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SODEM Road Run 2018
Well, yesterday (Saturday 10th Nov) I went to the SODEM road run and... at times the clouds were very dark and gosh, did it rain! And then ten minutes or so later the sky was blue and the sun was shining.
There was still plenty of opportunity for photography though. I can imagine some really good shots were there to be taken if someone was brave enough to use their camera in the heavy rain. I am not a photographer; for me the reason I take lots of photos is for my artwork. I often see my camera as a sort of instant sketch pad and I use it to record features and details that can be used in my drawings. The routes taken by the engines included some steep and challenging hills. The range of skills, knowledge and obvious experience by engine drivers was interesting to note. I would say most were very good but the odd one not so good. There seems to be a type of young driver these days who thinks he is driving a vehicle with a diesel engine and as a result they take a run at a hill. This doesn't really work on a traction engine. With the regulator open more than is ideal and a good level of water in the boiler, all that happens is the engine primes. It is usually in the wrong gear so they have the added dangers of changing gear on a hill. Watch some videos on youtube where Steve Arrowsmith is driving the McLaren to see how it should be done. A bit controversial for a Sunday morning I know but it has to be said. I chatted to several people who are members of TT; I showed them my portfolio and lots of positive comments were made regarding new artwork - not quite finished as yet but watch this space! Anyway, below are some photos I took yesterday. Michael
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Michael James - The Traction Engine Artist |
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Sadly so many road runs seem to remain under the radar. With Malcom Ranieri now sadly passed, info has just got harder to find out as Malc was always 'in the know' and kindly passed info on to other like minded steam fans.
If any TT members are planning to take their pride & joy out for a jolly or have a go at steam ploughing or threshing, it would be great if they would kindly put info /route/times on TT a day or two earlier so other TT steam admirers can enjoy the sight of their fine machines in action and maybe provide them with shots of the day. Who knows their engines might make it into OG or VS! Here's to keeping steam alive and on the road. cheers Adrian |
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Russ, this is how it panned out for myself. The first I knew about the SODEM road run taking place near to Hook Norton this year, was reading a thread in Discussions posted by Colin (Pedlers Mate). Collin asked where was it being held this year and Trystan posted a reply.
I started a new thread asking for times and in my post I said people can PM me if they preferred to do that. I had a couple of messages from people I know in the world of road steam and I felt I had enough info to make it worth going. On the day, when I was in the area, it took a while to find where everyone was. I had a rough idea of the routes and had made notes on an old OS map. I had a bit of luck as well; there was a group of men, all with cameras and where they were located there was enough room for me to safely park my car. This I did and I introduced myself to them... Anyone on here could do all of this up to this point, but the next part is unique to myself. When I tell people I am Gordon Bennett off T-T, more often than not they say to me "you are the artist". Once a conversation has started and everyone is at ease, then it is easy to ask questions like "where are the engines?" or "what is the plan for today?". Most people are aware of my illness so they know what the score is when they meet me. On Saturday, once I knew where the engines were, it was a case of finding somewhere to photograph them, which I was able to do several times. I would add that I found the day enjoyable but tiring. I will not repeat the exercise on my own again as it took too long to get back to what is now normal for me. I do get a little frustrated when my illness stops me from working on my artwork - and being tired makes my condition worse. I agree with Adrian totally - it would be good if members shared any info they had as to where engines will be. In fact, I will start the ball rolling... On Thursday 29th November there is Warwick Victorian Evening, held in the town center. Among the attractions listed on the website are traction engines, traditional steam-powered carousel and a Victorian Ferris wheel. It also mentions fairground organs but hey, you can't have everything... I know nothing about the event so if anyone plans to travel to see engines, I suggest they find out more for themselves, perhaps contacting the organisers is the best idea. Michael
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Michael James - The Traction Engine Artist |
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To my mind there are two kinds of road runs.
I suspect that posters here are talking about those with multiple engines. To my mind the problem with these is that unless the engines have a communal break, you will be very restricted in what you can photograph / video as you will not be able to get ahead of the convoy safely. Instead, try making contact with your local engine owners. It's not difficult, they will be regular attenders at a rally near you and often their rough locations are given in the programme and I've never been rebuffed. I've had some marvellous days out and with care it's rather like having a private charter all to yourself on a preserved railway. You can get a feel for what's possible if you look at some of the videos here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...mb9LDzN5nRVbGY It should be clear which are the 'private' ones. As you can imagine, they are generally too busy to get meaningful pictures / video themselves and are delighted with anything you can pass their way. A true win - win situation. |
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Whilst I take your point Rob, the 'annoying ones' are when you see a RR on TT that was say 30-75 miles away which would make a nice morning & afternoon trip out. These are the ones that slip under the radar and fall foul of the 'local info' ones. A simple heads up would be nice and make all the difference. Two examples posted this week, one in Herefordshire (posted - cheers) and the gathering at the Agm @ Diss (not pre posted - pity- may have got a new member or two).
As for road safety I tend to go in the reverse direction of the RR route and then double back on an adjoining route. I would hope all fellow enthusiast / photters by the roadside act in a responsible way on the road and treat the locals with respect. Most acts of road madness I see are by the boy/girl racers in hot hatches or BMW/Merc/Audi's in a hurry to the pub/golf course/shops which cause most problems or are mucking about on their phone not paying attention. Any way thanks to those who do post and I respect those who prefer not to. Happy steaming all. cheers Ade |
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Further to my post above where I mention Warwick Victorian Evening, PLEASE NOTE the following...
On the organisers website, where it lists attractions at the event, traction engines are no longer listed - the reference to engines has been removed. I assume therefore no engines are attending. It is a shame, I was looking forward to having a go at taking some photos of engines at night. Michael
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Michael James - The Traction Engine Artist |
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No need for EATES to apologise Adam. I'm not saying the East Anglian Traction Engine Society is at fault, I was just (possibly poorly) using the event as an example of an day out that was nearby-ish last week which some TT members further afield may have wished to see. Judging from the Pics seen on TT, I thought it was a shame it didn't get mentioned on TT. But hey ho that's life - no problem and I understand the reasons why. We see often some great pics of events on TT afterwards and think "pity I'd like to have been there if only I knew" . It's for that reason I requested members & engine owners to kindly post any advanced info of events if it's possible. Sadly we can't be members of all the excellent groups/ Society's around the UK and are therefore sometimes out of the loop.
The East Anglian Traction Engine Society puts on some splendid events, 'Crank Up' being a good example and I do hold it in high regard. I hope it was indeed a fruitful AGM and we can all look forward to some more splendid EATES events next season. I know as you say many people now use social media to post info but there are many on TT who don't use Facebook etc and therefore miss out on such events. The more info on TT, the better for the hobby I say. Sorry if I caused any offence - absolutely non intended. I wish your group all the best for 2019. As I said before, thanks to those who do post info on TT and I do respect those who prefer not, for whatever reason |
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Quote:
I do take your point re TT and other social media |
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