STEAM WORKSHOP TUTORIAL HOW TO POLISH METAL
ritain’s Best seller for
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JULY 2016
No. 317
AVELING’S
ALBION VAN
REBUILD
ONE KND of a
CARTERS STEAM FAIR THE STORY OF SAVAGE’S
CENTRE ENGINES ‘FLYING SCOTSMAN’ RUN
SALE of the DECADE £1m
plus result!
EUROPE’S LAST WORKING FORESTRY RAILWAY
Contents 82 No 317 | July 2016 NEWS 6-24 News & Events 90 OG in Mini News
FEATURES 26 Forty years of Carters Steam Fair
The Carter family celebrate 40 years on the road with the world’s most-travelled vintage funfair.
32 Shamrock: one of a KND The story that led to the purchase of Aveling & Porter KND-type tractor No 9170 of 1920 Shamrock.
44 Winch & Wagon
The shortest steam-powered rope-hauled standard gauge railway in the UK.
74 How to polish metal A rusty governor gets the full treatment in the steam workshop.
50 The Flying Scotsman run Not the media-friendly steam loco, but an endurance run to Scotland for vintage rallying cars.
54 The Vaser Valley Railway
A visit to Europe’s last working forestry railway, up in the mountains of Romania.
60 Rebuilding grandad’s Albion
A 1947 Albion van was restored after a chance discovery of its presence via an online auction.
65 A Savage in the Centre
A look at Savage & Co of King’s Lynn’s Centre Engines and their development of the fairground.
70 The Wellington Machinery Club
A Fowler traction engine and other British-built industrial gems to be found in our Club Focus.
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44
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26
Front cover: Jim Stanley’s Aveling & Porter KND-type tractor No 9170 of 1920 Shamrock. ALAN BARNES This issue was published on Thursday, June 16, 2016. The August 2016 issue of Old Glory (No 318) will be on sale from Thursday, July 21.
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65
60 Meet the team
50
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 JULY 2016 | 5
News&Events No Modelworld
ORGANISERS of the annual Brighton Modelworld event, held in February, have advised that there will be no event in 2017 as previously planned. Despite increased visitor numbers for 2016, the event still did not reach a position of commercial viability, following declining numbers over the years. Other areas and venues are being explored for future possibilities by the show team.
Dreamland debt
THE reopened heritage theme park, Dreamland Margate, will continue to operate throughout this year, despite its operators being in administration with £3m debts. Managing directors Benjamin Wiles and Paul Williams said: “Dreamland remains open and the park will continue to operate as normal while the joint administrators work alongside the existing management team to conduct an operational turnaround. Using our experience in the successful management and turnaround of Fantasy Island in Skegness, our aim is to bring to fruition the vision of the business and ensure its financial stability going forward.”
‘Billsday II’ at Fawley Festival FOLLOWING a year’s absence, the Fawley Vintage Festival at Fawley Hill near Henley-onThames, Buckinghamshire, returned in the form of a threeday event from May 20-22, reports James Hamilton. This year’s event also went under the name of ‘Billsday II’, as part of the reason for hosting the event was to celebrate ‘Britain’s number one steam enthusiast’ Sir William McAlpine’s 80th birthday – ‘Billsday’ being the name given
to his 70th birthday party, the first of the vintage festivals. Fawley Hill is Sir William and Lady Judy McAlpine’s home and is also the home of a standard gauge railway of remarkably steep 1:13 gradient, station and museum and quite a menagerie of animals. The purpose of the festival is to celebrate British engineering and to raise money for small charities and conservation groups. On the Friday afternoon a small ceremony took place to honour
PRISM Fund opens
The PRISM Fund, which helps to support the acquisition and conservation of heritage objects from the fields of science, technology, industry and medicine, is now open for applications for 2016-17. The maximum grant amount for projects is £20,000, with a match funding requirement of at least 10%. PRISM is open to museums, archives and charitable groups in England and Wales and supports a huge range of objects, including medical instruments, boats, steam engines, archives, trams, agricultural equipment and more. Applicants do not have to be accredited organisations but they do need to have charitable purposes and exist for the public benefit. Rather than funding ongoing maintenance costs the fund supports specific projects, being particularly mindful of the long-term sustainability of access and care. PRISM is a rolling fund and has no deadlines. More information is available at www.artscouncil.org. uk/funding/prism
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Crane twins: Fowler B6 No 17212 of 1929 Wolverhampton Wanderer and No 17106 of 1928 Duke of York. JAMES HAMILTON
Sir William’s contribution to road steam preservation (see page 19), a one-time prolific owner of such things, in the company of Saunders’ Ex-Mayor – a former McAlpine engine. The previous weekend had seen the auction of the late John Keeley’s Collection at nearby Knowl Hill. Lot No 266, Wallis & Steevens 10-ton compound roller No 7799 of 1924, was bought by Richard Waistall and, if he is to be believed, was purchased on a whim (he thought the name Daisy May would appeal to his wife). Having successfully bid for the roller he then roaded it to Fawley where his son was taking great pride in it, as he’d been told that one day it would be his! Following its public debut at Carters Pinkney’s Green a couple of weeks prior, fullsize replica B6 showman’s No 19989 Onward travelled to Fawley where, positioned between the fairground and the entertainment tent and bar, it attracted much attention over
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Steam rollers and a First World War flypast. JOHN TITLOW
the weekend. A new feature to this year’s festival was a road making demonstration, complete with all the associated equipment. It was possibly missed by many visitors, being situated at one of the site extremities, but this was because they were resurfacing a roadway with crushed hardcore. It was very satisfying to watch Tommo Thompson skilfully controlling his Aveling roller Jupiter to achieve an evenly finished surface. The estate makes an ideal rally site, large enough to accommodate all the exhibits without feeling overcrowded. It is on a hillside and surrounded by trees that makes it visually pleasant. The organisers had also made the sensible decision to
exclude any vehicles that were not exhibits from the rallyfield and they were all located in another field a short walk away. The result was very pleasing, with no clutter to distract from the exhibits that people had come to see. All classes of entry were of a very high standard and of sufficient number to easily keep visitors interested for the day. As if that wasn’t enough, there was entertainment in the arena throughout the day and, at intervals, displays in the air. Remembering events of 100 years ago there was a very spirited flying display of two First World War tri-planes, a Sopwith and a Fokker. In her ‘welcome’ introduction in the programme, Lady McAlpine
Dave Eves’replica Fowler Onward now sports its correct type Pickering governor following a successful purchase at the Keeley sale. JAMES HAMILTON
stressed that Fawley Festival was a ‘birthday celebration’. Opening on a Friday it must be expected that it would not be as busy as the weekend; some of the exhibits were static and the atmosphere created by crowds was lacking. By Friday evening the engines were gathering around the entertainment tent and it was looking set to be quite an evening, starting a party atmosphere that lasted all weekend. Lady McAlpine says every time that each festival may be the last. This year she has hinted that there are major sponsors interested in seeing the event continue, so it would be a fair bet that there will be a future Fawley Vintage Festival. If there is, it’s most definitely worth a visit.
If you need an estate road mended, then organise a roadmaking demonstration at your rally! JAMES HAMILTON
Tractors and commercials on show. JOHN TITLOW
Roaded straight from the Keeley sale was Richard Waistall’s newly-purchased Wallis & Steevens 10-ton roller No 7799 of 1924 Daisy May.
After dark: Garrett tractor Henry and Burrell Showman’s Ex-Mayor generating on the Saturday night. SIMON COLBECK OLD GLORY JULY 2016 | 13
LIVERPOOL
T
HE sights and sounds of steam on the road, rail and water returned in style to the City of Liverpool over the three days of May 6-8, with the action centred on the historic quayside at the regenerated Albert Dock. Billed as the ‘UK’s only inner-city steam rally’, the focus for the weekend was based around the rededication of 1903-built Steam Tug Tender Daniel Adamson, following her 12-year £3.8m restoration programme (see last issue). The ‘Danny’ spent the weekend moored alongside the 1964-built preserved Tug Brocklebank, owned by Merseyside Maritime Museum, while the quayside played host to a length of specially laid rail to accommodate free train rides for visitors. The motive power and carriages came courtesy of the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railway in the shape of Hunslet 0-4-0ST No 554 of 1891 Lilla. In steam and looking the part within the setting of the Dock on the Friday (the official ‘Danny’ rededication day) was former Aveling roller No 3199 of 1893 Vanguard; Fowler DN1 compound road roller No 16078 of 1923 Navigator; Foden tractor No 13266 of 1928 George and ex-Isle of Man Marshall road roller No 75408 of 1922 Zulu. By the weekend, the road steam contingent had risen with the addition of a miniature and the welltravelled ‘Tarmac’ Sentinel DG8P waggon No 8016 of 1929. The engines were well suited to their surroundings, which included the former Pump House, the Albert Dock’s revitalised warehouse buildings and Merseyside Maritime Museum – the latter playing host to the Daniel Adamson dedication functions.
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Hunslet Lilla gives rides on the quayside adjacent to the‘Danny’. COLIN TYSON
Foden tractor George complements the livery of the dock’s classic ice cream vans.
Marshall road roller Zulu joined the weekend’s celebrations.
Fowler roller Navigator welcomes you to Albert Dock, home of‘The Beatles Story’and Tate Liverpool.
Foden George and Fowler Navigator.
Aveling Vanguard prepares for a day on the dock.
The‘Tarmac’Sentinel waggon poses outside the former Granada news building. OLD GLORY JULY 2016 | 43
COMMERCIAL VEHICLE
Restoring GRANDFATHER’S Albion
Julian Brett tells the story of a remarkable find on eBay of his grandfather’s 1947 Albion van, its purchase and subsequent restoration, to Alan Barnes
“I
t does look wonderfully at home here,” remarked Julian Brett, the owner of the superbly restored 1947 Albion van which has recently taken its place in the ‘home fleet’ of commercial vehicles at Beamish Museum. The transformation of the Albion from its rather sorry state to pristine condition was achieved in a little over two years, with the work being carried out by an engineering firm in Newcastle and then completed in the workshops at Beamish. For Julian, the sight of the van now returned to its former glory is rather poignant in that the vehicle was once 60 | JULY 2016 OLD GLORY
owned by his maternal grandfather and was used in his business in Kirkcaldy. Julian told me how he came to buy the Albion. “In 2013 I was having a ‘roam’ through eBay, not looking for anything in particular, when I spotted a listing for the van. It was not that I had any plans to restore a lorry or any particular interest in Albion but the photograph on the listing showed the side of the van – on which was written the name ‘Ward’ and the town of ‘Kirkcaldy’. As my mother’s maiden name was Ward and knowing that she had lived in Kirkcaldy as a child, I thought that she might be interested to see the picture.
“The Albion had JA & SJ Ward written on the side and the front panel carried the legend ‘NSAM’. I was absolutely stunned when my mother saw the pictures and told me that the initials stood for Nicol Street Auction Mart and that this had been my grandfather’s business! I had stumbled across his old lorry which had been used by the firm until the mid-1970s. “With that family provenance I had no hesitation in deciding to buy it and although I realised that it needed a good deal of restoration I paid the £3000 seller’s asking price. However I kept the purchase a secret from other members of the family as my eventual aim would be to surprise them by unveiling a completely restored van in the livery of grandfather’s firm. “While I may have acquired the lorry without too much trouble, next would
Julian Brett’s grandfather’s 1947 Albion van looks at home on the streets of Beamish Museum. DAVID TILLOTSON
The chassis and engine during restoration.
The body was removed for work to be carried out.
come the tricky bit as I had absolutely no experience of classic vehicles and knew nothing about restoring one. If I wanted to see the Albion back on the road I would have to obtain some professional help and I contacted a local company which agreed to undertake the work and they made arrangements to collect the vehicle. We had a false start with this contractor due to them entering receivership and the work ground to a halt. “I arranged for the Albion to be moved to the workshops of Smiles Engineering in Newcastle, a firm which specialised in repowering older buses with modern diesel engines. They proved to have some hugely competent engineers who were extremely enthusiastic about working on the old Albion and during the course of the next few months they did an amazing job. Wishing to play an active role in the restoration of my grandfather’s old lorry I took on the role of sourcing parts and identifying sub-contractors which were needed for some of the more specialist jobs, such as refurbishing the distributor, dynamo and starter.
“The Albion was practically rebuilt from the ground up although the body was in surprisingly good condition. This had been built by Scottish Aviation Ltd and is aluminium sheet over aluminium ribs and has a deep ‘skirt’ which is probably the reason why the lorry has survived in such good condition. There was no sign of any corrosion or serious damage and the body was still watertight and the glass in the windscreen and other windows seems to be original. The only repair work to the body was the replacement of two sections which had been dented and creased. These were carefully cut out and new aluminium sheet fitted – the repair being made very much in the same way that such repairs had been carried out in the past, just a patch to keep the patina of an old working van. “As well as work on the body, the chassis was dismantled, cleaned and rebuilt. Apart from some slight surface rusting it was in pretty good condition, as were the wheels and axles. The brakes were overhauled and some of the pipework replaced. The 4-cylinder Albion AZ9N engine was stripped down completely, the crank reground and the bearings remetalled. We decided against converting the engine to run on unleaded petrol as it had an awkward valve location which made the required machine work rather tricky. “All the work at Smiles Engineering had been completely under this cloak of secrecy and my family were still unaware of what I was up to with the lorry. With the engineering work and mechanical work completed, and the engine running very well, it was now time to consider the cosmetic side of the project and also to find the Albion a suitable home. I did not have the skills required to paint and signwrite the lorry and finding suitable accommodation was also proving to be a problem as I did not want the completed lorry to be just tucked away out of sight in a shed. “At the beginning of 2015, and with the rebuild completed, I approached Beamish Museum to see if they would be interested in completing the required painting and having the Albion on a long-term loan agreement. For me this would be ideal as not only would the lorry be finished to the highest possible standards, it would also be well maintained ❱
The Albion laid up in Kirkcaldy in the 1970s. HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT SCOTLAND (Courtesy John R Hume) Licensor cranmore.org.uk
OLD GLORY JULY 2016 | 61
Event Diary 18-19 Vintage Rally
& Country Fayre Penhale, Fraddon, Cornwall TR8 5BX Enquiries Tel: 01726 860439 www.cornishtractorclub.org.uk
18-19 Scorton Steam
Woodacre Park Farm, Gubberford Lane, Scorton, Preston, Lancashire PR3 1BN Enquiries to: Paul Whittingham, Tel: 07713 128783 www.scortonsteam.co.uk
18-19 Steaming Weekend Kempton Steam Museum, Kempton Park Water Works, Snakey Lane, Hanworth, Middlesex TW13 6XH Enquiries to: Nick Reynolds, Tel: 01932 765328 www.kemptonsteam.org Opens: 10.30am. 19 Run Day & Vintage Car Show Prickwillow Engine Museum, Main Street, Prickwillow, Ely, Cambridgeshire CB7 4UN Enquiries to: John Germeney Tel: 01353 720737 www.prickwillow-engine-museum. co.uk Opens: 11am.
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19 Steam Day
Crossness Pumping Station, Thames Water, Belvedere Road, Abbey Wood, London SE2 9AQ Enquiries Tel: 020 831 13711 www.crossness.org.uk Opens: 10.30am.
19 Steam Engines at Combe
Combe Mill, Blenheim Palace Sawmills, Long Hanborough, Oxfordshire OX29 8ET Enquiries to: Tony Simmons, Tel: 01993 358694 www.combemill.org Opens: 10am.
19 Father’s Day Vintage Weekend Yorkshire Museum of Farming, Murton Park, Murton Lane, Murton, York YO19 5UF Enquiries to: Peter Draper Tel: 01904 489966 www.murtonpark.co.uk Opens: 10am.
19 Fathers’ Classic Day Out
Trentham Gardens, Trentham, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire ST4 8JG Enquiries to: Stephen Smith, Tel: 01527 831726 www.classicmotorshows.co.uk
19 Transport Festival
19 Ridgeway Run
Start: Bracelet Bay, Mumbles, Swansea Ends: Carmarthen town, Carmarthenshire Enquiries to: Ashley Lovering, Tel: 07814 958379 www.swanseatransportfest.co.uk Opens: 10am.
Start: Henley-on-Thames station RG9 1AY Finish: Buckinghamshire Railway Centre, Quainton, Buckinghamshire HP22 4BY Enquiries to: Mrs Janet Ayre, Tel: 01494 482644 Starts: 10am.
19 Steam & Ale – Father’s Day
19 Marsworth Steam &
London Museum of Water and Steam, Green Dragon Lane, Brentford, Middlesex TW8 0EN Enquiries to: Penny Jenkins, Tel: 020 856 84757 www.waterandsteam.org.uk
19 Dads Can Do
Amberley Museum & Heritage Centre, Station Road, Amberley, nr Arundel, West Sussex BN18 9LT Enquiries Tel: 01798 831370 www.amberleymuseum.co.uk
19 Public Open Afternoon
GMES, Stoke Park, London Road, Guildford, Surrey GU1 1TU Enquiries to: Mike Sleigh, Tel: 01483 536937 www.gmes.org.uk Opens: 2pm.
Classic Vehicle Rally Startop Farm, Marsworth, Tring, Herts HP23 4LL Enquiries to: Graham Dickinson, Tel: 07947 573130 www.marsworthsteamrally.co.uk Opens: 11am.
19 Raby Castle Classic Vehicle Show Raby Castle, Staindrop, nr Darlington, Co Durham DL2 3AH Enquiries to: Mark Woodward, Tel: 01697 451882 www.markwoodwardclassicevents.com Opens: 10am. To advertise your event call Colin Smith on 01507 529357
NTET Approved Rally
19 Father’s Day Afternoon Tea
Museum of Power, Hatfield Road, Langford, Maldon, Essex CM9 6QA Enquiries Tel: 01621 843183 www.museumofpower.org.uk Opens: 2pm.
25 Lincoln Autojumble
25-26 Tankfest The Tank Museum, Bovington Wareham, Dorset BH20 6JG Enquiries Tel: 01929 405096 www.tankmuseum.org Opens: 9am.
Hangar Number One, Hemswell, Lincs DN21 5TJ Enquiries Tel: 07816 291544 www.lincolnautojumble.com Opens: 6.30am.
25-26 The Dene Rally Starter Gate Farm, Charlwood Lane, Monkwood, Ropley, www.facebook.com/denerally Opens: 10am.
25-26 Gartell Steam &
25-26 Sheffield Steam
Vintage Show Gartell Light Railway, Common Lane, Yenston, nr Templecombe, Somerset BA8 0NB Enquiries to: Steve Rodd, Tel: 07970 113270 www.glr-online.co.uk Opens: 10am.
25-26 Fire & Emergency Vehicles Amberley Museum & Heritage Centre, Amberley, nr Arundel, West Sussex BN18 9LT Enquiries Tel: 01798 831370 www.amberleymuseum.co.uk
& Vintage Rally Rackford Road, North Anston, Sheffield S25 4DF Enquiries to: Bev Beat, Tel: 01709 545047 Email: shefsteamvcl@gmail.com Opens: 10am.
25-26 Towy Valley Vintage Show Cothi Bridge Showfield, Cothi Bridge, Carmarthenshire SA32 7WG Enquiries to: Gaynor Thomas, Tel: 01269 592515 Email: chrisfuller480@btinternet.com Opens: 10am.
25-26 Beam Engines in Steam Crofton Pumping Station, Crofton, Marlborough, Wiltshire SN8 3DW Enquiries to: Pam Weeks, Tel: 01672 870300 www.croftonbeamengines.org Opens: 10.30am. 25-26 The Original Bloxham Rally Smiths Fields, Milton Road, Bloxham, Banbury, Oxfordshire OX15 4HD Enquiries Tel: 01295 320100 www.banburyrally.co.uk
25-26 Leicester Vintage Festival Abbey Pumping Station Museum, Corporation Road, Leicester LE4 5PX Enquiries to: Andrew Simpson, Tel: 01162 995111 www.abbeypumpingstation.org Opens: Sat 1pm, Sun noon. 25-26 Kelsall Steam
& Vintage Rally Churches View Farm, Kelsall Road, Ashton, Chester CH3 8BH Enquiries to: Marie Cliffe, Tel: 07739 958294 www.kelsallsteamrally.co.uk
Regular updates at oldglory.co.uk 25-26 Steam on Rutland Water
Rutland Water Visitors Centre, Sykes Lane, Whitwell Road , Empingham, Rutland LE15 8QL Enquiries to: Tom Boon, Tel: 07710 823763 Email: charlotte_louise_salt@ hotmail.co.uk Opens: 10am.
25-26 Tewkesbury Steam Rally Tewkesbury Rugby Club, The Moats, Gander Lane, Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire GL20 5PG Enquiries to: Mrs Christine England, Tel: 01452 617057 www.msrvs.co.uk Opens: 10am. 25-26 Fylde Vintage
& Farm Show The Showfield, Salwick Road, Wharles, Preston, Lancashire PR4 3SN Enquiries to: David & Pamela Martin Tel: 01772 681733 www.fyldevintageandfarmshow.co.uk
OLD GLORY JULY 2016 | 95
INTAGE MOTORING
FLYING SCOTSMAN
Day One, and Robert Glover and Martin Greaves in the 1921 Vauxhall 30-98 R-Type give a wave on the Yorkshire moors.
Organised by the Endurance Rally Association, the eighth Flying Scotsman Endurance Rally took place from Friday to Sunday, April 15-17 – with a field of 110 classic vintage motor cars taking part, reports Alan Barnes
B
elvoir Castle in Leicestershire was the start point for Britain’s longest timed rally, with cars gathering on the Thursday for pre-assessment checks and for the crews to begin the equally important social aspect of the event. Ahead of the participants lay three days of challenging weather and road conditions on a 700-mile route which would take them through Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, Northumberland and into the Scottish Borders and the run through Perthshire to the finish at the famous Gleneagles Hotel. With many of the cars taking part being open two-seaters the heavy rain, sleet and snow on the first day did their drivers and navigators no favours at all. And while the weather decided to do its worst, the poor condition of some of the potholed roads added to the challenge. The first car away from Belvoir Castle on the Friday morning was, rather fittingly, the oldest car taking part in the event – the 1911 Knox Type R powered by a beast of a 7200cc engine and crewed by Michel Laarman and Maryon
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The 1911 Knox Type R was first away at the start at Belvoir Castle, Leicestershire.