I now have some photos from another quarter, so here is a small photo essay of the show.

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Our outfit on the road, heading to Hawkins yard at Clarkville on the Saturday afternoon prior to the show.


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Not far from Hawkins yard. A hot day!


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Raising steam on the Sunday moring at Hawkins yard. Mac 957, Mac 1174, a 6hp 3 speed single on springs, and 10hp Burrell 3130


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Heading through the outskirts of Christchurch


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No. 1174 and Hawkins accommodation


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Burrell 3130 and the flitches for the sawmill


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McLaren 1719, which joined us en-route not long after leaving Hawkins yard


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McLaren 1241 and Anderson mill. Anderson mills were a locally built copy of a Clayton


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Waiting for the lights to change on Curletts Rd, about a mile from the showgrounds


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The long and short of it after arrival at the showgrounds. 10hp no. 957 and 5hp no.1266


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McLaren 919, ABNZs 7hp 3 speed convertible, and FTR3456s McLaren plough and Duncan wagon arrive at the showground on the Sunday afternoon


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The stand on the Wednesday morning, before the crowds thickened up


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Just prior to heading off for the Wednesday machinery parade


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Lined up waiting to enter the arena for the parade. The bloke with the grey beard in front of the lead engines hind wheel was telling us he's a direct descendant of Robert Ransome.


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Another view of the line, taken over the cab of NZs newest Sentinel


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Leading the machinery parade. Traction Talks very own John W bottom right, snapping away


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Calders threshing display. This same outfit threshed at both the 100th and 125th shows as well


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Hawkins portable sawmilling display


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And finally, the Burrell Patent Barbecue and Pizza Oven Engine. Reputed to have been built in the early 1900s for an Italian customer, he unfortunately became the first and only documented fatality from sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia before he was able to take delivery. The engine languished at Burrells works for some years before being despatched to their NZ agents Reid and Gray, where it was used for Christmas parties and employees birthdays, as well as being hired out for bar mitzvahs and primary school prize givings. Out of use by 1961, the engine was found in 2009 in a derelict state at the bottom of a giant fish tank in a 1970s style restaurant, rescued for preservation, rebuilt and gifted to Sam Hawkins as a wedding present in 2010.

By the way, sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia is a real affliction, often incredibly debilitating in the short term, and I imagine every person reading this has had it at some point. Look it up.

How do you lot make such a neat job of your rubber tyers?
Are they of earth moving equipment with the side walls removed?

Chris,

I am reliaby informed the way to do it is not to cut them. You make the ring with the saws, then stretch the buggers on using a digger (or 2)

The latest trend for tyres fitted locally, when diggers arent available is to use a post driver to persuade the tyre (with sidewalls cut) off to go on.
The wheel has to be lying flat on a hard surface and leaf springs are used as tyre levers to guide the tyre on as the post driver monkey is dropped onto the edge of the tyre.

I think a set as neat as yours down there would suit our Mc Laren nicely.

How do you cut the side wall out so neatly?

I have just watched Earle's video of the engines out on the road, great footage. Two questions, 1) I notice you have just one light up on the smokebox, was that normal practice ? And 2) those wooden living vans are very different to our's. As you know I have a fleeting intrest in vans and would like to know a little histoy of them. For instance, are they what we would term roller living/ploughing vans, ? showmans vans ?or just home made vans,? either way they are very nice and spacious.

Mark.

In reply Mark, so far as I know...
1) I think so, what with the lower amount of traffic and distances between places, I don't think they would've operated as eagerly at night as the home market engines, plus being nearly all agricultural/colonial as opposed to road locos there was little need to travel so far, another reason not to bother much with lighting. This was due to the early comprehensive railway building program of the Premier in the early 1870s, so I guess rail beat road to it in terms of steam haulage of goods.
2) Yes, but better furnished, again due to most being agricultural engines
Anyone that knows otherwise please say so, I'd quite like to know myself now if I'm on the right track or not.

We are just in the process of cutting tyres at the moment. For front tyres we stand them up vertically suspended from a loader if necessary, mark out the width of the engine wheel on the tyre, drill a hole to get the saw started and use a reciprocating saw. It is like an oversize jigsaw with a blade about 125mm long. Longer blades are also available. It is helpfull to drive in wooden wedges into the cut as you proceed to reduce the friction on the saw blade.
For back tyres the last set I cut I did with the tyre lying flat. Again wooden wedges are a big help. You can steer the blade reasonably well if you take your time.

Great pics.
That little 6 horse is a beauty!

We've cut tires using various methods, latterly a chainsaw with a short bar and the rakes filed off the chain. Before that it was a gorse knife. The last one we did looks rather ugly, we cut it at the width if the wheel (20") but it came down to 17" once it was stretched onto the wheel, but it took quite a bit of putting on so we weren't interested in taking it off! The newest tire cutting method now favoured round here consists of a centre bearing which fits in the centre of the tire, lying flat on the ground, and an arm extending out over the face of the tire with a circular saw blade mounted on an adjustable slide. It is apparently a simple matter of strolling round and round the tire and dialing on a bit of cut every revolution. I've not seen it in action, but the tires it makes are very well finished indeed.

Most huts here are homebuilt these days, there's a few about from working days but most are reasonably modern, built onto old truck chassis. Ours (the big green one in the pictures) has seven bunks, although one is in the kitchen, a coal range with wetback for hot water, gas fridge (essential), the requisite storage for cooking and eating gear and of course a kitchen sink, and enough room in the kitchen for 25 people to comfortably have a party, more if everyone is reasonably friendly!

And yes, the 6 horse is a wee beauty. An absolute pig to get moving in top gear with a reasonable load behind, but a fantastic wee engine. On the video you'll notice it ticking over quite sedately as it comes up the overbridge from the traffic lights, not because it was struggling on the gradient, but because it was right on our tail and somewhat higher geared than us.

The headlights seem to be so other people can you! We had ours lit to head back to the stand in the dark after attending a bbq with the clydesdale folks, where Mr John W ably conducted a small fundraising auction, and the light it emitted was more or less nil. It was enough to reflect off street signs, but didn't seem to cast much light on the road. On a dark night though, in the absence of any street lighting, I imagine it might cast a glow on the road such that you might see where you are going, but the showgrounds had a reasonable level of light pollution from the surrounding burbs.