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Astle Park - what were your favourites

All,

I thoroughly enjoyed Astle and regretted that circumstances prevented me taking the S type there. Enjoyed chatting with some NG men I'd not encountered before, and some I had.

Now then, someone had to start it. What were your favourite engines at Astle Park?

I've come up with a few classes and will give my two choices for each one

Could watch it for hours: Wayne Timms vertical Campbell, The little Gardner OVC

Runnin' like a new un: (I admit NG favouritism here) Philip T-E's Atomic and Mark and Fran Drake's Titan.

Working exhibit: The crane near the beer tent and the big Blackstone driving the wire chopper.

I want it: The Lister K and the 15 hp Petter S type, oh and that big Ingeco and the ... and also...not forgetting..and so on!

Original charm: The big Bentall Pioneer and the Irish Lister Bruston set

I could never have restored it like that: The vertical Blackstone (he put in a new crankshaft!) near Philip's engine and the vertical Bentall.

I'm sure some of the rest of you will think of some other classes

Regards, Arthur G

Reply to
Arthur Griffin & Jeni Stanton
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Would buy the soundtrack album: Hamworthy

I'll have to think about the others - simply too much mouth watering stuff to choose from!

BTW if the vertical Blackstone to which you refer is Len Gillings' then it really did start as a rusty wreck - I think the crankshaft was just too far gone to be salvageable.

Reply to
Nick H

I have to agree with you Arthur the Campbell was something to behold. I had a brief chat about it with Mr Timms as I was directly opposite him. On Saturday the weather conditions were causing us both siimilar problems as the wind blew out his gas burner for the hot tube it cooled down the hot bulb on my Shanks too quickly.

Other than that I liked the Ruston-Proctor portable that has come back from Argentina. It had a lovely exhaust note. The big Crossley SS on the lorry is always up there partly just because of size.

The Hornsby made under license in France with the pickering governor was very interesting and had to get the award for the slowest running engine. I think we counted it firng once every 11 or 12 revs.

All in all plenty to suit all tastes and on the whole well displayed. I still think though we could all make an effort towards more working demonstrations other than the small pumping and lighting sets. The most common lay question I was asked was what did it do? The best way is to demonstrate. If there is a next time I think the saw bench will be coming and a large supply of wood.

John

Reply to
John Macdonald Smith

It had been left out in the rain for over sixty years, and part of the crankshaft had wasted away to half its original diameter. To have the new one made was well in excess of £1000... but as far as is known this engine is a unique survivor. Only six of the twin flywheel ones were ever made.

Regards

Philip T-E

Reply to
Philip THornton-Evison

Here is another twin flywheel one in even worse condition:

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has had the missing bit cast:
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hopefully one day it will all be back together:
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just wish it was in my collection :)

Reply to
Patrick M Livingstone

Finally had a chance to review some of my photo's and (aside from the obviously covetable large open crank stuff) three of my favourites, which I would put into the 'dont see many of those' category, were: the Enfield 'sloper' diesel, Glasgow sleeve valve (either of which I'd happily make space for) and the John Deer pontoon bridge engine. I have put pics of these on webshots.

Reply to
Nick H

"Nick H" wrote (snip):-

'Infernal combustion' album

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-- NHH

Reply to
Nick H

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