Innehållsförteckning för December 2022 från Old Glory

SCIENCE MUSEUM SELLS OFF OUR HERITAGE What are your thoughts on the Science Museum selling off another batch of their heritage tractors, particularly as we feel that Frank Smith from Lincolnshire gave the majority of the 58 tractors to the Museum in 1982 for nothing? The collection is kept at the doomed Science Museum’s Wroughton Airfield site near Swindon, which could be such a wonderful museum for the nation, but the Science Museum has not exactly made much effort to resolve the situation there at all. The site houses some excellent transport heritage machines, including the unique 1933 Ford BB ex-Dartford travelling library which features a Muir-Hill six-wheel conversion. Incidentally this vehicle was mentioned in Allan Bedford’s column in OG Nov 393. There have been so many plans for the…

Got a story? Contact Old Glory • Email: peterlove@madasafish.com • Tel: 01323 833125 The first steam fair to be held at Summerlee Industrial Museum since the outbreak of Covid-19 in 2019 took place on Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 August. It attracted six miniature engines; two from the North East of England, two local machines plus one from Aberdeen and one from Boat of Garten. Augmenting the museum’s own Fowler roller of 1928 and 9in scale Tigger was George Kerr of Beith, who brought his 1935-built Aveling Barford tractor, No. 14181. Other attractions included a miniature railway and a display of working oil lamps. Friends of Summerlee trustee, Trevor Rees, said: “We deliberately kept the event small this year to help it get on its feet again and it was…

Got a story? Contact Old Glory • Email: peterlove@madasafish.com • Tel: 01323 833125 It was a pleasure to recently see Rodney Gibson’s very clean, very original and genuine 1943 Ford 2/9NAN. The tractor was found in Scotland by American Ford ‘guru’ Mark Farmer and was brought south. Rodney has come across a problem in that the new replacement radiator he has isn't the original style and doesn't fit correctly, can you help? Do you have an original-type core that is in good order as he is keen to keep the tractor original. The radiator for the 9 and 2N are the same. If you can help do give him a ring, tel: 07850 788347.…

The Swanage Railway runs from the Dorset seaside town of that name via the picturesque village of Corfe Castle, with its imposing ruined castle, to Norden where there is a park and ride facility and a museum and narrow gauge railway depicting the workings of the ball clay industry, which is run by a separate but inter-dependent organisation, says Dave Vaughan. The line was rejoined to the national network via Wareham in 2007 and occasional through excursion trains were ran from 2009. Today the heritage line takes a lot of visitors to the seaside, as it did in the days before it was closed by BR in the early 70s. Its primary purpose was to transport large quantities of Purbeck stone for buildings in London and all over the country.…

As would be expected, there was a superb selection of miniature engines to see at the 51st Cromford Steam Rally that was held in early August. This well-established event has regularly brought together a large number of machines to see, and this year’s rally was no exception. Starting things off were a couple of Foster 4in agricultural engines that have been scratch-built over a number of years, and are now nearing completion. The first belonged to Andrew Daws, “It has taken me 11 years so far,” he said. The engine is definitely getting there, with Andrew hoping to get it into steam by the end of the year. It was a similar story for John Cook who has been constructing his 4in Foster for the last 18 years; “It’s not…

I arrived in the steam ploughing area of the Great Dorset Steam Fair on the west side of the site during the first morning of the show in some light rain conditions, however that was soon forgotten as the day’s weather turned into sunshine by late afternoon. Preparing for the day ahead was Steve Gunn from Glastonbury with the dark green 1920 Fowler BB1 No.15529 UA1876 Baggeridge which, along with its sister No. 15528, were used as Fowler’s demonstrators before being sold for the construction of the Abberton and Buckland Reservoirs. Baggeridge’s sister was cut up in the 1950s with No. 15529 ending up with Bomford & Carr for dredging until the early 60s, when she went into storage so she has certainly had a hard life. The engine has been…

Early morning saw a busy scene in the shed area of the Lakeshore Railroad in South Shields where a number of steam locomotives were being readied for a busy day of work. It was an historic weekend all round, with the railway celebrating its 50th anniversary, a milestone that could not be ignored. Now a firm fixture in the town’s South Marine Park, the railway can trace its history back to the late 1960s when Jack Wakefield of Hetton-le-Hole and Don Proudlock of Wingate, Co. Durham bought the partly-built locomotive Mountaineer from W L Jennings of Templecombe, and completed its restoration. This locomotive actually owes its existence to another Jennings engine, namely 4-4-2 Auld Reekie that was making a guest appearance at South Shields. Built in 1935 to 9½in gauge,…

ON THE ROAD Allan Bedford digs into his photo albums to bring us a look at the first Austin lorry. The Austin Motor Co, founded 1905, built its reputation with a range of beautifully-built quality motor cars. In 1913 models ranged from 10-40hp, with comfortable profits made and a total of 880 vehicles manufactured. In the Commercial Motor of 13 February 1913 the first Austin lorry was announced. Of unconventional design, features included a low ladder girder frame, twin bevel final drives, twin rear springs each side, cast steel wheels, a scuttle bonnet with radiator mounted on the dash, a centrally-mounted gate change, a 25hp four-cylinder engine of an outdated design featuring individually cast T-head cylinders, and an externally mounted steering column. Austin had enjoyed good business with the Imperial…

From Laurie Fletcher come a few photos of of his local Platinum Jubilee street party, which provided an excuse to get the dust off from winter. Also Laurie was celebrating his engine passing its ultrasonic thickness test, and hydraulic and finally the steam test. With his mate Wil Ounsley they got the lagging back on and drove from Barrow Hill Round House near Staveley to the suburbs of Chesterfield, a distance of about four miles. They met up with a newish neighbour’s MG which came from California. Newly restored, the MG is so new its number plates had not arrived yet! Laurie’s roller is 5hp compound No. 8778, built 1916 and registered E5349. It started life working for Staffordshire Corporation in Lichfield, moving to Joseph William Kitchen of Saxilby in…

The Severn Valley Railway has launched a major appeal for £500,000 to restore its locomotive yard in Bridgnorth, which is vital for the operation of the entire railway. The yard, which is used daily for steam locomotive servicing and maintenance, is in desperate need of repair. “The current track was laid in the 1970s using second-hand materials and, through extensive care, has lasted 50 years, which was much longer than we might have expected,” said Martin White, head of engineering. “However the end of its life is now rapidly approaching. Track work and points are wearing out fast, and drainage across the yard is clogged, accelerating the deterioration of the sleepers. If the track work deteriorates much further, locomotives won’t be able to get into the works for maintenance nor…

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It was full steam ahead at the Kelsall Steam & Vintage Rally where a good selection of engines were displayed in front of a large expectant crowd, reports David Reed. This is always a busy event, with hundreds of commercials on show, but here it was steam that ruled with a trip to the parade ring being one of the highlights of the day. Looking at the engines in more detail, a 1911 Davey Paxman general purpose engine certainly caught the eye. No.16849 is named Little Audrey, and was new to H H Truscott of Grampond Road, Cornwall from the Royal Show, being sold in 1945 to a Mr Tobin for £8 and used by him until the 1950s. It was bought for preservation in 1970 and passed through the…

The Steam Plough Club hold an annual event for members that would like to have some practical experience of steam ploughing and cultivation. James Hamilton reports that this year’s event was due to be held near Shifnal in Shropshire over the weekend of 3-4 September. The following weekend the club was hoping to hold the ‘Great Challenge’ at the same site. The ‘Great Challenge’ is an occasional event where many sets of ploughing engines and their tackle are gathered to compete for various trophies. Unfortunately, due to the low number of entries, it was decided to cancel the Great Challenge. The Hands-On was still to go ahead but at a different location, the family of the late Michael Davies offered to host it at their farm in Avon Dassett, Warwickshire.…

Over the next 20 years, pre-war vehicle enthusiasts will be celebrating various centenaries, but none more important than that of the Austin Seven. As we all know, as the first affordable ‘proper’ car – that is, conventional in all respects, able to seat four people and powered by a four-cylinder, four-stroke, water-cooled engine with shaft-drive to the rear wheels – it made the benefits and pleasures of motoring available to the middle-classes, and in so doing determined the course of 20th century Britain. From the first crude cars of 1922, it evolved over 17 years into something much more modern and substantial before production ended in 1939. In that time, 290,000 Sevens were built in total, and it even went some way to colonising Europe and America, being built under…

First, let’s take a brief look at the very first excavator used on land. It was the Otis shovel invented by William S Otis in 1835 and patented in 1839. The accompanying (now coloured) drawing by S Rufus Mason in 1841 is the earliest known illustration of an Otis machine. Observation of the machine’s working parts reveal that Otis got it right when the shovel’s digging parts (front end) are examined. Compare this with the photo of a modern 60-yard electric shovel, a type used today in worldwide surface mining operations. Just like the Otis, it incorporates a hoisting mechanism for the bucket accompanied by a crowding action on the boom, and a means of swinging the bucket left or right to dump. Breaking away from tradition, Marion Power Shovel…

BROTHERHOOD Founded in 1907, Peter Brotherhood of Peterborough emerged from the First World War with eleven acres of factory space and 2000 employees. It had made steam engines and turbines, compressors, IC engines, pumps, fans and refrigeration plants for the Admiralty and Ministry of Munitions and urgently needed more products for civvy street. The first was the Peterbro spark-ignition tractor and then in 1921 an undertype steam wagon with transverse boiler and high and low pressure cylinders on either side of the chassis designed by CH Mann, who had created the Mann Steam Cart. Schweppes operated the first but after the Yorkshire Patent Steam Wagon Co had allegedly complained that the boiler layout infringed its own patents, Peter Brotherhood seems to have done little to promote the vehicle. Few seem…

I had known Austin’s father for many years as he was a regular attender at local rallies with his beautifully restored Austin cars and vans. Likewise I knew that Austin had inherited his father’s interest in all things mechanical, particularly Austin vehicles, a fact reflected in his Christian name! His dad Keith is a professional photographer and he is often to be seen travelling to a local photo-shoot in his Austin 7 van. From an early age Austin helped his dad with various restoration jobs and, with his father’s encouragement, was quick to learn various practical skills. He went with his family to many local vintage rallies and very soon he wanted to join in the fun. One day Jonathan Vartan visited the Hawkins family home with his Fowler DNC…

Got a story? Contact Old Glory • Email: peterlove@madasafish.com • Tel: 01323 833125 The tragic explosion at a petrol station in Cresslough, County Donegal, which saw ten local people lose their lives on Friday 7 October, has revived memories of the Owencarrow Viaduct disaster of Friday 30 January 1925, which claimed four local lives and injured several more passengers. Local people and councillors were already working to decide how best to commemorate the centenary of the viaduct accident in 2025. The tragedy saw a 3ft gauge, Londonderry & Lough Swilly Railway train, hauled by 4-6-2t number 14, blown off the viaduct by gales, just two miles outside Creeslough on the Letterkenny to Burtonport line. The dead and injured were thrown towards the valley floor from one of the carriages whose…

OLD GLORY TAKES A LOOK AT THE 2022 AUTUMN STEAM PLOUGHING SCENE. A ploughing engine that could have ploughed on the very farm that made up the site of the 2022 Weald of Kent Steam Rally held on 6-7 August was back here in action with new owners R and V Andrew & Daughters approximately 70 years later. Under the expert guidance of Bob Watts and his team K7 No. 14256 KE3135 General French was put through its paces cultivating with its new owners for the first time in Kent and working very well. At the other end was Richard Wade and Bob Watts’ two-speed drum 1914 Fowler BB No. 14213, HK9840 Bob. The ground was rock hard owing to the scorching hot summer of 2022, but surprisingly the Fowler…

It was a pleasure for Old Glory to be invited to John Sheppard and friends’ Blakesley Vintage Working Weekend on 10-11 September at Poplars Farm, Greens Norton, Blakesley in Northamptonshire. Beside the excellent working machinery from horse power to internal combustion, there was a fine cable ploughing demonstration under the guidance of the very knowledgeable Mark Walker. However before we get there, behind this area was a high-class working going on featuring the Roadless Ploughmaster Appreciation Show, with 6/4s 1962-2022 (60 years) and its replacement the 90 (56 years). It was staged by Billy Wood with the help of Sam Chapman and of course the experienced Gary Rutter. It turned out to be a very well-organised demonstration of these famous pioneering four-wheel drive machines and everyone was having a jolly…

One aspect of Sevens we have not addressed yet is motorsport, the importance of which cannot be ignored. Gordon England’s exploits at Brooklands were crucial to the Seven’s development, and today it’s probably the aspect of Sevens most attractive to young enthusiasts. For evidence of that, we might look to the Gosling family: Stu, Lara and their sons, George, 21, and Fred, 18. Lara’s father has always owned vintage cars, including a trials Austin. She married Stu, then a design and technology student, while they were at university, and her father’s influence started to rub off. Before long, he desired a special of his own. His ambitions started taking shape in 2007, when he bought a 1937 Ruby chassis. Pairing it with Roach Manufacturing’s RTC aluminium body, he spent four…

Things were going well for IHC in the light to medium market but when it came to the heavies they were being outsold, not helped by using outdated tractor engines in the trucks! What they did was come to an agreement to use Hall-Scott engines and distribute ACF buses from their 150-plus branches across the USA. The model numbers were changed to indicate the much more powerful state-of-the-art Hall-Scott four-cylinder overhead camshaft, OHV 5.2 litre gas engine and larger units. The Hall-Scott featured an integral oil filter, something that Ford didn’t use until after WW2! The Hall-Scott gas engined trucks were numbered HS-54 to HS-104, but hardly any of the heavyweights came to the UK. In 1929 came the start of the Great Depression and luckily IHC had a very…