Garrett's Suffolk Punch

[The Idle Fellow]

For those who didn't go to the EATES/Long Shop Museum film show on 19th May - and manage to avoid Facebook - the museum curator Stuart Hines had arranged for their Suffolk Punch to have its steam test that afternoon, giving it its first 'ticket' since 2000. He kept it in 'light steam' for our benefit in the evening.
The film covered the EATES Three Counties Steam Tour of May 1997. Here is Kevin Swann, the driving force behind the Tour, talking to Alan Hines, who may well have inspected the engine in the past. (I didn't think to ask him.)


It really is an extraordinary machine. (This is the back view.)


It may be officially called 'The Joker', but I prefer the unofficial one, 'Old Coming as it Went'.


The film included a brief shot of the engine in action, welcoming the Tour to the museum. The steersman was sitting on the seat (not yet refitted) whilst the regulator was operated by someone standing with his back to direction of travel! It seems that the driver would normally have reach over his left shoulder to get to the regulator.


Thanks to all concerned for a very interesting evening.
Bill.