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29
Driver’s memories of youngest Wallis ‘Advance’
TRACTION ENGINES on
RAILS!
140th anniversary
TYNE SWING BRIDGE MORRIS MOTORS’ museum meander
Leyland Octopus
Iconic eight-wheeler
1918 WALLIS MAKES RALLY DEBUT ● WHATTO DO IN BOOLEROO ● NATIONAL MILLSWEEKEND ● NIGHTMARE ON QE2 BRIDGE
Contents
30
No 318 | August 2016 NEWS 6-27 News & Events 91 OG in Mini News
FEATURES 30
42
47
54
Traction engine locomotives
A study of the ‘road locomotives adapted to run on rails’, beginning with Aveling & Porter examples.
Here’s Lucy: the youngest Wallis ‘Advance’
Meet the youngest-surviving Wallis & Steevens road roller in the UK.
Streets ahead: York
Engineman Geoff Streets recalls steam around and to the south of the City of York.
Shamrock: one of a KND
The restoration of Aveling & Porter KND-type tractor No 9170 of 1920 Shamrock.
60
What’s on view at Booleroo
Some very rare exhibits were to be found at the Booleroo Centre, South Australia.
62
140 years of the Tyne Swing Bridge
The Tyne Swing Bridge has now been in use for 140 years and retains its original hydraulics.
66
72
74
The Leyland Octopus
Although ‘bus-builder’ AEC just pipped Leyland to the post in the eight-wheeler stakes, it was Leyland that carried it forward.
REGULARS
38 40 78 82 86 88 93 114
Enginelines Helpline Vintageworld Steam Archive Organ Notes Museum Guide What’s On ‘Tail Lamp Tom’
READER SERVICES
108 Advintage – readers’ steam and vintage classified pages
National Mills Weekend
Three of our contributors select quite different examples of mills open during National Mills Weekend.
Oxford’s transport and the Morris connection The Oxford Bus Museum continues to expand, with a lot more than just buses of all ages on view.
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ON PAGE 36 4 | AUGUST 2016 OLD GLORY
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Front cover: The 8-ton Wallis‘Advance’No 8112 of 1939 is the youngest-surviving Wallis & Steevens road roller in the UK. ALAN BARNES
This issue was published onThursday July 21, 2016.The September 2016 issue of Old Glory (No 319) will be on sale fromThursday, August 18.
66 Meet the team Derek Rayner
Colin Tyson Editor
Technical Advisor
Mike Dyson
Steve Dean Correspondent
Correspondent
James Hamilton
Colin Smith Advertising Executive
Malcolm Ranieri Correspondent
Correspondent
Contact us – details on Page 40
OLD GLORY AUGUST 2016 | 5
News&Events
Aveling & Porter 8nhp portable No 3338 of 1894 is one of just five surviving Aveling portables worldwide.
Aveling portable returns to county of origin AT THE Keeley auction on May 14 Roger Luck of East Peckham, Kent, was the successful bidder on lot No 269, the rare Aveling & Porter portable engine, writes James Hamilton. In doing so he achieved his longheld double ambition of owning the engine and returning it to its county of origin. Roger is a Man of Kent and is able to trace his family, who lived in the same area, back to pre-Elizabeth I. He has always had a fascination with the portable steam engine
– he wryly jokes “someone has to!” – and indeed to some fellow Kent enthusiasts h known as ‘Roger, the portable man of Kent’. The auction viewing was the first time that he’d actually seen the engine, having been aware of its existence sin mid-1970s. When it came into the ownership of John Keeley in the 1990s he travelled to the Knowl Hill rallies in the hope of seeing it, but it was not to be. Aveling & Porter 8nhp portable No 3338 of 1894 is one of only five portables made by the Rochester firm known to still be in existence, the other four being literally on the other side of the world. There are two duplex
Roger Luck:‘the portable man of Kent’.
Wheel hub detail.
14 | AUGUST 2016 OLD GLORY
examples and a single in Australia and another duplex is in the Tk ru Museum, Zealand. At present not much is known about its working life but it was saved r restoration b oe Dakin of e and spent 38 years languishing in an orchard near Canterbury, Kent. It passed through the hands of several owners before John Keeley acquired it. It was restored in the 1970s, however, restoration then was more about returning to steam than authenticity. With the announcement of the dispersal sale of the John Keeley Collection, Roger realised that there was a possibly once-in-alifetime opportunity to acquire the engine. He mustered all the funds he could and, together with friends giving moral support, attended the auction with a price in mind that he could go to and fingers crossed that no one would push the bidding beyond that. There were anxious moments as the price increased towards his self-imposed
The firebox readily produces a handful of corroded metal flakes. ALL: JAMES HAMILTON
limit. Fortunately it didn’t exceed what he could afford; just! The portable is now at the workshop in Hadlow, 14 miles from the place of its manufacture, where he intends to undertake a very thorough and complete restoration, returning the engine to as near to original specification and appearance as is possible. He awaits a visit from the boiler inspector to assess the condition of the firebox and barrel, but as an investigative feel by hand within the firebox readily produces a handful of corroded metal flakes, it will not be a surprise to him if a replacement is required. Before the engine is dismantled it will make one public appearance at the Weald of Kent rally in early August. We’ll give you occasional progress updates in future issues.
AM M
HERE’S LUCY st
art ai s gr ning the youngest- viivii r in the UK, writ All uring my visit to the r y in Sussex last July my at was caught b legs sticking out from un er the back end of a road roller. The ing coming from unde ld no e r
is ‘Adv
tionary engines to Wallis & Steevens road nes nately Stuart’s endeavours remedied the ng tubes and later that afternoon , ow in full steam, was able to ine . f w
the Weald of Kent rall Woo churc nd with no sign of Stuart ing to pe the day under his engine wield i er again, I took the opportunity for a l ge chat. The 8-ton Wallis ‘Advance’ No 8112 of 1939 is the youngest-surviving Wallis & Steevens road roller in the UK. The company only so more engines after this on 1 i
c
yp p
yp p
s
.
on the
QE2 BRIDGE
58 | AUGUST 2016 OLD GLORY
LEYLAND OCTOPUS
AGRICULTURAL HERITAGE
National Mills WEEKEND
National Mills Weekend is an annual festival of milling heritage when many windmills and watermills open, some of which are not normally accessible to the public, this year it took place over the weekend of May 14-15 and we select three quite differing examples Shirley Windmill
It might be hard to imagine, but only a few miles from the South London metropolis of Croydon there is a remarkably well preserved windmill. Shirley Windmill is one of the last windmills to be built in England, writes James Hamilton. Where once it stood in open countryside it is now incongruously surrounded by newbuild housing. The mill is owned by Croydon Council and opened on the first Sunday of each month from June to December as well as National Mills Weekend. The windmill, visitor centre and cafe are run and managed by knowledgeable volunteers who give guided tours on open days. Built in 1854 to replace a previous post mill that burnt down the mill was used until 1893, when it conceded to the power of steam. In terms of windmills it is one of the most modern with all the features that had been developed to make the miller’s work easier. After the mill ceased to work it was left virtually untouched, lightning strikes caused some external damage due to fire but the inside remained untouched and relatively complete. It has been restored on a number of occasions from the 1920s to the present, although never into working order, and today provides a fascinating glimpse into a past way of life.
Shirley Windmill, Croydon, looks incongruous among the encroaching new houses. BOTH: JAMES HAMILTON 72 | AUGUST 2016 OLD GLORY
Chesterton Windmill near Warwick is architecturally striking. BOTH: BARRY JOB
Chesterton Windmill
Situated five miles to the south east of Warwick, Chesterton Windmill can readily be viewed externally from the adjacent footpath but visitors only have access inside on two weekends a year, writes Barry Job. It was designed by Sir Edward Peyto and could be seen on its hilltop from his adjacent manor house, so, standing on six arches, the cylindrical tower is architecturally striking. For Mills Weekend, wooden stairways were constructed within the arches to allow visitors inside. It was built in 1632 and the machinery, although functional, is thus to an old-fashioned design. With canvas cloths spread across the sails to catch the wind, with a steady rumble the wooden gears engaged and a smell of warm flour began to fill the mill as it emerged from the meal spout to fall into a hessian sack. The mill worked commercially until 1910 when it slowly began to deteriorate. In the 1960s Warwickshire County Council, the mill’s custodian, restored it so that it can work again today. Unfortunately the wind direction continued to change over the weekend necessitating the whole cap and sails being turned into the wind, this is achieved by a hand winch, rather an arduous task as it is very low geared. The mill will be open and working again the second weekend of September.
Vintageworld
A rediscovered steam roller at Charters Towers A FIVE-HOUR drive north up the lonely road from his home in Capella, Queensland, found Andy Plunkett at Charters Towers where he’d gone to collect a glider trailer. The North Queensland Soaring Club has a hangar for its gliders at Charters Towers aerodrome. During the Second World War, the aerodrome was known as RAAF Base Breddan and was a huge aircraft maintenance facility for both US and Australian aircraft. At the entrance to the air base, he found a steam roller manufactured by the Thompson Engineering & Pipe Co of Castlemaine, Victoria. Andy recalled that a decade or so ago, a mate from Capella had mentioned seeing a steam roller stored in a transport depot on the outskirts of Charters Towers. He told Andy he’d taken a photo of the roller and Andy thought at the time that it would have probably been an Australian-built steam roller. Later, when he was shown it, this turned out to be the case.
The welded number on the forecarriage head – AWC9431 – which provided information relating to the former owner. ALL: ANDY PLUNKETT
The Australian-built Thompson steam roller keeps company with a small road scraper at Charters Towers, northern Queensland. Inset is its right-hand axle end cover.
However, the roller then disappeared and enquiries by his friend when passing through the town again failed to locate it. Andy was therefore delighted to see it in such a prominent location and in a mostly complete condition. Stampings on the machine indicated that it was Thompson No 665 with boiler No 770 and dated October 10, 1929. Curious as to why it was to be found at the air base, Andy investigated it more closely and found the letters/numbers AWC9431 welded on to the forecarriage head. He knew that stood for Allied Works Council – and the
other part was the related machine number. The AWC was created during the Second World War to construct roads, airstrips and ports on the Australian mainland. Therefore it appears that the steam roller was used in constructing the airstrips, taxiways and roads on RAAF Base Breddan and possibly also the latter at the nearby Army bases at Macrossan. While at Charters Towers, Andy also sought out the remains of the old steam pumping station which he eventually found with some difficulty in the scrub beside the Burdekin River. More on that later.
UK visitors at Baie de Somme gala
The 2006-built steam boat PAE71725F Suzanne was giving rides in the marina at Saint-Valéry-sur-Somme. It’s a replica of 1882 design of a Chaloupe á vapeur. PHIL BARNES
78 | AUGUST 2016 OLD GLORY
THE TRIENNIAL GALA at the Baie de Somme railway in Picardy, France, took place in April. The railway centres on St-Valéry-sur-Somme at the mouth of that river and extends to the north on the other side of the estuary to Le Crotoy via Noyelles-sur-Mer and also there’s a branch to the coast at Cayeux-sur-Mer. Part of the line is dual gauge – standard and metre. Noteable visitors included first-time attendees 1939-built 2-6-2T loco No 99 601 from the Harzer Schmalspurbahn in Germany and 0-6-0T tank loco No J-S 909 from the Blonay-Chamby line in Switzerland. Also there was the ex-Paris ‘Sprague’ Metro unit, now dieselised, which has been extended to four cars. SNCV diesel tram AR86 from the ASVi museum
at Thuin, Belgium, was also present as well as a 1922 petrol-electric autorail by Crochat from Pithiviers operating on a short piece of 600mm track at Le Crotoy together with more locos at other locations, both large and small, from elsewhere in Europe. There was also a steam launch – certainly a novelty on this occasion! Running on a specially laid 600mm gauge temporary street railway at Cayeux was Decauville CFCD No 5 – No 1652 of 1916 – from the nearby First World War-themed Cappy Froissy Dompierre (APPEVA) railway. To celebrate the 20th year of their twinning with the Kent & East Sussex Railway, that railway’s Norwegian State Railways Class 21C 2-6-0 tender loco No 376 Norwegian also made the journey to France.
NEWS
Miniatures on Poole Quay A POPULAR Dorset miniature steam event is the annual Poole Quay Steam-up, which ‘starts’ the exhibiting and rallying season for many local owners. Now in its seventh year, it took place on May 14 and engines are given the freedom of the quay to parade and give rides to the public. Several engines made their debut after a long winter in the workshop completing restoration or repair. These included organiser Richard Harvey’s 4in Burrell showman’s engine Simplicity, based on the last Burrell Scenic built. Also based on this engine is Karl Burden’s showman’s which was also present, and they made a splendid pair. Also in attendance was a 1909 Stanley Model R steam car, owned and restored by Steve Baldock of Steam Traction World. Lucky members of the public had the opportunity to have a ride on board this magnificent machine. With a cruising speed of 40mph, the car had to be held back by Steve as he manoeuvred around the miniature engines. Graham Richardson, of Poole Tourism, said: “We had a good range of engines and around 5000
The public enjoying trailer rides in the sunshine on Poole Quay.
people visited, slightly more than last year. This is one of our most popular events of the year, and we are very grateful to the enginemen for bringing their engines.”
Richard Harvey and Karl Burden’s 4in Burrell showman’s engines on Poole Quay. BOTH: PAUL RITCHIE
One ‘moor’ time for Peedee at Moors Valley steam gala THE Moors Valley Grand Summer Steam Gala took place in the surroundings of the Moors Valley County Park in Ringwood Forest, Hampshire, on June 4-5 with the Moors Valley miniature railway operating its fully signalled mile-long line with every available locomotive in steam, writes Paul Ritchie.
The Davis brothers and Foster Peedee in 2000, reunited with it courtesy of its new owner in 2016.
Peedee and its successor P D Aswell. ALL: PAUL RITCHIE
A 4in Foster, previously owned by Peter Davis, returned here after an absence of over 10 years. In that time it had been retubed and changed hands, while Peter built himself a 4in Foster road loco. He named his first engine Peedee, using his initials as inspiration, and keeping the tradition he called his new engine P D Aswell. The photos
show Peter and his brother on Peedee back in 2000, together with a re-enactment of the same photo this year, and with the two engines together. Winning best engine was Mike Cobb and his 4in Burrell Jenny B. Wallis & Steevens roller No 7869 Sir Echo and Garrett No 28758 Earl of Eldon were also present.
OLD GLORY AUGUST 2016 | 91