Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2025 i Old Glory

What a way to introduce your lady to big power as she drives for the first time an amazing huge Allis-Chalmers HD21AC restored by the much missed Arthur Hinch at the superb Great Casterton Working on Sunday 21 September. As always this wonderful event on Brian Knight’s farm did not disappoint as we saw the best in vintage and veteran agricultural machinery in the UK, where entries are invitation only. It was in 1953 that AC purchased the Buda diesel engine company to give them their own line in engines. The HD21AC crawler was first seen as such in 1955 with the DS844 supercharged six-cylinder 844ci in engine with Twin-Disc three-stage torque converter with double reduction final drive with straddle mounted gears, which gave more grip to the drive sprockets.…

On the evening of 9 August at the Severn Vale Vintage Club annual show in Gloucestershire a male passenger riding on a vintage tractor was killed when it crashed into hedges and parked vehicles. The 20-year-old driver is under investigation for causing death by dangerous driving and driving while unfit through alcohol. The show was cancelled on the Sunday owing to the tragedy on Saturday evening. The police are looking for witnesses to the incident, please contact Gloucestershire Police. Please note that the law for vintage tractors in a public place is one person, one tractor, not two or more - it will clearly invalidate your insurance if something happens.…

Seen with new owner James West at the Bedford rally was 1931 Aveling & Porter L type tractor No. 12766 Orinoco which he has recently purchased from D Wood. It spent all its proper working life with Dumfries County Council before being sold into preservation with Jack Wakefield of Hetton-le-Hole, County Durham and has headed back to its native Scotland where James comes from. Besides this engine James also had his ex-Essex County Council 1922 Aveling & Porter F type 10-ton compound No. 10346 NO5892 Buster at the show where it looked good with its correct tin canopy and more. I am sure it won’t be long before Orinoco is in the same condition as Buster.…

Congratulations to James Allison and his new bride Leah Allison-Wright who tied the knot on Saturday 30 August in Whixall, Shropshire. It was certainly a ’steamy’ party with the bridal party arriving on Alan Painter’s Foden steam wagon. Mike Preistner was there with Fowler showman’s Evening Star and Edward Goddard’s team was seen with Burrell Endurance. James had his brilliant half-scale Fowler four-wheel drive tractor engine here and a Ford 4000 two-wheel drive. The event went on well into the evening and a good time was had by all. Old Glory wishes health and happiness to this brilliant engineer and his wife, the future is theirs!…

It’s sad news to report the passing of Goff Radcliffe at Cowbeach, near Hailsham, East Sussex on Thursday 18 September. He was 86 and had not been well for some years, but still loved to take part in local events with his Albion lorry, which others were asked to drive to the event with him in the passenger seat with his slippers on. Road transport was his life, having created an extensive theatrical removal business based in London in the 1960s and moved all the major shows, the Royal Ballet and opera companies around the UK and Europe. Some of his staff left and set up in opposition and became a big thorn in his side over the years. In the early 1970s he purchased RSJ No. 41046 6hp compound…

A number of road run and rally organisers are asking to see clarification of your insurance documentation when arriving on site. This includes lorry and caravan insurance, to your insurance on your tractor. A number have been found to be invalid and turned away by security staff and section leaders at such events. Do have your documents to hand and currently valid as things are certainly being tightened up in this respect and at one event 17 entrants had to be turned away and that’s just one example.…

Peter Love, Kelsey Publishing Ltd, The Granary, Downs Court, Yalding Hill, Yalding, Kent ME18 6AL Tel: 01323 833125 peterlove@madasafish.com GARRETT 35225 Dear Editor I was very surprised to turn to the letters page of Old Glory issue 419 and see a photograph and enquiry from Dick Bodily about Garrett 4CD tractor No. 35225 Lesley. I can gladly confirm that this plucky little engine did indeed do an end-to-end run which we titled Lesley’s JOG in 2006. When Dick’s wife took the photograph shown in the article the engine and living van had recently arrived at Lands End from John O’Groats. We eventually took the living van off and drove the engine around to the famous signpost for an official photograph marking the end of a fantastic adventure. We literally had…

After finishing the restoration of my Aveling Barford GA road roller which was featured in Old Glory I was looking for my next project, I knew I wanted another Aveling Barford machine and had always loved the look of the Calfdozer. They are a unique and these days very rare machine, but would I be able to find one within my limited budget which was also a later model and the diesel engine variant? I started my search online but all I found was a very poor condition early Dorman petrol-engined model with lots of parts missing. I continued my search but nothing turned up. One day a friend of mine contacted me to inform me that he knew someone from Scotland who had a Calfdozer with blade that he…

On the Baltic coast of Germany, east of the city of Stralsund, is the island of Rügen, writes Kevin Hoggett. The island is connected to the German mainland by a causeway carrying both rail and road links. The island is home to a very attractive 24km-long (about 15 miles) 760mm gauge railway serving some of its coastal resorts. Since 2008, this has been operated by the enthusiast-run Presnitztalbahn from Johstadt in Saxony. The railway’s main line, nicknamed locally as ‘Racing Roland’ runs from Putbus, where there is a large new workshop completed just two years ago, to Gohren via Binz. There is also a short branch from Putbus to the harbour at Lauterbach Mole. This section is mixed gauge; standard gauge railcars from Bergen auf Rügen, also operated by the…

Well with so much to get in the Stationary Engine pages this month there is not much room for COMMENT. My party and I had a great trip to the USA in mid to late August, where we attended four shows, collections and museums, including the sometimes forgotten Olds Museum in Lansing, Michigan, where his early stationary engines are featured. My first feature from that tour is the 1907 Snow 1100hp engine which I was so pleased to see together and running, as when I saw it in 2011 it was just a bundle of parts. In OG September No. 427 issue I mentioned the Howard stationary I had seen at Haddenham in 2023, as it had been entered at the 2025 show. I know a number of you went…

A s always there was a select selection of stationary engines at the Bedford Steam & Country Fayre 12-14 September. The star was Ricky Kemp’s 1937 Ruston & Hornsby PT Carrot Top, one of only 14 known to survive in its ‘tea leaf’ livery (correct), the very desirable engine created great interest. It was set up with a Bentall OCK riddle and looked a treat at the show. Next door was Ricky’s 1926 Jaeger 2S 2hp which worked in the USA with a cement mixer, which he restored 13 years ago. There was also a fine line up of Lister D engines and more at this excellent show. RICHARD LEE It is with great sadness we report the passing of Richard Lee of Knebworth, Hertfordshire on 31 July. He was…

It was said in the nothing but massive 1910 Internal Combustion Engines volume, which is heavy and large just to handle, that the Snow Steam Pump Works of Buffalo, New York were the first to make large gas engines in America. At that time they made their A type engines in eleven models, ranging from 400 to 2,500hp. Their designs were well advanced, particularly in the practical quality castings made. The Snow B range, which was made in single and tandem lines, featured nine models from 60 to 500hp. The company first came to prominence when they installed, in approximately 1903, the California Gas & Electric Corporation of San Francisco 5,400hp engines successfully. It could not have been an easy job to complete, particularly as the company came from the…

David Reed says Shrewsbury Steam rally is renowned for its display of traction engines, arguably the highlight of the show. But also popular, is the display of stationary engines, with this year’s event being no exception. Just under 100 engines were to be seen, most of which were working away, attracting large crowds over the bank holiday weekend. There was certainly plenty to see, with the Lister name being well represented. Starting things off were a selection or engines from Winston Roberts of Stapleton. The first was a Lister Junior A type 3½hp engine that was new in 1943, it was later installed on a farm on Anglesey where it drove a large water pump. Restoration took place in 2016, while also to be seen was Winston’s 1950 Lister D…

You are ALL welcome to join in, please do! If you have a story or pictures no matter what, do get in touch peterlove@madasafish.com Tel: 01323 833125. David Reed Editor-at-large - Former York school teacher who has worked with the editor since 1995 and has a wealth of knowledge on steam, commercials and tractors. Derek Rayner Technical and Vintage World Editor - Derek’s knowledge is extensive, a steam roller owner since the 1960s and a world traveller in search of nothing but the best. Bob Moorman Rally Archive Editor - This former engineering inspector is a fount of knowledge and has been rallying since the 70s. His own restos are award winners, as his ex-Kings 1927 Foden will be now that it’s finished! Mike Neale Diecast Models Editor – It’s…

The editor says: It was in 1901 that Burrell designed an undertype ‘Steam Lorry’, but nobody is quite sure if they actually built it. What is known is that the Thetford, Norfolk based company built four experimental 5 ton steam wagons in 1911, Nos: 3276, 3289, 3290 and 3303. They featured DCC 4.75 x 7 x 7.5in block and carried 53 1.25in tubes in the boiler. These wagons carried three-speeds through a convoluted drive system to a dead rear axle via double-chain drive. No. 3276 carried Ackerman steering and the other three featured enclosed worm drive. The company went on to make another 11 wagons with double-chain drive up to 1913. They were not classed as very good, especially No. 3303, which had back axle problems very early on with…

It’s with deep regret that we have to mark the passing of former Lancashire garage proprietor John Haslewood, who rallied a genuine Aveling & Porter convertible tractor from the late 1970s on which he and Fred Dibnah replaced the firebox. John was a jolly character and got on with the job - he was a ‘make do and mend’ man. In fact John had only relatively recently sold the tractor to Danny Davin (AP Hunslet owner) in Warrington, Cheshire who is to carry out major boilerwork on the engine including replacing the now worn-out firebox. John later purchased a Sentinel DG waggon unfortunately he did not get on with it at all and the DG is part of Saunders’ fleet as a bus today. He was very much part of…

Congratulations to Vanda Parcel and her team for raising £8,000 from the 2025 Easter Day National Vintage Tractor Road Run where 345 tractors took part in the successful run around Stowmarket, Suffolk. In a recent presentation the money has been split between the two designated charities: SARS999 and St Nicholas Hospice. Here’s to the Cornwall Run in 2026 which Martin Dymond, the chairman of the Cornish Tractor Club, tells us is coming on very well, for entry forms do give him a ring, tel: 07799 666088.…

Transport Museum Wythall is pleased to confirm that Fuzz (John) Townshend, presenter of Car SOS on Channel 4/More 4 and National Geographic, has become a Patron of Transport Museum Wythall (TMW). Fuzz has enjoyed a lifelong passion for classic vehicles and their restoration with a particular interest in buses. After an apprenticeship with West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive, fondly known as WMPTE, he became a fully-fledged fitter at Stourbridge and then Dudley garages before diverging into a music career, achieving success in the singles and album charts with a number of bands in both the UK and the USA. His passion for classic vehicles never waned as he returned as a journalist, becoming Technical Editor of Practical Classics before going freelance and starting his own classic car restoration business, Westgate…

Owned and restored over a ten-year period by Derek Gransden from near Faversham in Kent, it was decided to fulfil a long-held ambition and return the Sentinel to Devon and in particular the places from which it worked. Derek’s wife Louise organised an itinerary that, as well as visiting the waggon’s places of work, included attending steam rallies in Devon, Somerset and Cornwall; visiting preserved railways and attending heritage days. Seven weeks were given over to what Derek and Louise called their ‘Devon Adventure.’ It was not an undertaking they could tackle alone, Derek needed a fireman and throughout the adventure five people volunteered their time to help with the road journeys: Pam Thomas, Richard Gransden (Derek’s son), Mathew Lawrence, Merrick Jardine and finally Merrick’s mother Paula, the vicar of…

These machines were produced between 1947-62 in four different versions, marks 1-4. Mk1 – The first incarnation was fitted with an 8hp single-cylinder 1AB Dorman of Stafford petrol engine, it had no radiator and used a water cooling tank system. To lift and lower the blade the machine was fitted with a mechanical linkage and rachet hoist mechanism which uses drive from the rear left hand gearbox to operate the blade lift mechanism. This worked by having an eccentric cam mounted on an inner output shaft of the left hand gearbox, when the machine is being drive in either direction this cam will also be driven. A roller mounted on a rocker lever is in contact with the eccentric cam, the link rod is connected to the other side of…

Got a story?: Contributions welcomed by Derek Rayner, email: derekinvicta1915@gmail.com By post: Old Glory, Kelsey Publishing Ltd, The Granary, Downs Court, Yalding, Kent ME18 6AL Wanting to take advantage of the €59 monthly public transport ticket in Germany which included all public transport, excluding the fastest ICE and EC expresses, Brian Boucher decided to visit the Saarland and Rheinland-phalz areas. The well-known technical museum in Speyer was on the itinerary and within its wide-ranging collection from a U-boat to a space shuttle (Soviet version) and many railway and other items there is some road steam interest. Speyer is a pleasant town with an historical market street and imposing Dom (Cathedral). Walking across to the museum from the station, some time before arriving there a Boeing 747 at a jaunty angle…

On Saturday 16 August the editor finally had the pleasure of actually seeing ‘live’ and running, the 1907 Snow No. C123 twin-tandem double-acting natural gas 1,100hp engine. The engine has been at the Northwest Michigan Engine and Threshers Club site at Buckley since 2009 when it was moved from its West Virginia home where it had resided since 1944. When the editor last visited the show site in 2011 the engine was gradually coming together and a building to house it was envisaged.…

By the time you read this I will be on my way back from taking a small group to Cassuade southern France for Tractomania. It always looks as though the whole of the European preservation movement converges together for this amazing event. There are over 600 trade stands right by the railway station selling anything for tractors, cars, motor-cycles, lorries, stationary engines, steam engines, parts, ephemera, books, magazines, models andmore. It’sallhere with displays of vehicles placed all over the small town as well. It’s a crazy event and one you need to visit at least once in your life! We can now look forward to the annual RAC London to Brighton Run on Sunday 2 November. Some of you don’t know, but there is a great autojumble taking place that…

A highlight of this year’s Marston Trussell steam rally was the first appearance in over 20 years of Fowler R class GP engine No. 10855 of 1906. Simon Colbeck tells the story of the reappearance of this lovely engine. The Marston Trussell Steam & Vintage Show has firmly established itself as an east Midlands favourite in the steam calendar. This year was yet another fabulous weekend with exhibits from the Wheatcroft collection appearing for the first time along with a fine selection of engines and vehicles from the local area and further afield. For many however, the highlight was the return to the rally field of Fowler R class compound engine No. 10855 of 1906 Pride of Northamptonshire. The engine was not in steam but was displayed in ‘barn find’…

The amazing Frank Lythgoe passed away on Thursday 4 September at the age of 86 while in hospital. Frank, from Warburton, Cheshire was a very hard-working and clever farmer/engineer, who had been a prominent lime contractor and merchant. He first came to prominence publicly, in Peter Love’s eyes anyway, when he signed Grovewood Award winner Alan Rollinson to partner Adam Wyllie in his 1964 Formula 2 single-seater racing team. Sadly Wyllie was killed at Dunboyne, Ireland and Rollinson suffered an eye injury, but Frank stuck with Rollinson and in October 1966 at the Brands Hatch Motor Show 200 races he rewarded Frank’s faith by winning his heat and more. Rollinson drove for Frank in F3 during 1967 as did engineer Dave Berry who had to do his own mechanical work…

Good news that the Wheatcroft Collection’s ex-Australian 1899 Ruston Proctor 2½hp PSN portable No. 22403 is to be restored with a new firebox. It was collected by Marsden Steam Restoration Services in early September and has been checked by the boiler inspector. The boiler is fine, but the firebox is worn out and is to be replaced. We look forward to future developments on this lovely engine.…

ARTITEC Amsterdam-based model company Artitec has been around since the 1980s, originally building models for architects and museums, and since the 1990s they have been supplying resin models and kits for collectors, including model buildings, railway accessories and ships, as well as vehicles. A new release in 1/87 scale, for HO gauge railways, is a McCormick International 624 tractor with an RRP of £40.99 for the built and painted model (Artitec also produce unpainted kits), which comes in red with a slightly weathered appearance [1]. Cyrus Hall McCormick patented his design of grain reaper in 1834 and set up a plant to manufacture them in Chicago, Illinois in 1847, and in 1879 the company was incorporated as the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company. In 1902 they merged with the Deering Harvester…

Our attention has been drawn by regular contributor Kevin Hoggett to two hitherto unknown portable engines; the first by the French constructors SV (Société Vierzonnaise) of Vierzon and the second by Merlin. These have recently been offered for sale in Belgium by the Auctim auction house. The firm’s advertisement indicated that they were located at the village of Moorsel, in the Flemish Brabant part of the country, some 14km (9 miles) from Brussels and a similar distance from Leuven. Both were shown as having no reserve price when offered for sale. Research has determined that both these engines, perhaps rather surprisingly, originated in the same town - Vierzon - in France. However, other French portable engine makers such as another similarly named firm, Société Française (SF) as well as both…

The week’s weather forecast was not good. But, that was not the case on Sunday 7 September when it was sunshine all the way through the Romney Marsh Ploughing Championships at AJ Thompson’s extensive farm at Old Ashford Road, Brenzett Green, Romney Marsh, Kent. In the vintage threshing exhibition, put together by Pat Neilson and others, it was good to see the corn milling with this, said to be prototype and original, 1923 Ruston & Hornsby No. 111580 that was going well at the show.…