Michael, you ask who Tommy was. Fowler 15710 was purchased for preservation in 1955 by the late Arthur Napper of Appleford. He named the engine "Tommy" after Tommy Yeo who was a threshing engine driver for Wilders of Wallingford. Tommy and Arthur were great friends and it was Tommy Yeo who taught Arthur to drive a traction engine. There are a few photos around of Tommy at the 1955 Appleford rally and as the engine had not been in Arthur's ownership very long the name Tommy is painted on the smokebox door. The present Tommy nameplate and number plate lettering go back to the middle 1960's when the engine was painted by James & Crockerell. Jeff
|
25th June 2018, 12:29 PM
Hybrid Mode
