Table of contents for July 2024 in Old Glory

Conservative MP for Buckingham Greg Smith addressed the House of Commons in May regarding the situation with the DVLA over the way it deals with owners of historic vehicles. As a member of the Transport Select Committee he explained to the House the issues historic vehicle owners have been going through over the last few years, including registering vehicles that have been pre-restored. In his speech he said the UK has a vibrant classic vehicle sector, but the DVLA has taken a disliking to post-restored vehicles, issuing owners who have carried out modest repairs with Q-plates instead of a period plate and even expecting the owner to fit seat belts. Greg Smith said he had attended the Historic & Classic Vehicle Alliance (HCVA) Heritage Matters Day over the Easter recess…

It was back to its best in 2023, that’s the Bloxham Steam & Country Fair at Smith’s Fields, Bloxham, Banbury, Oxfordshire OX15 4HD. There was an excellent selection of everything at the show with plenty of steam, commercials, cars and over 100 plus tractors here. With the commentary given by former FFA chairman Peter Godwin. If you have never been to this excellent show, or exhibited, it comes recommended.…

A MESSAGE FROM THEEDITOR Delighted to boast that this is Britain’s best-selling magazine for steam and vintage machinery enthusiasts. If you have enjoyed this issue of Old Glory and love original style or gleaming restored machinery especially road steam, or are fascinated by Britain’s rich industrial and transport heritage then why not subscribe? You will save money on the shop price and receive every issue direct to your door. Whether you’re interested in the latest news, places to visit or black and white photography of these wonderful machines in working times, featured by top writers and photographers you’ll find it all in the pages of Old Glory. EASY WAYS TO SUBSCRIBE 1. GO TO SHOP.KELSEY.CO.UK/OGLAD 2. CALL US 01959 543747 QUOTE OGLAD 3. USE THIS QR CODE TO GO DIRECTLY…

In the first part of the story we covered the history of No. 1713 from its out-shopping at The Midland Engine Works, Hunslet, Leeds, the home of J & H McLaren (1876-1983) to the engine’s acquisition by the Birch family of Sellindge, Kent. During the late 80s The Banshee, as it was then known, was to be seen at all the major south-east events and was owned by David Birch. David had her painted in a distinctive mid-blue livery after the maroon it had been in since the 1960s. After a while the engine was put up for sale and following the advice from Cheffins steam adviser Wilem Middlemiss the showman’s fittings were removed and David removed the tubes, but did not get around to fitting the new set that…

These included engines and owners from Somerset, Dorset, Hampshire, Glamorgan, Gloucestershire and Dan Scobie from Warwickshire with his 2016 Garrett 4CD Tilly which is a half-size version of the original 4CD. One of the notable entries was a 4in scale Burrell crane engine exhibited by Ben Carter and his son, Lewis. Derek Evenson from Bolton, Lancashire built the engine in 2000 and it was commissioned in 2003, being based on the full-size Lord Derby. Ben and Lewis have recently had the boiler cladding renewed and enjoy showing their crane engine as there are not many crane engines in miniature. Ben named the engine Pete’s Dream after his dad. One of the more unusual scale miniatures was an 8in Burrell Gold Medal owned by Clive Poole from Bideford, Devon, making his…

The county of Yorkshire is, and always has been, the largest county in England. It has a boundary some 600 miles long. For administrative purposes, in days gone by, it was split into three parts - the North, West, and East Ridings. The term Riding is derived from the Danish word ‘thridding’, meaning a third. There was therefore never a ‘South Riding’, except in literary terms since there was a book published by that name by Winifred Holtby in 1950. The County Council headquarters of the three Ridings were at Northallerton, Wakefield and Beverley in the order given above. However, there was also a somewhat flippant title given at one time to the areas around Sheffield and Doncaster, that being ‘The Socialist Republic of South Yorkshire’ - but it was…

Asteam weekend near Dresden was visited by a tour group organised by PTG to Germany last September, reports Kevin Hoggett. The visit included the 16.6km (10 miles) long 760mm gauge Losnitzgrundbahn railway which runs from Radebeul Ost to Radeberg. On this special occasion for the railway, it featured four of their locomotives in steam which hauled three sets of coaches from different periods in the railway’s history. The group had the pleasure of travelling in historic coaches of the Saxon State Railways being hauled by two Hartmann of Chemnitz-built Saxon Meyer 0-4-4-0 compound articulated locos. Another set of coaches was in Deutsche Reichsbahn livery with another Hartmann product, an 0-10-0T loco of 1927 at the head of the train. The third set was ‘present day’ with one of their usual…

Well, I write this at the end of May and life has certainly been hectic with so much going on in the preservation world. The major rally season as such kicked off at the beginning of May with soft ground conditions, but the events got through with good crowds. The following weekend I was at the HCVS London to Brighton Run, held in glorious weather, even though the M25 Junction 9 was closed the event battled through well. Our two major articles this month are based on vehicles that were award winners on the run, Bob Moorman’s 1927 Foden C-type and Toby Jennings award-winning 1919 Thornycroft J-type. We also look at the restoration of McLaren 8hp road locomotive crane engine No. 1713 which is absolutely the real thing and it…

As the Ford and Fordson Association was started in Kent some 20 years ago this year by Peter Love, it seemed appropriate to celebrate the formation of the Ford and Fordson Association in his county of birth. With this in mind, local Kent FFA rep Rodney Gibson wishes to invite all FFA members and friends to the 20th anniversary celebrations of the Ford and Fordson Association. This will take place at the Biddenden Tractorfest on 17-18 August, Holden Farm, Sissinghurst Road, Biddenden, Kent TN27 8EZ, where some 15,000 visitors attended the show in 2023. Biddenden Tractorfest is by far the largest gathering of preserved tractors in the south-east these days and will see over 300 tractors attend, say the organisers. There is excellent parking, and camping facilities, and Saturday evening…

Members from Leominster Vintage Club and the wider tractor run community turned out in force on Sunday 21 April for the James Corfield Memorial Tractor Run, writes E A Bates. James, who passed away suddenly in his mid forties, was an active club member and Land Rover enthusiast and would use his Ford 4000 to pull passenger trailers around the Club’s working events. The tractor run was raising funds for the Herefordshire-based charity Phoenix Bereaved Support, who support children, young people and their families when someone close to them dies and who had supported James’ daughter, Rosie. At the time of going to press over £1,000 had been raised for the charity. The 75 participants came from as far afield as Mid Wales and all over Herefordshire to join Leominster…

The show 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. The mill forms an integral part of the working weekend with the engines and exhibits located in the meadow. Stotfold is of course the home of the Saunders collection of engines and fairground rides, and the event provides a superb opportunity to see much of the collection in action. This year provided a real treat for fans of showman’s engines with a terrific line-up from four different makers in…

For many years steam enthusiasts have come over the early May Day Bank Holiday weekend to Llandudno on the north Wales coast where the annual Victorian Extravaganza took place. This three-day show attracts a multitude of events with steam being the main attraction. Billed as North Wales’ largest free annual show, the weekend also boasts an old-time fairground, with many people dressing up in period costume to add to the fun. This is not the only attraction on offer over the weekend in Llandudno. A little way along the promenade near The Little Orme is Bodafon Fields where the Transport Festival takes place, with the site full of vintage commercials, cars, buses, motor bikes and tractors, while a vintage bus service links the two venues. Here, another selection of steam…

GARRETT Richard Garrett was a hand tool, hoe and sickle maker in Suffolk in the 1770s. Several more generations of Richard Garrett carried on the traditions with the third improving a Norfolk-designed threshing machine to the point where 60 men were producing them and other tools in Leiston by 1836. Portable steam engines were in production by 1840 and the first 8hp self-propelled version was offered in the mid-1850s, when there was a brief liaison with Boydell. Soon Garretts resembled Aveling machines with up-front fifth wheel steering, two speeds and chain drive. Ploughing engines with Garrett cultivators tended to be based on Howard steam equipment until in 1870 Savory’s Patent Ploughing Engine was adopted. This design featured a vertical winding drum around the boiler and came in for steady modification…

History The London to Brighton run for commercial vehicles has been held annually at the beginning of May since 1962 when 52 vehicles set off from the ill-fated British Transport Museum at Clapham. Number one in the programme was a 1916 Foden 5 ton steam wagon No. 6368 Pride of Edwin owned at the time by Fodens themselves and now part of the Science Museum’s ensemble at Wroughton Airfield. Since then, the run has started in numerous places in London including Battersea Park, Purley Way and Crystal Palace. At one time a transport rally was held to coincide with the run at Battersea Park and also at Crystal Palace. These days eligible vehicles have to be over 20 years old and the run attracts commercial vehicles of all types and…

There were two star debuts at the Abbey Hill Rally held at Yeovil Showground on 3-6 May, writes Joseph Lewis. It was great to see Rob and Michael Jenkins from Nailsea near Bristol with Katie, the newly restored 1915 Fowler D2 compound No. 14342, AX 3512. This is the 10 ton roller’s second trip out since the completion of its six-year restoration. The engine was stripped in the late 1970s and placed on pallets for many years, lying at East Somerset Railway, Cranmore, near Shepton Mallet, until the owner died when it was put up for sale. The restoration has involved a new boiler barrel, front tubeplate, new firebox and the main bearings have been re-bored. The firebox was made by Mendip Steam and mechanical parts, assembly and painting was…

The South Tyne Traction Engine Society has lost one of its youngest members in Dennis Brown from Corbridge, three days after his 47 birthday says Bob Arthur. At the age of ten he became interested in tractors, unashamedly grey Fergusons and at the age of 13 he was given a Ferguson by his uncle Bob. The tractor had been stripped down, large and small and Dennis with very little help from others got the tractor together and running and even painted it to a good standard. He went on to rally the tractor and was admired by others for what he had achieved when it was taken to events from Dumfries to Driffield. As time went on he took on other restorations the largest was a Hungarian Dutra four-wheel drive,…

A 1912 Shand-Mason steam pump appliance has returned to Ipswich. The pump was bought by Needham Market Town Council in 1911 for around £400 and delivered to them in 1912. It weighs two tons, and served for nearly thirty years. It is believed to be the last steam pump used in the United Kingdom, when it attended a fire in Little Finborough on 30 July 1940. After regular service, the pump was retained by the National Fire Service College at Saltdean, Brighton during World War Two and displayed there until 1948. During the 1950s, ownership was transferred to Ipswich Museum (Ipswich Borough Council, and in the early 1960s, it was loaned to Colchester Road Fire Station in Ipswich where a purpose-built display window allowed it to be seen from the…

As the sun shone so did the vehicles and it was a grand sight to see them following the route around Leatherhead, Reigate, Redhill, Horley and then onto the B2036 Balcombe Road. From there it was on to Cuckfield, where the usual marshals were not in place causing mayhem as there were no signs telling the exhibitors to turn left, before heading through Burgess Hill. It was then up the mighty Clayton Hill, Pease Pottage and on to the A23 and through Brighton towards the seafront and the finish at Madeira Drive. The traffic was its usual self, but it all happened and from my journey down there was a good crowd along the way taking pictures, lots of waving and wonderful camaraderie between everyone and a feeling of being…

This event is the start of the major south-west rally season and contains the full range of preservation machinery from steam, tractors, commercials to cars and stationary engines for starters. The organisers worked hard to ensure the show ran smoothly, especially after heavy rain on the build-up before the opening day. The kaleidoscope of entries was also fitting as this was the first Abbey Hill following the passing of two long-standing members. Starting from the second show, Cecil ‘Ces’ Turner was, as it stands, the longest serving committee member at 42 years. Cecil ran the motorcycle section after taking over from Buzz Nowell. The section is now run by his granddaughter, Mandy. Cecil was extremely proud of his restored 1933 James 500cc V-twin ‘Flying Ghost’ motor-cycle. Cecil’s greatest legacy is…

Perhaps for the last time, Lady McAlpine hosted another event on behalf of the National Transport Trust at her Fawley Hill estate home. Lady Judy McAlpine is president of the Trust and works tirelessly to promote its aims of supporting the preservation and restoration of all forms of Britain’s rich transport heritage on road rail, wings and water. Lady McAlpine took on the role after the sad passing of her husband, the late Sir William McAlpine in 2018. Fawley is the home of the Fawley Hill Light Railway which operates for about a mile around the grounds of the estate. Built to standard gauge to accommodate Sir William’s Hudswell Clarke tank engine, the railway is renowned for having the steepest adhesion-worked incline on any railway in the UK at 1:13.…

Early Days Edward Mornement’s father must have been quite a character, and a very entrepreneurial person, who was to lay the foundations to Edward’s life. He was a farmer, as his father was before him, but in an effort to improve his standing, moved his farm three times, upgrading the amount of land he farmed each time. He was also in partnership to run a successful coal and corn merchants’ business. The partnership even had a stand at the Norwich Corn Exchange, by now trading in seed, wine and spirits, Edward also owned and ran the Railway Tavern at nearby Eccles (Norfolk) for a number of years. His final farm move was to the 2,435-acre Roudham Hall Farm, where he employed 30 men and 7 boys. A farm of this…

Mention was made a couple of issues ago of the Mechanical Organ Owners Society (MOOS). News has now been received that the Society is to make a four-day tour by luxury coach throughout, starting from Stevenage on Saturday 9 November. This will provide a rare opportunity to visit some of the very best collections of mechanical organs in Belgium and the Netherlands. A highlight of the tour will be to the recently established organ collection of Hans Bekkers which is not normally open to the public. Included there are instruments by Gavioli, Mortier, Bursens and Decap together with a magnificent Welte concert organ. There is also an unusual opportunity to spend a day at the magnificent ‘Museum Speelklok’ in Utrecht, home of the organ De Schuyt, seeing and listening to…