Engine Notes

Compiled by George Coles for the Club Journal 

July 2009

The rally season is now in full swing and, so far, we are enjoying good weather. Kelsall, at last, enjoyed a fine, dry weekend. At that event I was pleased to see a fine new engine that has arrived in the Cheshire area. This is the Fowler single cylinder agricultural engine No. 8635 “Black Jack”, built in 1899. It was purchased recently by John Paulson from Helsby. This engine was offered for sale in Cheffins auction earlier this year but did not reach its reserve price.

Eric Marshall tells me that work on his engine is almost complete. The new boiler barrel has been fitted by Howard Bros. in Derbyshire, and the engine fully reassembled. They have steamed the engine and given it a trial run. It is now to be repainted, so it will be the late autumn by the time he gets it back.

Peter Walker and Diane Carney have now got their “Tarmac” S6 Sentinel back together again. The boiler outer shell has been renewed. They have had a trial steaming and everything seems to be okay. It is having a new coal bunker fitted at the time of writing and the cab needs to be re-fitted. They hope to be back in action by the end of July.

February 2009

My Clayton is currently partly dismantled at Johnson’s of Banks for a new tender to be fitted. It was low-loaded down there on Boxing Day afternoon following the Tom Barlow Run. During dismantling it was discovered that one of the planet wheels on the differential was running without an axle! As there is no way the axle could escape it must have been running this way since the last time the differential was dismantled. That was thirteen years ago! I am having a new chimney base cast for the Clayton as the old one is in a very fragile state and had done well to last out the season. Fortunately David Ragsdale has a pattern for a Clayton chimney base so I have been saved the cost of getting a pattern made. I am expecting to take delivery of this any time.

Alan Porter tells me that the crank shaft of his Burrell Roller No. 3535 has been successfully repaired with the assistance of David Lomas. It has been refitted at Banks and has been tried in steam. It appears to run okay, but there is still a bit of a problem with one of the bearings.

Richard Fairhurst tells me that he has finally got the firebox removed from his Fowler Roller. This has confirmed that the firebox crown was seriously thin in places.

David McNamee confirms that there will be another event at the Hark To Bounty, Slaidburn this year on June 13^th and 14^th.

There is a new event this year at Harrison’s Leisure, Banks, near Southport on 18^th to 19^th April. Several local engine owners are involved in its promotion. I am hoping that my own engine will be back in action again by then so that I can attend. 26 years ago, when May Day Steam started, I remember Bill Briggs declaring “You must be b...... mad running a rally at this time of year”. April is very early for an outdoor event. I wish them well!

November 2008

We are nearing the end of another poor rally season. For only the second time in 41 seasons of rallying I have had a rally abandoned two days before the event. I had spent the previous Saturday and Sunday steaming my Clayton all the way across Cheshire from Chelford to Malpas, burning coal which has cost me over £100. However, of Thursday, the inevitable phone call came. The field was under water with more rain forecast. The only bonus was that the chimney had not fallen off during the journey! On an earlier journey from Kelsall to Tabley House the chimney had developed a wobble. On examining it on arrival at Tabley, there was a long crack around one side of the chimney base. After the rally it was dismantled and found to have another crack on the opposite side. Fortunately George Hudson at Banks was able to weld the three parts back together, but it remains in a very fragile state and will have to be replaced. Does anyone know the whereabouts of a pattern for a Clayton & Shuttleworth Chimney base?

The Tender of my Clayton is now completely “shot”. It consists of much fibreglass and concrete and very little metal! After the Boxing Day run the engine will be going over to Banks for John Johnson to fit a new one.

Poor Alan Porter’s problems continue. While steaming to Astle Park the crankshaft on his Burrell Roller fell apart. It was a previous repair that had failed again. It has been low-loaded to Banks and, at the time of writing, as decision is awaited on the best way to effectively repair it.

At the Acton Bridge Stream Party a surprise arrival by low-loader was unique engine recently purchased by Max Cowap of Bartington. This is the John Collings No.2 Tractor. He only built three engines, all for his own use, in a workshop in the grounds of Bacton Hall, Norfolk. The engines were all unusual and to his own design. Most of the larger parts, boiler, castings, etc. were all bought in. No.2 is the only survivor and is a Tractor which was used for general farm work, direct ploughing, reaping, etc. on his estate. It is a tandem compound with very lightly constructed wheels. The boiler worked at 250 psi but is in a very poor state and will need extensive repairs. Following John Collings death in 1950, the engine was sold and from 1954 was owned by Ronald H Clark, the well known author of several books on traction engines. It was in working order at that time and he took it to early rallies in the Norfolk area. It has recently been owned by Richard Parrott but has been disused for many years 

Another engine at the Steam Party which I had not seen before was the Foster Traction Engine No.3610, an old single cylinder engine with the front axle set back under the boiler. It was purchased about two years ago by R. Prideaux of Heskin, Chorley but has recently been with Will Woodward.

February 2008

At least two local engines have been active throughout the winter. I came home from Manchester on the last tram to Humphrey Park one Saturday, about 2 weeks ago. When I got off the tram at 11.30pm Lee Fisk had his Fowler Roller No. 16078 ticking over in the back garden. The following day he was seen having a run through Urmston to the local pubs. He was in the company of Richard Metcalfe on the Clayton and Shuttleworth Traction Engine No. 48232, which he inherited from his father last year. He is now working for Ian Riley at Bury and is living in the Stretford area. He moved the Clayton from Macclesfield to Stretford a few weeks ago.

Richard Fairhurst has removed the tubes from Fowler Roller No. 16436. On examining the firebox he has decided it will not last the life of another set of tubes, so he will be replacing the firebox.

Eric Marshall is also in the process of re-tubing his Ransom Traction Engine No. 35247. I gather that it may also require repair or replacement of the smokebox and front tubeplate.

Currently I have the crankshaft out of my Clayton and the flywheel removed in order to get at the main drive pinion. It has been rocking on its keys for some time so it will require new keys making and fitting.

July 2007

There was very little of note to report at the present time, until today!

Alan Porter has completed the re-lagging and cladding of his Burrell Roller and it is now back in full running order. 

Eric Marshall tells me that his Ransoms Traction Engine No.35247 requires re-tubing and hydraulic test but that he and his son-in-law are too busy at the moment so the engine is unlikely to be out this year. 

Rob Houghton has some concerns over the crank-shaft wobble on his Aveling Tractor. There is too much end float which is causing the bearings to open up. He is trying to nurse it along to the end of the season before he sorts it out. 

Today we were taking my Clayton to the Budworth Steam Party. All went well until a short downhill section just past High Leigh Garden Centre. When Malcolm Hartley, who was driving, brought the reversing lever back to retard the engine, there was a loud banging sound from within the cylinder. The vibration was causing small jets of steam to be emitted from the safety valves and the Lucy Ashton nameplate came loose and fell off!  

After stopping the engine on the brake, and putting it out of gear, it was apparent that something was loose inside the cylinder. On removing the cylinder end cover, it was soon clear that most of the piston was no longer attached to the rod. Luckily there was no damage to the cylinder block.  

We had nothing with us to remove the large nut which holds the piston on to the rod, so I had to head off home to pick up the large stilsons, crowbars and anything which might be needed. I also brought the old piston which we had replaced last winter.  

Meanwhile Malcolm and Ben had removed the little end pin and the securing pin on the piston rod nut. We soon had the nut removed when I returned and we could then clearly see that the central boss of the piston was still hard on the taper of the rod, but the main disc had fractured off and was at the bottom end of the cylinder.  

I went down to “The Lock” to see if any of the enginemen there had a suitable puller. Julian Stafford had just the right tool at home and we duly collected it. The old piston had two drilled holes in it which had been used to pull it off the taper on the rod. While at Julian’s these were plugged up with some suitable threaded bar, with Clive Hearsey’s assistance. They were riveted over and locked in using some fine wire used for securing aircraft bolts.  

On return to the engine, the puller soon removed the central boss and the rest of the piston was blown out with a blast of steam. The piston rings were transferred to the old piston which was then fitted to the piston rod. After refitting the cylinder end cover and little end pin, the engine was found to tick over quite smoothly. So we were off again and arrived at the steam party about four hours later than expected.  

So now it is the inquest. What caused the failure? Was it a design fault? Was it a poor casting? Did most of the fracture occur when the engine primed very badly whilst leaving John Heselwood’s premises on its first trip? Perhaps it was a combination of these. The jury is out! 

Hopefully the old piston will keep us going until the end of the season.

February 2007

I have no changes of ownership to report since my last notes. Most engines are now undergoing winter maintenance and, in the case of my Clayton, we are looking at the cylinder this year. I had expected to have to re-bore it, as I knew the piston was a poor fit. When dismantled and examined the bore proved to be smooth and parallel, within a few ‘thou’. The piston rod has been skimmed and new neck bushes made. At the time of writing a new piston has just been cast and new piston rings are in hand. Neil Carney has also manufactured new rods and gland bushes for the regulator valve. Also in hand is overhauling of the injector clack valve and non-return valve along with renewal of some pipe-work.

One engine that is still active during the winter is Lee Fisk’s Roller No.16078. He has had two trips out to ‘The Urmston Hotel’ and last weekend he did a return trip to Sale Town Hall . This was a trial run for Saturday 3^rd March when Lee and Anne Metcalf are getting married at Sale Registry Office at 3.00pm. They are planning to travel both ways from Lee’s home in Stretford , on the roller.

Lee has been trying out some coal supplied by Rogers Coal Merchants at Astley Green. He reports that it is almost smokeless and burns very well on his engine so I am going to order some for May Day Steam.

December 2006

I am indebted to Alan Porter for information on some recent engine movements.

First of all, Robert Abram of Banks has purchased Fowler K5 Ploughing engine No.14060 from Canada. It came in a container from Canada, across American, and was shipped to Liverpool, arriving in early December. It is now at Johnson’s of Banks for work to be done on it.

Another Ploughing Engine on the move is Fowler No.15207. This was known to be for sale by Taylor’s of Rixton and has now gone to James Hodgson of Broughton Castle, Hampshire. 

I understand that a Wallis & Steevens No.2394 has arrived at Mike Priestner’s of Dunham Massey for restoration. It is very much a “bitza” having originally been a roller. The new owner is Nick Parker of Kingsley, Frodsham. 

Another engine move that I have not reported previously, took place in July. Alan Thwaites of Warrington purchased Aveling & Porter Tractor No.9354 from Graham Atkinson of Netherton, Scarborough. It is now at Brian Allison’s premises at Whixall, Shropshire, to have some minor work done on the boiler. 

Although Alan Porter’s Burrell Roller No.3535 appeared to be running well at the Acton Bridge Steam Party, the run from there to winter lay-up at Knutsford, revealed a knock which gradually increased in intensity. Subsequent investigation tracked it down to a loose High Pressure piston. A repair done many years ago had failed. The piston and rod have now been sent to Will Dakin of Sandbach, to “get it sorted” but the engine will not now be out for Boxing Day as expected.

Some good news just to hand is that, in November, Mark Walker of Wynbunbury finally got his Burrell Roller No.4069 back into steam. He celebrated with a run to the pub and back. It has been a long haul, after several failed attempts he finally got the cracked cylinder block repaired. 

Finally my congratulations to an old friend, Michael Armer of Cockerham, near Lancaster. He has won the Road Locomotive Society Reversion prize for converting his Marshall No.76831 from a tractor conversion back to his its original roller form.

August 2006

Alan Porter tells me that he has finally got to the bottom of the motion problems on his Burrell Roller No.3535. About 20 years ago he suffered a broken crankshaft which was successfully repaired. He has now discovered that the repair has failed and will have to be done again.

Both Lee Fisk with his Fowler Roller No.16078 and Richard Fairhurst with his Fowler Roller No.16436 are still struggling to complete the renewal of gear wheels, but hope to be back in action by the time that you read these notes. Richard discovered that one of the large wheels, which he was not expecting to renew, is in fact distorted and has had to be replaced.

At Tabley House I was very pleased to see two engines which have not been seen in public for a very long time. First of all Liverpool Museum (now called the museum of Liverpool Life) brought their Burrell Road Loco No.3098. This has been very nicely restored in its original Robert Bridson livery and looked very well. For a number of years in the 1970s it was on loan to the late Peter Froud and appeared regularly at our events. I think Peter would be very pleased with its restoration. I understand that, at the moment, there is only funding to take the engine out for this year. It would be a pity if it “disappeared” again.

Frank Lythgoe’s Foster Traction Engine No.12539 “Winnie” also appeared looking very well. It has been to John Johnson’s at Banks to be prepared for rallying again. I was talking to the gentleman who is running it for Frank (I have forgotten his name). He told me that he remembers the engine as a youth since his father owned the field on which the Lower Withington Rallies were held in the early 1960s.

March 2006

Work on the boiler of Alan Porter’s Burrell Roller No. 3535 is now complete. It has passed its boiler test and is now back on the road for the 2006 season.

Richard Fairhurst has had a new set of gears made for his Fowler Roller No. 16436. Work on reassembling the engine has unfortunately been delayed as Richard has broken a finger in three places.

Mark Walker looks as though he has finally solved the problem of the cracked cylinder block on his Burrell Roller. It has been successfully welded up and a hydraulic test on the block has shown no leaks.

News from Shropshire is that Roddy Swain has purchased an Aveling Traction Engine. I have no information as to its number but I am told it is the ex. Water works engine which is fitted with a spectacle plate. His Marshall Traction Engine No. 41151 is in need of boiler repairs and so is going to be off the road for a while.

Work on my own engine is proceeding when weather permits. The new smokebox has been fitted and all holes for the perch bracket, chimney base and boiler fixing have been drilled. It has been removed and will not be bolted up until retubing has been completed. Removing the boiler tubes proved to be much more difficult that I first envisaged. These tubes were put in at the boiler makers when the new firebox was fitted eleven years ago, and had been considerably over expanded, particularly at the smokebox end. Considerable butchery with a burner has been needed to extract them. This has revealed that the front tubeplate holes are now considerably more than their nominal diameter of 2⅛ inches. It looks as though my new tubes are going to have to be swelled further before fitting.