‘Oron’, 11 Avenue Road ,Chelmsford, Essex, England CM2
9TY
Once again this event was a great success, held during very good
weather over five days in September 1990. The site covers over 500
acres and it is estimated that nearly 200,000 people went to see a
wide variety of exhibits as well as to wander around the 12 acres
On show were nearly 200 steam engines including Showmans
engines, heavy haulage road locos, threshing engines, steam wagons
and tractors, ploughing engines and steam rollers. Over 50 scale
models of engines were in steam. Of the 275 commercial vehicles, 65
were Scammells. There were also over 100 military vehicles, 200
tractors and 250 vintage cars and motorcycles.
A number of exhibits originated in America or had American
interest, with pride of place going to a Case 12 NHP steam compound
traction engine number C632. It was built in 1907 and had Grouser
spoked wheels front and rear. It was imported from the USA around
1978 and is the only one of its type in the United Kingdom. It was
built for the American market, is unlagged, and was designed to be
steamed up to 130 psi. It was in steam five years ago but does not
now have a current boiler certification.
On static display was an International Mogul made in Chicago in
1917; its factory number is BC 2535. David White bought it in
Canada in 1989 and shipped it to England where he carried out a lot
of restoration work. He rebuilt the axles and fitted new bearings,
the steering gears were re-profiled, and David made a new silencer,
clutch linkages and levers and rebuilt the gear box. It has an 11
litre single cylinder petrol-paraffin engine running at 400 r.p.m.
It has water injection to improve ignition of low grade fuel. Rated
at 10-20 horsepower, it has two forward speeds and one reverse.
This was its first major rally since restoration.
Phillip Hopes of Reading had entered a Stanley Steam Car in the
steam tractor section of the rally. It was a 10 HP model EX
Runabout Reg. No. DS 7831. Built in 1908 it was originally owned by
Maynard Leighton, consultant engineer to the Stanley Museum in the
United States. It went next to the Rev. Stanley Steamer Ellis,
author of Smogless Days, and of the West Palm Beach Motor Museum in
Florida, from where it was imported into the U.K.
An exhibit that attracted a lot of attention was the first steam
driven vehicle to travel around the world. It was a 1926 built
Foden 50 HP, 2 cylinder, steam truck with rubber tyres. It had been
found on a farm where its body was being used as a chicken coop and
its boiler to cook food for pigs. It took 10,000 man-hours of work
to restore it to a road-worthy condition. It left London for its
around-the-world journey in October 1969 and arrived in the USA
early in 1973, where it toured many states, covering about 8,000
miles out of its total world trip of 26,000 miles.
Pat Freeman is the Publicity Officer of the Road Roller
Association of Great Britain, and would he pleased to answer any
questions on rollers. The cost of joining the RRA is fourteen
dollars per 12 months and you will receive the journal ROLLING four
times a year post free. Send your remittance to Pat Freeman, at the
above address.
