McLarens at the 150th A&P Show Chch NZ
 

A very good turn out for the 150th Christchurch A&P show. Good weather for the 3 days but a bit of a cool breeze from the east. Earle Warwick had done a great job to have a stand of W.A.McLaren agent to have 4hp (1834roller) 5hp (1266) 6hp (1174) 7hp (919) 8hp (1719) and 10hp (957) as well as our McLaren plough.

Hi Garry

The usual request, will there be photo's to follow

Thanks
Arthur

Hi Arthur, I hope John W or Earle will put some up as mine got stolen. I was hopeing someone had picked it up and handed it in, But no luck. I should all so say that John Hawkins had the Sawmill display there and Calder family with the big Mill.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdVczY-WJKU

I don't own a camera, so no photos from me unfortunately, but if I've done this correctly, here's the video of us heading in there.

Thanks, a good video. Nice incline up from the traffic lights, made them work a little.
An unusual threshing drum with the elevator attached, keeps the engine people dry.
Nice to see the recently acquired Sentinel wagon out and about (ex Rory Wolfe)

Arthur

I think Sam had half a Red light. Bit of a laugh.

Some photos courtesy of Dads camera.

First up, our regal visitor
http://www.tractiontalkforum.com/pic...pictureid=9070

A view of the stand
http://www.tractiontalkforum.com/pic...pictureid=9069

Another view of the stand
http://www.tractiontalkforum.com/pic...pictureid=9068

Early on Friday morning before the punters arrived
http://www.tractiontalkforum.com/pic...pictureid=9067

A view of the sawmill in action
http://www.tractiontalkforum.com/pic...pictureid=9066

Do you have any more photos of the Mclaren Roller?

Afraid not sorry. But with any luck I might have some more photos coming my way from a couple of other people later in the week, so I'll put some up then.

A few photos of Peter Buttericks McLaren Roller No 1834 Back in 2004.
http://www.tractiontalkforum.com/pic...pictureid=9083 http://www.tractiontalkforum.com/pic...pictureid=9082 http://www.tractiontalkforum.com/pic...pictureid=9081 http://www.tractiontalkforum.com/pic...pictureid=9080 http://www.tractiontalkforum.com/pic...pictureid=9079

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

http://www.tractiontalkforum.com/pic...pictureid=9567

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


http://www.tractiontalkforum.com/pic...pictureid=9568

Not far from Hawkins yard. A hot day!


http://www.tractiontalkforum.com/pic...pictureid=9569

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


http://www.tractiontalkforum.com/pic...pictureid=9570

Heading through the outskirts of Christchurch


http://www.tractiontalkforum.com/pic...pictureid=9571

No. 1174 and Hawkins accommodation


http://www.tractiontalkforum.com/pic...pictureid=9572

Burrell 3130 and the flitches for the sawmill


http://www.tractiontalkforum.com/pic...pictureid=9573

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


http://www.tractiontalkforum.com/pic...pictureid=9574

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


http://www.tractiontalkforum.com/pic...pictureid=9575

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


http://www.tractiontalkforum.com/pic...pictureid=9576

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


http://www.tractiontalkforum.com/pic...pictureid=9577

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


http://www.tractiontalkforum.com/pic...pictureid=9578

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


http://www.tractiontalkforum.com/pic...pictureid=9579

Just prior to heading off for the Wednesday machinery parade


http://www.tractiontalkforum.com/pic...pictureid=9580

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.


http://www.tractiontalkforum.com/pic...pictureid=9581

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


http://www.tractiontalkforum.com/pic...pictureid=9582

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


http://www.tractiontalkforum.com/pic...pictureid=9583

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


http://www.tractiontalkforum.com/pic...pictureid=9584

Hawkins portable sawmilling display


http://www.tractiontalkforum.com/pic...pictureid=9585

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.

thanks for sharing the photos, brilliant to look at the end of the year, roll on summer.

Chris.

We hang the tyres off our gantry crane and cut them out with a chainsaw after carefullmarking out. Its a good theory to borrow one from someone that you dont like, as they are pretty knackered by the time you finish. Lol.
I always understood that the big single lamps were used when threshing into night time as it would light up the area where the bag handler was working and they could get the bags off before they were tooooo full and keep a carfull watch on what was happening.

Brilliant photos, you guys do a good job of it!

Could you neaten up the tyres by cutting them oversize before fitting to the wheel ,then trimming to the wheel rim after? I know this means cutting twise & may be not practical?

Crikey, over eighteen hundred views! Who'd have thought half a dozen old McLarens would have commanded that much attention?!

Well their must be a lot of McLaren fans out there. Maybe we should do Marshalls in a few years time.

Your Mc Larens seem to be very well kept, we have an old single cylinder Mc Laren and is a lovely soft thing, do you have any early ones that run over there? ours was built in 1882 but is rather much like the old broom.

Yeah, we have a couple of oldies. No 2, which was at Dorset a couple of years ago, but is pretty derelict, although in a shed now waiting patiently. The only runner is No 227, which FTR3456 will be able to tell you more about,and lives at Shantytown on the West Coast, and another of similar age in Southland which is derelict but complete. A slightly younger runner is 455, a three shaft compound in the north island.

227 is having boiler work done. We replaced the old boiler with a 1902 A&P boiler and it went to its 1st rally in 1979. We had a friend who had a ride on your Mac (127) 20-30 years ago and he said it looks,rides and sounds the same as 227. I have seen 455 running and the gears sound just the same. I think thats why they were called ding a ling. 514 which is in the North Island would be one of the first 4 shaft but I think 520 is a 3 shaft?

Number 220 is listed in the NZ register as being built 1886. It is actually in Otago and visible from SH1, if you know where to look. I have a photo of it but would need to scan it to post it.

John

In the boiler records it has 227 1st ticket in 1884 along with Fowler 4719 which is in the UK somewhere. Speed. 227 does 8mph on the road.10 if you push it.

Sounds right, ours flies do you have any pictures?

Cheers