. 13222FK3925 Elizabeth. The engine was owned by Statfold Barn but has recently changed hands and is now with Adrian Nutting. Adrian is a well-respected model engineer supplying castings and machining capabilities for various different models. Adrian stripped the engine down allowing him to bring in just the boiler. The tubes, firebox, backhead and lower section of the hornplates and throatplate were removed by Thomas and new plates were fitted to the hornplates and throatplate - these were welded in place by Guy Hawkins of Rushmere Engineering. A new backhead and complete firebox was supplied by Israel Newton and fitted by Thomas and his employee Natalie Wood with original style Foden pointed rivets.…

Members of the ex-Leeds and District Traction Engine Club are extremely saddened to announce that our long-standing Chairman, Tony Hunt, died at the end of November. Tony, who hailed from Somerset, was latterly the Managing Director of Powder Couplings, a firm which operated from the ex-Kitson’s Airedale Works in Hunslet before he moved the business closer to his home near Harrogate. He had developed and taken out an American Patent for a small flexible coupling for printers and when he retired, he sold the business to a Japanese printer manufacturer. In 1958, together with his father, T O Hunt, who lived at Adel in North Leeds and who was previously involved in Specialloid Pistons on the same Kitson site in Hunslet, purchased Burrell road loco No. 3849 of 1921 from…

CORGI MODEL CLUB The Corgi Model Club continues to issue a wide range of reproductions of 1960s/70s Corgi Toys. You can subscribe to the full range and be sent a different model each month, skipping any models that you don’t want, or you can buy most (although not quite all) of them individually direct from Corgi, at a slightly higher price each. They can be distinguished from the originals by CE marks and ‘Made in China’ on the base and box. See https://corgimodelclub.com/ for more details. Recent releases include model No. 406, a Land-Rover Series I 109” wheelbase in bright yellow with a black roof, in 1/46 scale, selling for £34.99 as an individual purchase [1]. The original model was Corgi’s first ever Land-Rover, launched in August 1957, with an…

THE SHREWSBURY BELLE 2 Dear Editor I and my family seem to be getting a lot of attention recently. I refer of course to the Shrewsbury Belle article by Zack Stiling, but note there’s also a letter from me and on page 48, your own article, with a reference of which I’m sure you’re unaware. The heading photograph shows Michael Lane on the footplate. On the ground are the Nicholson brothers, Geoff on the left and Brian on the right. Michael kept Ex-Mayor at Brian’s smallholding at Stubby Lane, Draycott-in-the-Clay. I mustn’t go off into telling you their stories now, interesting though they are. Just let me say that the family connection is that in 1966 I married Geoff’s elder Daughter Julia. Just like Zack I digress. So back to…

During the First World War, the US company Four Wheel Drive Auto Co. of Clintonville, Wisconsin (from now on referred to as FWD) provided vehicles for the US Army and to a lesser extent her allies. After hostilities were over, there was a keen civilian market in Britain for these types. Not only had the lorries been designed for four-wheel drive, they also had a track width of 4ft 8½in so that the wheels could be changed and the vehicle could run on standard gauge railways. Engineer Charles E Cleaver, serving as a captain in the First World War, had been enthralled by deliveries of a small number of these wooden-wheeled American 4x4s to the British army. Together with Henry Nyberg, Cleaver founded the English subsidiary company, FWD, which was…

SAVE UP TO 61%* Aviation Classics Monthly is a magazine dedicated to all aspects of aviation heritage and innovation, featuring classic aircraft, historic events, pilot profiles, and restoration projects. Each issue offers expert insight, stunning photography, and fascinating stories celebrating the past, present, and future of flight. GREAT REASONS TO SUBSCRIBE: ■ Never miss an issue ■ Save up to 61%* ■ Look forward to delivery direct to your door EASY WAYS TO SUBSCRIBE 1. Visit SHOP.KELSEY.CO.UK/AVC6XAD 2. Call 01959 543 747* and quote AVC6XAD 3. Use this QR code to go directly to our website Terms & conditions: UK Direct Debit or Continuous Credit Card offer, you will pay £18 for your first 6 issues then £24.99 every 6 months thereafter. * Savings are based on the standard basic rate,…

By the time you read this, the season will have already started and it’s been very wet. This particularly applies to the charity fund-raising Somerset Vintage Tractor Show at Shepton Mallet and the free Doe Show at Ulting, Maldon, Essex held over 3-5 February where the vintage ploughing and the highlight of the show for many was cancelled. Following on is the big show for such things Tractor World at Three Counties Showground, Malvern, Worcestershire on 21-22 February. It’s a show I created for Kelsey Media 25 years ago now, time flies when you are having fun I suppose. Besides the tractors there is so much else here from commercial vehicles, stationary engines, miniature steam, cars and the largest trade and autojumble you will come across. There is also a…

In July 2025 one of the biggest steam stories of the year was the roading of 1917 Fowler R3 No. 14888 of 1917 Kingfisher to Rempstone Rally on the Leicestershire/Nottinghamshire border. It was here that Brian Kell and his team drove the engine the 185 miles to Rempstone from Chester-le-Street in County Durham in a single day. The mammoth 15-hour journey consumed 50 bags of coal as the engine ate up the miles on its way south. The epic run must be one of the longest distances covered by steam in a single day in the modern era and won the engine a welldeserved award at Rempstone Steam and Country Show. It goes without saying that to travel such a distance the engine had to be in first class condition.…

In the December 2025 HCVS chairman Fraser Clayton, who is an ace vehicle restorer out of the top drawer, announced his retirement from the position after 11 years in the post, citing health reasons as the main factor, says Bob Moorman. Fraser has served on the board of trustees for many years, working his way through the ranks and eventually being elected as chairman in March 2014, after the death of Ron Millar. Fraser was ably assisted by his partner Linda Malings. During his time in office Fraser has done his best to promote the club with occasional challenges posed by a few members who thought they knew a better way of doing things. Fraser did a lot of work as leader of the London to Brighton Run committee, the…

Fowler showman’s No. 17585 Wanderer was purchased by John Lambert of the renowned Bridport Foundry in high summer 2025 from the Corbin family, who had owned it since 2019 and the engine is said to be a 1999 conversion. The engine is in excellent mechanical condition but needed cosmetic work and this has included a total replating of various parts and much more. The engine was seen looking superb in early December at the annual Bridport Christmas Fair. John says “I always wanted a showman’s and this is where I start off with one. It goes like a dream, rides so well and is now in perfect mechanical order to fully enjoy.” The engine is booked for the excellent Yeovil Transport Festival the first bank holiday weekend in May so…

On the last Saturday of November 80 members and friends of the Chailey Vintage Tractor Club sat down for their annual dinner at the Haywards Heath Golf Club, Sussex. The food was excellent as was the hospitality and the raffle was very generous as well. Members even came down from Cumbria to attend the evening. The Club very much champions young people in the organisation and recognised Merrick Jardine last year. The awards were presented by Old Glory editor Peter Love and the main award went to Andrew Vickery and was collected on his behalf by his father. All in all an excellent event which went on well into the night. On the following Monday the Club took their tractors to Plumpton race course where they were invited to the…

We conclude our look at the 2025 festive season where there was so much going on, all helped by good weather which all changed for the worse on 2 January. Nevertheless it certainly was a bumper time with an estimated 5,000+ classic and vintage vehicles on the roads of the UK at this time. VINTAGE THRESHING! On Sunday 28 December at Colin Evan’s premises near Uckfield, East Sussex the High Weald Working Rally team were out in action at their annual threshing day in glorious sunshine. As always it proved very popular with original-style equipment used all day. This included Dave Mansi’s Foster threshing drum with Cameron Kemp’s Ransomes Lorant low-density baler in action. This year the team used Will Mansi’s Field Marshall Series One Contractor Mk2 which has recently…

AN AVELING MOTOR ROLLER IN VALLORBE In the town of at Vallorbe, on the Swiss-French border where there is inevitably a major railway station, the existence of an Aveling & Porter motor roller has been known about for a considerable time and Ernst Huwyler has a photograph of it which he took many years ago now. To access the location of the roller from where Ernst lives by road is not an easy task and he has been trying to make the long journey there of well over 100 miles (some 200km) for a while in order to check the condition of the roller and also whether it was still there. However, because of other commitments and constraints, this proved not to have been possible until last September, when he…

COMMENT Well it’s freezing cold here in my office. As I write these notes, I’m trying to keep warm with lots of layers on and making every effort to avoid using more electricity with the heater on and in the process trying to keep the chilblains away from my fingers, and I am serious about that, having been caught out in the past. Nevertheless we have lots to look forward to with two good rallies coming up in early May and before that at Hadlow Agricultural College, Hadlow, Kent on Saturday 14 March, when Steve Pike and students open their doors at Static Working Day with visiting engines and more. If you would like to bring an engine you are very welcome indeed, there were some 20 engines here last…

19th-22nd February AND ALL THAT! & WINTER ALES BAR Isle of Wight Steam Railway, The Railway Station, Havenstreet, Isle of Wight PO33 4DS Tel: 01983 882204 Email: info@iwsteamrailway.co.uk www.iwsteamrailway.co.uk 21st February TVO23 VINTAGE TILLAGE DAY Kildare Tel: Thomas Connolly 087 251 1665 www.iveta.ie 21st February STURTON, STOW & DISTRICT - LADIES VINTAGE PLOUGHING & TRAINING DAY Main Street, Styrrup, Doncaster, South Yorkshire DN11 9NB Tel: Laura Crowder on 07549 774859 Email: laurajd777@hotmail.co.uk www.ploughmen.co.uk 21st February STATBUS AT NIGHT Statfold Barn Railway, Ashby Road, Tamworth, Staffs B79 0BU Tel: 01827 830389 Email: info@statfold.com www.statfold.com Admission: Adults £15.95, Concs £12.95, Child (2-14) £18.95, Family (2+2) £65.00, U2s Free Opens: 12pm-6pm 21st February WALK THE LINE COWES – NEWPORT Isle of Wight Steam Railway, The Railway Station, Havenstreet, Isle of Wight PO33 4DS…