Steam Engines.

[daveh]

[Deleted]

They used to run the old steam threshing machines at a lot of holiday events here but I haven't seen one in operation in probably a decade. Nice photos.

W.

[olroy2044]

Dave--what FUN!!! Great shots. Thanks for posting! The shot of the lad at the wheel is priceless! Roy

[nikonbob]

Dave

Thanks for posting those, it is a sight you don't see here very often. I have seen a few here over the years but none running and/or in as good a condition. I would love to be at one of those events.

Bob

[daveh]

The big show is coming up in a couple of weeks - The Great Dorset Steam Fair: www.gdsf.co.uk/. I won't be going to that. I'm told that the show last Sunday would be lost in one corner of the Dorset show.

I must admit that I haven't been to to too many of this sort of show over the years. In fact none that had the couple of dozen full size steam engines that this show had.

As well as the steam engines, there were classic cars, trucks, fire engines, buses and motorbikes. Umpteen ex-army vehicles, many of them American, which seemed to have painted from the one pot of paint: universal grey.

There were also several fairground organs, bellowing out their wonderful sound, and the usual array of food, craft and auto jumble stalls.

Thanks all. I'll post a few more photos later.

Dave.

[Randy]

Great pics! We really didn't have road tractors here, just farm tractors.

[PeterW]

Steam engines on parade at Sellindge steam festival



Pity I wasn't using colour at the time.
PeterW

[photax]

Peter, as i looked at your picture I first saw a Kodak Duo 620, but now i see your wonderful photo.

Dave, Have many thanks for showing us your pictures ! I like the first one, my oncle drove such a bus ( in red ) for advertising purposes many years. I also like the child behind the wheel in the "Dave Gleave&Sons" picture. He would be very glad, that servo steering has already been invented I`ve seen only one of these events here in Austria. I think I`ve posted the first picture already at the "Competition" thread / I am not shure, I think I am getting old...

MIK

[daveh]

Peter, it looks as though the wagons are forming a circle to keep out the Indians.

Randy, I think there might have just been one that was a farm tractor - or am I mixing the photos in my mind with a combustion engined tractor with wheels similar to those in your photo. I'll have to look through and see.

MIK, Randy: while knowing of differing types of steam engines in Britain, there is some uncertainty how similar units where distributed around the world. Obviously they would have been used in many places, but I presume some countries have many more in use than did other countries.

[Doug T.]

Dave,
Those are wonderful shots!
We don't get to see many steam engines or technology around here. It looks like it was a great festival, and gobs of fun being there. Thanks for putting a smile on my face

Doug

[Randy]

My photo is a Case Steam Tractor, the owner not living too far away. I'm a member of the local antique tractor association, and we don't have any records of steam road units with rubber tires for our area.

[daveh]

Randy, that's interesting. I can remember steam rollers in use road making in the 1950s and even in the 1960s. I don't recall seeing any steam tractors working in earnest. The farming family I knew best had a couple of little (by American standards) diesel tractors. I think a Massey-Ferguson and a Fordson.

Maybe the next generation older than I would have seen steam engines working on the farm. They also might have been in use longer in other parts of the country, possibly Norfolk and Suffolk as the most likely.

I have just had another look through the photos. This is Mr. Blower, the only one I can find with steel wheels (other than the steam roller):

I don't think the grooves are deep enough for it to be a farm machine, as shown here:

[daveh]

Doug, it was a good day out, just about an hour's drive from home.

We live within easy striking distance of all sorts of things, from countryside to big cities and all stops in between. Britain qualifies as being compact and bijou. It's both an advantage and a disadvantage.

[Rachel]

I don't ever recall seeing steam agricultural machinery being used in the 50's even in Norfolk but certainly steam rollers were in common use during road repairs.

[daveh]

Rachel, my thoughts that steam tractors were last, or most used, in Suffolk and Norfolk was because of the Garret company of Suffolk which made the Suffolk Punch. I think we are both too young to have seen them in action.