Welland Steam Rally

Gentlemen,
I am about to go outside and bang my head repeatedly against a wall, I have just spent the last hour trying to get Webshots from taking over my computer. Why cant they leave things alone aaaargh!
In the last hour I did mange to load some pictures of Welland for you all to look at. Any way where was I thump, thump, thump, thump I feel better now, thump....................
Martin P

A nice set of pictures and some interesting engines Martin. Your efforts are appreciated.
Regards
JohnR

I must apologise I would normally try and tell you what they are but my mate went home with the programme so I am stuffed until I see him.
Martin P
JohnR wrote:
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Sorry to miss you Martin (and Nick I think). Sadly my intestinal feelings about the weather proved more accurate than the forecast. Happily however today was dry and most got out this evening. We had shed most of the mud within ten miles :-) I doubt the local Highways dept will be impressed though! A very good rally which perhaps needs to take a little more care of its non-steam exhibitors....... ttfn Roland
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I bumped into Martin, almost literally as my mind was firmly elsewhere. Hope you got the battery Martin. I thoroughly enjoyed the event as it had many things I hadn't seen before, both traders and exhibitors. Sadly, there was less than I would have liked for the non-enthusiasts in my family. The fun fair obviously appealed but that was about it. However, I thing most of them enjoyed themselves. A certain 4 year old thought the mud was great fun. My poor dog wasn't so impressed, especially when I stopped her lying down. There was a rather nice looking steamer with a for sale notice. I did wonder about the £ it would take but, since the question was academic, it remained un-asked. I did get a chance to drive one of these beauties a few weeks back. Great fun and a chance not to be missed. On another note, my pass for Yesterdays Farming arrived this weekend. Any visitors there are welcome to look me up.
John

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Unfortunately a comment that can be attributed to many rallies. They (the organisers) don't appear to realise that we are (in most cases) the only exhibits that actually do something most of the day........ even if it is just a flywheel spinning around.
Regards
JohnR

Good evening all,
an excellent day out, which I would have been loth to leave but for getting soaked while watching the tractor pulling. Spent what cash I took on a drip oiler, wire brushes and a wheel puller. Stalls with shelter get very attractive when the rain is falling.
Nice to see Roland, Philip, Martin and Dan of the usual suspects. If you were there, Nick, as rumour had it, I missed you. I did see someone who I thought might be Helen, but I wasn't sure.
I've put some shots up on
http://community.webshots.com/album/409599792zsbLxC
They're not as sharp as I would like but when you've got Petterspots on the lens, what can you do?
Regards, Arthur G

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More than just a rumour, Helen and I were indeed there and sorry to have missed you. There seems to be a definite 'quality over quantity' feel about the engine line up at this event with many very impressive beasts - I've certainly never seen the tiny 1/8hp Otto before and there was a very early Blackstone with an inertia governor rather than the familiar Carter's Patent wobbly cam job. My favourite was probably the fluted hopper Aeromotor, particularly notable for the fact that the restoration hadn't been over done and you could see the appalling quality of the castings!
Has anyone else noticed that there seems to be an outbreak of strange French engines? Last year at Astle park there was one which, if my memory serves me correctly, was credited to "Fourgier Freres" and which I must admit I half suspected of being a confection of salvaged parts, at Wellend is the "Reform" (see photo 16 in Martin's webshots album) and then the "Pompanon" and "Securite" in Sept SEM.

Some photos at
http://community.webshots.com/album/409799688BXSLul
I was narrating at a Regia bash in Shrewsbury on Saturday & attended this event as a visitor on Sunday afternoon. We had an easy run to Welland in just under an hour from Hadnall, north of Shrewsbury on the A49. At the gate, my OAP fare was accepted without question, we parked at the top end of the disabled parking - were directed to it! - and saw all the engines, WW2 vehicles & motorbikes our little hearts might desire. I was much impressed by the working blacksmith exhibit, one CS driving a trip hammer, lathe, forge blower, pillar drill etc, etc through a frame supporting old line shafting. A true H&S nightmare! It must have taken a lot of hard work to build it all, get it on the truck, get it all off & set it up. Well done that man.
I was intrigued by the Sunbeam-Cooper engine from Australia - you don't see many o' they about in England. There were a number of Gardners I liked, any one of which I'd have been delighted to have follow me home, but my favourite must be the 1F, so pleasing in it's workmanlike grey jacket. I've never seen the little 1/8hp Otto before either, what a find for someone! Overall, though, I fancied the Hornsby "chain track tractor" model most, half scale, I'd guess. Ideal transport around a muddy site!
I met Roland, Dan & heard reports of others passing through, but saw only a couple of people I know from my own club. The ground was muddy in high traffic areas & Roland was doom meister for the afternoon, muttering darkly about everyone having to get out through one dark, small, downhill exit. If it was the exit I was pointed at, I fear his prognostication might have been well founded, especially when towing a trailer full of engine.
I bought two new ratchet straps for the baby Viking ship on it's trailer, a pasty & a bag of fudge. Hazel bought some earrings. Profligate swine, the pair of us! Having walked about two miles, we were away by 3.30, made an easy run home, catching a torrential downpour that lasted a single mile into Bristol.
A very pleasant detour off the M5 - glad I went. Looking through my albums, I realised that my presentiment that I'd been there before was correct, I've got pictures from 2002, amongst which are some of a sectioned Commer TS3.
Home to SEM on the mat - nothing of real interest to me in the classifieds, but it's noticeable that the number of ads is increasing now they are mostly free.
regards,
Kim Siddorn.

Thanks for photographing the info sheet Kim and reminding me that the little 'Otto' (the name I usually associate with this inverted vertical configuration) was in fact a product of Benz' Rheinische Gasmotoren-Fabrik.

Arthur --
Motorcycle needing a name is an Ivory Calthorpe, mid '30's. Looks like an ohv 350 or 500.
Liked the Blackstone O. About 95% the same as my SFC, so great to have so many good pix of it from you/Martin & Kim. Got the owners name from one pic, but no clear shot of build number...... Will make contact
with the owner -- I'd love to see the engine somewhere, but suspect it will be a long way from the civilization of West Wales! I need the motivation to get mine done, even 'tho SWMBO will make life a pain....
Colin

Thanks for the bike name Colin. I have to admit I've never heard of such a bike.
I did like the Blackstone, in fact much better than the earlier ones, which are all very much the same as far as I can make out. Glad the pics are of some use!
Regards, Arthur G
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I'll forgive you you old bugger, my mate Peter and I enjoyed the rally and the weather improved as we headed back to the East of England so not all was bad in the end. Saturday night I tested a brand new modelling knife and gave myself a nasty deep gash in the index finger so have done much since. All because its my Bro's big 50 and I am making a scale white metal kit of his E27N Major down to the rust stains on the block and a tarpaulin etc. Will take some pics when finished.
Martin P
Roland Craven wrote:
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All you guys together & I was all on my own at Flookburgh. For many years I exhibited at Welland (or its better predecessors) These days I go to the lakes. Flookburgh is a great show for the public. 4 different trailor fulls of entertainment. Ploughing, more stalls than anywhere I have seen. Five large marquees with crafts,models, hobbies & far more. There were 4 aircraft engines running every hour, 3 spitfire RR's & a radial. The people nearby were almost deaf but it did sound Bloo*y good. -- Dave Croft Warrington England http://community.webshots.com/user/crftdv
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tested a brand new modelling knife and gave myself a nasty
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No thanks! I don't want to see pictures of your wounded finger ;-).
Now you'll have to change your handle to Suicidemodellingman :-)
Arthur G

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In pic 25 is that some sort of mixer? I have noticed that many if the side shaft engines have a bell shaped housing at the forward end of the shaft. Is that the governor? Thanks for the pics. Regards Scott
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Scott,
The mixer was for bread and the bell housing is for the governer.
Martin P
Scott McAfee wrote:
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Thanks Martin. Regards Scott
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Gentlemen,
Added a few more pictures.
Martin P
Campingstoveman wrote:
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Hi Martin, what happened with your webshots? I have just tried to load some pictures from Flookburgh but it keeps telling me there was corruption on the pictures I tried. (They work OK on the computer)
-- Dave Croft Warrington England http://community.webshots.com/user/crftdv
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