Yesterday gave the most amazing, terrifying, exciting and humiliating driving experience of my life. I was given the chance to steer an early 20th century Burrell engine to the APF show at Ragley Hall.
As someone who has been driving for more years that I want to count, and who grew up driving tractors, I felt a little apprehensive, but confident I would manage. However, nothing prepared me for how different the steering would be!
The vehicle is steered by means of a single chain wound around a metal spindle and attached to the two front wheels. The spindle is wound by a gear attached to a wheel by a long shaft running alongside the engine. In practice i found it was incredibly easy to over or understeer, and there was never a point where a beginner could lose concentration. On more than one occasion I found I was oscillating from side to side, desperately trying to compensate for my original overcompensation! Fortunately for me I was under the supervision of Paul Davies, who has driven Steam Engines (as well as many other vehicles) since childhood, who with a few deft turns of the wheel restored equilibrium with a minimum of fuss.
Once at the APF (http://www.apfexhibition.co.uk/index.php) show, there was plenty of work to be done, helping the remarkable Mr. Lawley setup and run his saws. Mr J. O. Lawley has been working in saw mills, timber haulage and haulage since he was 14 (aside from a spell during WWII when he hauled aircraft around, and then 2 years as a Bevan Boy in the mines), he is now in his early 90’s, so his knowledge is extensive and first hand!
The Burrell engine was powering Mr. Lawleys hand-built saw bench (which used some vintage components, primarily the fast and loose flywheels) and was tensioned using a David Brown crawler tractor. Paul’s McCormick WD9 was powering Mr Lawley’s reciprocating horizontal frame saw. This remarkable device was of german manufacture, built around 1900 and saw service in a Welsh saw mill. It’s now in the process of being restored, but is in otherwise good running order.
The timber was hauled by a Foden Timber Tractor (complete with the 6-wheeled timber trailer it was bought with) and some tongs made from the plans of Boughton timber handling tongs.
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- The Burrell engine in steam in the early morning air.
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- This is what i was trying to tow, an approximate total of 25 tonnes.
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- THe McCormick WD9 hard at work powering the reciprocating horizontal frame saw
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- The Foden, Douglas and an AEC Matador lined up at the APF vintage section
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- Another view of the Burrell and it’s trailers in the yard at S E Davis
Agricultural Curatorial Trainee 