High Weald Steam Working Weekend.
 

An excellent event. No program, no arena (and therefore no rigidly timed arena events with lengthy and often inaccurate commentary) no Hi Vis and unobtrusive barriers where needed. The site is laid out to promote vehicle movement, and there was plenty of that. Not many engines sat and boiled water all day.
https://i.postimg.cc/sXC6WNYf/Burell-3829.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/zv6RL9h0/Burrell-1563-4.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/HnXyfTjX/IMG-4556.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/bryPjTwg/Avelin...er-10574-2.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/kMpYCsG5/Fowler-9173-3.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/1XbZNZKC/Avelin...er-10626-3.jpg
All the engines except one were familiar to me, but Fowler 11799 wasn't. Nice to see one I'd never seen before, and quite an unusual engine.
https://i.postimg.cc/hGwFYBkS/Fowler-11799-2.jpg

I think that 11799 was built for some sort of WD requirement, and was, at one time rallied by Bill Druce with a long cab and dynamo. The perch bracket currently fitted appears to be fabricated from steel plate, but 'Originally' had a hydraulic boiler levelling perch bracket, the front wheels look a bit spindly so maybe the recorded history is not as accurate as it could be.

Was impressed when I attended last year. Hope to make a return visit next year, God Willing. That red Fowler has an interesting and rather unique front. Isn't there a similar looking one, in black, which was sold off at an auction recently?

Similar to that fitted to Fowler 12754 "Nightmare"?

Is Nightmare out and about at rallies? Haven't seen it for a while.

It also seems to have a very small boiler. I've never seen this engine before or even seen a picture of it.

Can someone please post it's history, type, story please? It doesn't look like anything I've seen before, I'm not stirring siht, just an unusual engine.

Broke its rear axle on the way to the 2021 Tinkers Park Steam Rally. Haven't hear anything since, so would assume it's going to be out and about either this year or 2024

As far as I know, it's fixed. May be attending local events.

I've got to be honest and say that 'Your Guess is as Good as Mine' on this one, the perch bracket currently on 11799 bares no resemblance to that on 'Nightmare', but whether it is what 11799 originally had, or has had in the past I really do not know. It is worth remembering that the lifting hydraulics on 'Nightmare' are currently inoperative.


'Nightmare' attended last years Orsett show, so has been out since the broken axle. The large castings that support the axle/third shaft bearings were replaced with new ones, the originals having been damaged when the axle broke, having previously been repaired from working life damage. The new castings are in steel and are certainly a thing of beauty, the patterns having been made by Roy Chapman

The TER states " First built as a three cylinder gun tractor".

I would suggest the TER is probably wrong. It’s a very interesting engine, so has rightly attracted seventy years worth of speculation about its origins. There are no signs it had a third cylinder, the cylinder casting has blank, unmachined, places where a third cylinder would have required extra glands and flange connections.

Much discussion here.
https://www.tractiontalkforum.com/sh...ighlight=11799

Again I can't say anything for certain regarding this particular engine, but I have seen photo's of three cylinder Fowler gun tractors with the third cylinder mounted tandem fashion, presumably on the H.P, cylinder, apparently 'Replacing' the cylinder cover, presumably there would be some steam connection to the 'Transfer port' between HP and LP. It is of course possible that Fowler may have fited a new cylinder when (if?) the third cylinder was removed, Just out of interest, did this engine come out of Hardwickes?

A first class event… how a rally should be thumbsup

Agree, a proper rally and a great day out. Huge round of applause to the organisers. Long way from my home but will definitely be making the effort to attend again next year. One query though, could some kind sole please confirm the ID of the Marshall portable? Cheers

Fowler 11799, this is what I have in my amateur records, I believe I have seen photo's from the 1960's as a showmans engine, also I believe it was at Dorset 2022 still with its dynamo and bracket.

11799 1909 E1 Class Compound Showman’s Tractor, Reg. No: HO 5609, 5nhp, 7 tons, “THE VICTORY”
History:
1909 - Built on 31 March as a tractor and sold to the War Department and used for gun haulage working with the Army Service Corps as No. ASC63.
1919 - Sold at an Army Surplus sale.
1919 - Purchased by engine dealer Jo Gale & Son, Winchester, Hampshire.
1920 - Sold to showman Nelson Noyce, Petersfield, Hampshire who converted her to a full showman’s tractor and named her.
1940 - Retired to the yard of Walter Seward, Petersfield, Hampshire where she was stored until sold for preservation.
* - Sold to W. Foster, Bognor Regis, Sussex.
1954 - Sold to W. G. (Bill) Druce, Bognor Regis, Sussex.
1976 - After Bill’s death she was sold to Les Searle, Horsham, Sussex

Hope this is of some help

Arthur (Arfursteam)

Thanks Arthur

Having checked back through my program archive, she appeared at the early Festivals of Transport at Hellingly in East Sussex as a showman's tractor..

I am intrigued by the historically accurate heavy haulage steam rollers.......
Martin

called having some fun I guess :)

Exactly! More entertaining for the public than a crowd in deck chairs sitting behind a big 3-wheeled kettle.

You did ask.

https://www.tractiontalkforum.com/pi...ictureid=68413

LOL. Touche
Martin

No matter what it was , you had the engine , it did the job , you wrote the bill .

There is even a historical precedent for enjoying yourself by messing around in a field on a traction engine.

And another :)

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FTTkQK1X...pg&name=medium

Must have been a bit hairy on the braking (or lack thereof) with smooth rolls.
Martin

As so often , it depends on knowing how slow to go .

While not heavy haulage.
 

We ran a number of diesel engined machines and lorries, some of them had very tired batteries. If there was a steam roller in steam we simply used that to pull start the diesel. Never had any problems . Regards David Powell.

I attended the auction in 1976 where she was in steam. As the previous lot was being sold a tube blew and you couldn't see her for steam! As I recall, the hammer price was £7,500, I don't think that there was buyers premium in those days.
Mike

She was at White Waltham in 1964.
 

She was in showman.s form. She looked tired and battered and made many noises which showed she was far from new. However, she was generating, I believe powering a small roundabout and its lights.REgards David Powell.

Where was this taken?

Russ

The statue of liberty was a gift from the people of France, was designed by French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and its metal framework was built by Gustave Eiffel. The statue was dedicated on October 28, 1886. It looks as though this is a model in iron.
So probably Paris pre 1886.
Martin

It’s the 1/4 scale statue given to Paris by the Americans in 1889.

https://www.tractiontalkforum.com/pi...ictureid=68425

Like buses.

Wish I had never mentioned heavy haulage rollers now!
Martin

P.s. Thanks for the pics, though.

:D:p

That roller is not on heavy haulage duties, it’s clearly on passenger duty ;)

Just thought of you!

https://www.tractiontalkforum.com/pi...ictureid=68429 Denmark.

Russ

Like all Danish locos it has the red-white-red bands around the chimney , from the Dannebrog , the national flag .

LOL
She's on timber baulks to stop her skidding though.
Martin