I visited the Banbury rally, held over the weekend of 24th - 25th June.
It was a special weekend for members of the Hockley Heath Steam Association, of which I am a member. Fowler T3 roller, number 21629 which is owned by the Association, appeared at the event, having been roaded to Bloxham over a couple of days during the previous week. The last time the roller attended the show was in 2003 and not long after, the boiler was condemned. Members of the Association successfully raised a significant amount of money to pay for the boiler work to be tackled. The repairs include a new barrel, inner firebox and areas built up with weld. The new firebox features Fowler's corrugated crown, as per the original firebox. The engine has also been fitted with a new canopy and tender, both made by Association members.
It is wonderful to see the roller back in steam again and an amazing achievement by a small team of dedicated members of the Hockley Heath Steam Association.
The first photo shows the roller on the road to Bloxham, having climbed the steep hill just after Tysoe.
The other pictures are all taken at the rally. They are all over exposed as this is considerably more useful to me should I use the image in one of my pencil drawings.
Michael
