Strumpshaw Steam Rally 2002

One of the highlights of the 10th annual Strumpshaw Steam Museum Rally, held at Strumpshaw Park, near Norwich, Norfolk, on June 2/3/4th, was the appearance of Sarah, the 1920 Aveling & Porter Steam Roller, W. No. 9347, belonging to Richard Buck, a Committee member of the Road Roller Association.
This engine had, a few days before, taken part in the Woolpit Rally, in Suffolk, and had then steamed the 50 miles to be at Strumpshaw - but that is only part of its story!
Richard lives at Elvaston, near Derby, and he had already steamed  Sarah about 140 miles, over a period of six days, to be at the 'Woolpit Rally'.
On completion of the Strumpshaw event Richard expected to take part in another eight rallies before steaming back to Elvaston from the last one, the 'Power of the Past Rally' at Wantisden, Norfolk - a distance of about 140 miles.
Overall he will have steamed more than 600 miles and taken part in ten East Anglian rallies, covering the period late May to early October - a memorable achievement by both driver and machine. 
Another engine that had made a long journey from its home base to Strumpshaw was the magnificent 1923 Burrell Showmans Engine Quo Vadis, W. No. 3938, owned by Robert Cole, of Dorset, since 1998. Previously it had been used as the advertising symbol for the 'Great Dorset Steam Fair', travelling throughout the country to publicise that event.
The rally was well-attended by steam engines; around 50 full-size machines and 35 
scale-models. One of the former had just changed ownership as quoted in the
programme foreword, written by  Jimmy Key, owner of the Steam Museum, "I have just given the Buller traction engine to William because, at long last, he has started to take an interest in them". William is Jimmy’s son and both had worked hard on the Burrell , W. No. 2366, to get it into steam for this event; the first time in about 30 years that it had appeared on a rally field. Buller, named after the Boer War General Henry Buller, was new in 1901 and was acquired by Jimmy’s father, Wesley Key, in 1968. It was rallied for only a year or two before being laid-up.
Jimmy had nine of his museum’s engines on the rally field and all but one were in steam. This was the 1897 Marshall Laura, W. No. 28334, which was actually in a marquee of the East Anglian Traction Engine Society together with its Club’s sales stand. The engine was used by members of the Club to demonstrate the basic points of steam engine design, operation and maintenance. Incidentally this engine started life as a steam roller, but is now in traction engine form with back wheels taken from a Garrett 4CD Tractor and front wheels from a Garrett living van - a talking point in itself.
One of Jimmy’s volunteer drivers, Mervyn Button, was looking after the museum’s 1928 Marshall Steam Roller, W. No. 83270 - but for how much longer? 
He has just bought his first steam engine, a Class C Aveling & Porter Roller, W. No.10718, which he hopes to rally shortly. Its name was Co-Jack when he acquired it from Peter Britchford, of Northants, but he has already made up his mind to rename it Number Nine as it was No.9 in the Fleet of Bedfordshire CC during the time they had it from 1923 to 1961.

In the rally programme, under 'Steam Engines', entry No. 40 was given as a 1909 Foden Traction Engine, owned by Phil Retman, but it turned out to be his Clayton & Shuttleworth which he acquired from Australia about four years ago. Its history is still not clear, its W. No. may be 8920 although there is some doubt about it. It can be easily recognised as it has very wide rear wheels.
Also from the programme it would seem that there were three engines at the rally which are unique in their own field:
Also from the programme it would seem that there were three engines at the rally which are unique in their own field:
1) The 1901 Aveling & Porter Steam roller Sally, W. No. 4877, owned by Stuart and Kim Hart, of Suffolk, which was new to Finchley UDC and was at one time part of the Buncombe fleet. This is, seemingly, the only example of its type in preservation, having an inclined cylinder, an inside flywheel, and with only a single speed. 
2) The 1907 Special Aveling & Porter Steam Roller, W. No. 6340, which weighs 17 tons and was the only one of its kind built. Presumably its tonnage was responsible for its name of Big Bertha.
3) The Garrett Agricultural Engine Lou Lindy, W. No. 34045, built in 1913, which 
was used by Garretts as their Works engine before being sold, in 1922, to Leslie Cooper of Knodishall, East Suffolk. It is a piston-valve traction engine of which Garretts made very few and it is now the only one in preservation in this country, and possibly, in the world. 
Terry Young was at the rally with his immaculate 6" scale-model of Garrett Tractor Mr Potter, W. No. 31633. 
Terry had owned Mr Potter, which he rallied widely in East Anglia, until about two years ago and he built and presented the half-size engine as the original would have looked when it was at the Bath & West Show in 1913.
There was a good turn out of stationary engines, tractors, vintage cars, and commercial and military vehicles at this well-attended event. There was also free entry into the large steam museum where over thirty steam engines are kept, as well as a huge working beam engine, a horizontal pump engine a couple of mechanical organs and many other interesting artifacts. Other attractions at the rally included the 'Sawbench Challenge' and the launch of Pat Freeman's book 'Steaming Down the Ages'. Click Challenge and Book for details of these.

 

Three EATES honorary life-members were pictured at the rally. From the left: James Wales, Gerald Bailey and Pat Freeman. 
 
 
 

 For more pictures of this rally, click Pictures