Traction-Talk - Great Dorset Steam Fair 2008 (Large Images)

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- - Great Dorset Steam Fair 2008 (Large Images) (https://www.tractiontalkforum.com/showthread.php?t=3943)

Some more photos for you.

Our Forum is down at present, my photos are loaded up and I have no one to show them to.

When the Forum is back click on the link below for Steam, Horses, Trucks, Cars, Tractor pulling ,Views, ETC.

In the meantime here is a selection, click on the photo and scroll for the largest size .

View from the big wheel.

http://i34.tinypic.com/sdfyav.jpg

2 Engines on Rail loco.

http://i36.tinypic.com/2zyzs4m.jpg

4 Engines on Rail Loco.

http://i33.tinypic.com/33zb8td.jpg

Night Showmans line up.

http://i35.tinypic.com/b870ar.jpg

Castle Sentinel

http://i35.tinypic.com/59zzd.jpg

Vanguard.

http://i36.tinypic.com/2lmap6v.jpg

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steam Scenes (Post 32619)

Two are in Thursford, 2780 "King Edward VII" (the oldest Scenic) and 3827 "Victory", no chance of getting them out. I stand to be corrected but I don't think they received any boiler work when restored, they certainly don't have tickets.

The other one, 3884 "Wonder Gladiator" is in Country Life Museum in Devon. When I went in May it was on display and I understand it is steamed fairly regularly, see attached pics.

It isn't beyond the realms of possibility that GDSF could get 3884 out, after all Country Life's other Burrell 3711 "King of the Belgians" was at this years show. I understand the owner doesn't like 3884 going on a low-loader however.

I was talking to the Driver of this at Torbay and what i was told 3884 is steam worthy and does get steamed up regularly. But i know that the owner does not rally King of the Belgium's yet because he hired 3 men to fix it up and restore it and play with it after and there all on contracts and it is not kept at the Museum and it kept at his big house in a shed with 3 others that are steamable but im not sure what they are or if they been in the Museum before. I have seen 3884 steaming and i was told it did visit rallies many years ago. But like David said he does not like taking it on a lowloader. Im sure there are many a guy that would steam it to him for him. I think that one would be the only other one you could get. They tried to get the Gondallors at Dorset but failed, it might just be me but i much rather see the ride steaming at a fair then inside a dark museum and the same with the engines. Have they ever visited a rally ??

Gladiator at Exmouth was given a major restoration back in the early 1990s - I know 'cos I wrote about it at the time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by steaming my way (Post 32666)

King of the Belgians was restored by Gordon Bruce, Robert Harrison and Stuart Clark. Robert has looked after the engines at Exmouth for many years. I don't think that John Lee needs 'many a guy to steam it for him' - Gordon, Robert and Stuart are as capable as anyone to do the job - that's why they are allowed to take King of the Belgians to events..... And I don't think that they were 'hired ..... to play with it' either. I believe that all three engines kept at the owner's house have been in the museum in the past. Finally, the owner used to rally his engines himself, at a number of events, including Dorset in Stourpaine days.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pride of Somerset (Post 32675)

Sorry i think that was badly set

I was merely pointing out that they had been ask and chosen to restore it as of the good jobs they have done. The man i spoke to ( cant remember which one) said that he was hoping that they had taken a bit longer as expected to restore and was hoping as he put it to "play" with it a bit after the hard work they put in. As he said that it was a three year contract to restore with it and rally it on behalf of John Lee and The World of Country Life. And i must say that they did a really good job. I know he does not need anyone to play with it as he steams it himself too.

Sorry if this has offended anyone or the owner !

Robin

the gondalos went to the first great dorset steam fair

I remember seeing one of the Thursford engines in steam when I was younger, probably at a Christmas Party. Can't remember much detail because that was a long time ago !!

The Gondolas attended the first event when they were still owned commercially by the Cole Family, before they went to Thursford. It would have been very difficult indeed to extract them from the museum for Dorset, find some means of transporting them and enough people with the knowhow to build them up and operate them properly. Incidentally the engine in them has not seen steam for years either.

The Burrells at Thursford are, boilerwise, pretty much as they finished work, most if not all were steamed during earlier years at the museum, and at the Thursford rallies.

Gladiator (3884) attended many East Anglian rallies in the 60s/70s when it was owned by Edgar Shone and driven by the late John Downs.

I last saw Gladiator 3884 in steam whilst on holiday on my one and only visit to Powderham Castle rally in 2003. Don't know if it arrived on a pram or under her own steam.