The very interesting Robey portable at the Dorset steam show. It is no. 49484 of 1942, 16 hp. It was hard to get far enough away to get a good photo. It was new to the Ministry of Supply home grown timber production and then to Calders Sawmill, Alnwick in 1962. It now lives in Newark.

 Here is Robert and Clare Bullens' Foden 12370 out on a local road run.

David and I visited the Strumpshaw steam museum. This is a fantastic beam engine. They hold a very good steam rally in May. Well worth a visit.

The STEAM museum in Swindon held an event last weekend. Pictured below is Burrell ' Ted Haggard' abd Clayton and Shuttleworth 'Lady Jean'.

More information above the STEAM museum is HERE.

Ian Hatch, who kindly sent me the photo above also recently passed his Group G, road roller test along with the West family, pictured below with their certificates - well done to them all !

Here is Sally Ann Dod lighting her 10hp Stanley steam car at South Cerney. If you get a chance it is very interesting to see how these cars work.

 

You can find out more at the club website HERE.

Congratulations to Steve who took his Marshall 12hp britannia portable to the Steam Extravaganza at South Cerney last weekend.

Here he is loading up, ready to go . .

 

We visited the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railway - the weather was fantastic. The new route from Porthmadog to Carnavon is wonderful - a must for see the countryside.

 

 

This engine was new to Mr Webb, Elm Sawmill, Charlton, near Malesbury and then passed to the late Mr Joe Powell of Ashton Keynes in 1965. it was sold last year and now resides in Devizes, its' home town.

The well known shape of 'Old Tim' - Burrell road locomotive 3197 in the tree lined driveway at Strawberries and Steam, near Swindon, June 2011.

 

1914 Marshall 65908 passing over the canal bridge at the bottom of Caen Hill Locks, Devizes. There is a flight of 17 locks here grouped together. The whole flight consists of 29 within 2 1/2 miles and rises 237 feet.

 

 New Year we visited Kew Bridge Pumping Station. It is always fantastic and we notice new details every time. This trip both the Cornish engine and the rotative beam engines were in steam. Our favorite is the 'Dancers End' engine.

If anyone has an engine like this needing a new home please ring me !!

 

I've created a 'Kew Bridge' gallery as a sub page for photos - have a look or even better visit yourself.

Martyn had a Birthday Party for his engine Bernado, 7195. he got a good fire going, the first for many years. Well done to him, he collected the boiler from us on the Tuesday and had her 'up on her wheels' for the weekend. Chile flag too !

 

Three generations of Goddards. And the Garrett 'dressed up' for the wedding of Tom Stevens and Miss Sam Jones. Toms' grandparents used to own the engine.

 

 

Thomas and his dad, David visited us. Here they are with Sam on the Garrett.

 

 

 

In June we visited the Strawberries and Steam event in Swindon. Here is 'Lady Jean' - a Clayton & Shuttleworth engine.

 

And this Ford Commercial caught my eye.

 

The Lister Tynedale rally photos.

A well known engine, Aveling & Porter 'The Pirate'.

Robert & Clare Bullens' 'Island Chief', Foden 12370.

 

 

The 1st Beaulieu Steam Revival was a great weekend. There are many photos already posted on the web. I've just added a few here.

A very smart Marshall 3hp portable with steam offtake for, I believe, a Marshall 'M' class portable.

A little Clayton & Shuttleworth portable. An unusual site. There cannot be many of these portables of this size.

The unique Grenville Steam Carriage of 1875. Built by R.Neville Grenville of Glastonbury, Somerset and now on loan from the Bristol City Museum to the Beaulieu Museum. It was in steam all weekend and taking passengers. It was a much more stable ride than it looked !

 

 

Tony has visited us recently. He is building a 6" scale garrett wagon and has borrowed some steam fittings. He returned the lubricator the other day and showed us his half size versions - fabulous ! We are eagerly awaiting his wagon in steam !!

The full size lubricator belongs to my Burrell roller 3047.

We visited some friends who were steaming their portable. She came back from Africa and is complete with a shute for feeding sugar cane. The fire hole door has a flap which allows the can through and then closes. Or you can open the door in the usual way

 

At the Great Dorset Steam Fair this recently restored Marshall 3hp caught my eye. It is very similar to one we had here earlier in the year. Pickering governor with v-belt eccentric and the extra tall chimney stand to accomodate this. It had very nice original fittings.

 

 

Just this week got my copy of 'Rolling'. Our 'Murphy' stars on the front cover. Photo by Derek Rayner.

The Road Roller Association website can be found using the links page.

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We took our Buffalo-Springfield and Aveling 'Murphy' to the Gloucestershire Steam and Vintage Extravaganza. This was held at kemble airfield and was a great weekend. Here are a few photos. I saw David of 'Steam Scenes' fame both on Saturday and Sunday so I'm sure he'll be putting photos on his site soon. Follow the link on the 'links' page.

Two road rollers I liked . .  firstly Armstrong Whitworth 10R2 of 1923. There are not many of these in preservation.

Secondly a very good looking Aveling but I didn't get the details. E-mail me if you know and I'll add them.

And now some portables . .

Robey 4hp 25961 of 1906 and 8hp 38818 of 1920.

Clayton & Shuttleworth 500004 of 1929.

 

 Jean Hirst and her family visited us on Saturday 4th July in her Foden which was a pleasant surprise. Here is 'Samantha' in the evening sunshine.

 

 

June  20th was the Lister Tynedale rally. Below is a nice shot of the Shiptons' Fowler DNA roller 'Elsie' 15813 with her display of road making equipment.

 

Following the visit of the Road Roller Association in early March an article has appeared in this months Classic Plant and Machinery magazine. 

 

Our local village held a ploughing match to raise money for the charity Dorothy House. James took his Aveling 14174. This picture is with organisor Jim Butler on the footplate.

 

 

On Sunday 8th March the Road Roller Association member visited our home as part of their AGM 'weekend'. Thank you to those you came and made out day enjoyable and to those of you who helped beforehand moving things around to make everything accessible, cleaning and making some display boards.

 

 NEWS See the 'Outings & Visits' Gallery for more pictures from the day.

Sam driving Aveling & Porter 12023 'Murphy' on the newly laid stone.

 

Here are a couple of photos taken by Miss Sam Jones. See the link to her own photography web page on the links page.

James Cummins and I 'stole' 1915 Burrell 3665 for a quick run round the playpen at the kemble show.

 

Here, a rare photo of father and son with Garrett 32122 'The Greyhound'.

 

 

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These next few photos were on Sunday 12th October.

Sam is very keen on ploughing engines and tries to get the chance, when he can to get on the footplate. Here he is on the Marriner families' engine 16646 encouraging his dad to be Fowler keen also ! Thanks to James for making it possible . . and the photo too.

There is a road run that meets at the Wheat Down PH just outside Andover. Several engines were there and this year it seemed like many more vintage cars than normal. Again, the weekend had wonderful weather.

 

These photos were taken on Saturday 16th August. It was meant to be the Fairford Rally, however the field was too wet and alas the event was cancelled. Many engines had already collected so there was a chance to extract them from their yard and have a run to the pub and then press on towards the trip home.