Showmans Road Locomotives.

Showmans Road Locomotives and their smaller Tractor counterparts, were the lifeblood of Britian’s travelling Fairs right up to the 1930’s. They pulled the rides and all the equipment needed to towns and cities all over the UK. Once on site they were used to construct the various rides, some had cranes fitted to assist in the setting up and pulling down of the fair. Then they supplied the power needed to keep the lights going on the stalls and rides, usually late into the night. This was done by a Dynamo located on the front of the engine which was driven in turn by the flywheel. You can see an example of a Dynamo fitted to a Showmans engine below.

Most of the Showmans Engines you see today are festooned with lights, and are probably more common now, in the the days of restoration, than they were in their heyday. The most famous example of this line up of Showmans Engines, is at the Great Dorset Steam Fair each year, probably one of very few events still remaining, where they provide electricity to the large funfair, by a long line of these beautifully restored engines. The owners spend a lot of time cleaning and maintaining steam during the day, as hundreds of people stand by in awe admiring and appreciating the work that goes in to looking after them. Then come dusk as the sun begins to set, the Dorset countryside lights up as people enjoy the fairground rides, and the famous Showmans lineup is a sight to behold.

Showmans Engine Lineup at The Great Dorset Steam Fair.

Charles Burrell & Sons ltd of Thetford Norfolk, and John Fowler & Co Ltd of Leeds in Yorkshire, were probably the most prolific manufacturers of Showmans Engines between the 1860’s and 1930’s. Of course as in most things, ‘progress’ takes over and the need for larger, and more efficient modes of transport became necessary and the Showmen and fairground operators turned to diesel trucks.

One of the oldest remaining examples of a Burrell Showmans Road Locomotive, is engine No 2072 ‘The Masterpiece’ built in 1898. Seen here at the Great Dorset Steam Fair in 2012.

Burrell Showmans Road Locomotive DC engine 8nhp No 2072, built in 1898 reg AD 8786. The Masterpiece.

I think of all the Traction Engines that I photograph throughout the year, the Showmans Engines are probably the most rewarding to capture well.

You can see more here at the website www.heritagephotos.co.uk or by following this link Showmans Road Locomotive Engines.

Brooklands – London Bus Museum 41st Spring Gathering

Brooklands – London Bus Museum 41st Spring Gathering. This event held on the 13th of April, is now well and truly established at Brooklands, and celebrated the RT75 buses and the RM60. It is hard to believe that the famous RT buses have been around for 75 years, the first, RT1 was built in 1939.

Probably one of the most iconic sights on the London streets, even before the Routemaster buses that we all know and love, there were many fine examples on display for the public and bus enthusiasts alike to admire.

RT75 buses at Brooklands Museum

In terms of the photography, which I sometimes forget to mention in these blogs, it was really quite straight forward. The weather on the day was perfect for this type of event, and really only needed the Canon AWB mode and Standard picture style. It is probably best to slightly underexpose the shots as the sunlight was quite strong, and the vibrant colours of the buses lend themselves well to this type of photography. A lot of patience however is needed, as these iconic vehicles have a huge following of fans, and everyone wants to be in the ideal position to enjoy them and take photos.

RT75 buses at Brooklands Museum

There were lots of things for the whole family to do, including lots of market stalls selling bus memorabilia, books, models, prints and even old bus tickets!!.

The London Bus Museum on the Brooklands site was also busy. People were finding out more about the Heritage of these fascinating vehicles. Exhibits stretch back to the early 1800’s, when the first horse drawn buses filled the London streets, right up to the red double decker Routemasters that still have pride of place on London’s roads.

You can learn more about the history of London’s famous buses at the LBM website.

Pair of RT buses at Brooklands Museum

The photo above is one of my favourites from the day, two RT buses in their green livery proudly displayed by the racetrack at Brooklands.

You can see more photos of this event at the Heritage Photos website.

Once In A Blue Moon

What a fantastic event last weekend 5th+6th of April, ‘Once In A Blue Moon’ at the ‘Didcot Railway Centre’ in Oxfordshire. The former Great Western Railway engine shed and locomotive stabling point, is fast becoming one of the premier heritage railway sites in the UK. Hundreds of people gathered over the weekend to witness what can only be described as a “rare sight”. The gathering of these beautifully restored former main line engines, resplendent in their British Rail express passenger blue livery. The three engines took turns to shunt two carriages up and down the Didcot Railway Centre main line, sometimes two together.

The engines in question were: GWR King class 6023 ‘King Ewdard II‘, LNER A1 class 60163 ‘Tornado‘, and LNER A4 class 60007 ‘Sir Nigel Gresley‘.

You can see the three engines here in front of the main engine shed at Didcot and the assembled crowds of very exited Heritage Steam Engine enthusiasts.

‘Tornado’ is now a fully fledged main line engine and regularly takes part in excursions up and down the country.

To find out more about Tornado and her £3million re-furbishment, you can visit the a1steam.com website to learn more about the 18 year journey to bring her back to life.

For those of us passionate about these former giants of the British railways it was a very special event indeed, and something you really do see only ‘Once In A Blue Moon’!!.

You can see more photos of the event at the HeritagePhotos website.

 

Didcot Railway Centre.

This weekend, the 5th and 6th of April, at the Didcot Railway Centre, there is a once in a lifetime opportunity to see three amazing Steam Trains in their BR’s express passenger blue livery. The trains in question are: LNER A1 60163 ‘Tornado’, GWR  King 6023  ‘King Edward‘, and LNER A4 60007 ‘Sir Nigel Gresley‘. This has to be one of my highlights in the photographic calendar this year, and I am sure this vintage line up will present some amazing photographic memories. The event is entitled ‘Once In A Blue Moon’, and that just about sums it up.