Northleach Steam and Vintage Show

[Gordon Bennett]

Yesterday (Saturday 2nd September) I visited the small rally at Northleach in the Cotswolds.

About a dozen engines were there and these included only one roller, two Burrell Road Locos, a Garrett 4CD and Fowler Showmans Supreme. The rally has a good atmosphere and a site that has real potential as it is on a hill. Unfortunately as it is at the moment, there is very little engine movement at all - some engines did not move during the time I was there. Others moved about 50 yards to get coal/water. There is an excellent wood sawing area with two saw benches of different types working, both powered by steam.

I met up with people I already know from T-T and I introduced myself to others who visit this site. Some very interesting conversation followed about engines and matters connected to restoration.

Below are a few photos taken yesterday. Hawkes really does look very nice indeed, a very impessive machine. Rich - you should be very proud of the engine! I would also like to thank those who made some very positive comments about my artwork after I showed them my portfolio.

Michael - the traction engine artist.

[00000]

I would say a nice selection of engines. I like these relaxed little rallies.

[Gordon Bennett]

Originally Posted by 00000

I would say a nice selection of engines. I like these relaxed little rallies.

Fair comment, but can you have both a relaxed atmosphere and some sort of activity happening to keep enthusiasts/ visitors happy at the same time? With the rally field being somewhat undulating - and ground conditions permitting, engines doing a circuit with an appropriate trailer of some kind would have been quite something. It would make the event something special instead of it being an average rally where nothing moves all day. If I did not know a good number of the engine people there, I would have been disappointed with the show - because of the lack of engine movement. The engines that were in attendance prove that it is quality over quantity that matters - perhaps something for the organisers of GDSF to think about with talk of 500 engines next year.

Anyway, here are three more photos; two of Hawkes and one of Diamond Queen. I have used a "soft focus" technique on this last photo... Ok, that is bollocks, the picture was taken quite late in the day and the light was rapidly changing - and I was trying to hold the camera with one hand only...

This engine has a few earlier Burrell features - the perch bracket and two ball governor. The jack under the rear wheel - is this to tension the belt...???

Michael

[Tractoral]

I think the jack is to stop the bounce or rocking motion of when its driving the machinery and loosing tension in the belt however i may be wrong

[tenor]

Some lovely engines there and well turned out, not over bulled, but that "small rally" was bigger than the biggest Scottish rally I have attended this year,

I think Scottish engines fly south for the summer................

Martin

[max]

Originally Posted by Tractoral

I think the jack is to stop the bounce or rocking motion of when its driving the machinery and loosing tension in the belt however i may be wrong

The jack is there to tension the belt, here is a bit of video from the working area sawing oak beams with Burrell Diamond Queen, also towing Martins portable off site at the end of the show on Sunday