Sunrise or Sunset?
On the Road to Dorset!
On my travels with the engines going to Dorset.
Fowler T3 Steam Roller
Built 1923 Wks Number 15964 Reg number WY 7912 4-hp 8-ton compound.
This roller spent most of its working life in Yorkshire, originally a tar sprayer, working for Guisley Aireborough District Council .
Finishing its working life in 1964 it was purchased by the owners late father. The roller has had several restorations since, which are ongoing, despite its immaculate appearance. The engine takes part in many road run events around the area.
2013 saw it make another visit from its Swindon base, on the road, to The Great Dorset Steam Fair over two days to particiapte in the world record attempt. This in itself is a hard job being equipped with metal rollers rather than rubber tyres so the driving was tackled with relief crews travelling with it.
Rushton Proctor Steam Tractor
Wks Number 30472. A full size replica of one of 3 single cylinder tractors made in 1906. This engine was built from original works drawings over a 14 year period.
All three original engines were scrapped, although a later built compound version survives. This engine travelled with Independence to GDSF.
Mercury
Built 1910 Number 28410 - Reg No 1186
The engine was supplied new to an East Anglian Agricultural contractor. It spent all its working life in Essex and Suffolk and was semi retired in 1948,
Mercury has had several owners until purchased by its present owner in 1985. The engine attends almost all its rallies, under its own steam and its nothing for it to travel over 300 miles in a season.
I had the pleasure of travelling with it to GDSF 2017.
Cornwall to Dorset by Steam
'Clinker's Challenge' - 2015
Wisbech to Dorset by Steam
Friday 22nd to Sunday 24th August, 2014
The 1927 Foster showman’s tractor No 14589 Lord of the Isles took the 200 mile journey from Wisbech to the Great Dorset Steam Fair by road.
The crew were raising money for Myeloma UK. Myeloma is the second most common form of bone marrow cancer, with approximately 4,700 people diagnosed with the disease every year. The charity was chosen by the owner as his grandfather, the former owner of the Foster lost his battle to the disease in February 2007.
Martin Oliver, Managing Director and Show Organiser of the Great Dorset Steam Fair put £1000 towards the charity collection which gave the fundraising a great start.
Martin also agreed to be the main sponsor.
Despite losing a day, with what was almost, a very serious break of the vital steam gear, the engine was repaired and continued to finish the run almost on time. I was able to record its last day of the journey, as the engine travelled along with Verity, the engine that makes the Hungerford to GDSF journey every year.
Print
Sitemap
This website and its content is copyright of DCRH - © DCRH 2023. All rights reserved. Any redistribution or reproduction of part or all of the contents in any form is prohibited other than the following: • you may print or download to a local hard disk extracts for your personal and non-commercial use only • you may copy the content to individual third parties for their personal use, but only if you acknowledge the website as the source of the material. You may not, except with our express written permission, distribute or commercially exploit the content. Nor may you transmit it or store it in any other website or other form of electronic retrieval system.
