Our holiday finished on the Saturday, and we headed home along the A30. I was keen to visit Padstow on the way by, and a traffic jam on the A30 concentrated our minds on following an alternative route, so we turned off for Padstow.
While en route to Padstow, we saw signs up for a Steam and Vintage Rally at St.Merryn, which is near Padstow, and we agreed that it looked like something we would like to see, so we made a side-trip to St.Merryn.
We invested in the catalogue, so I'm able to give you quite a lot of details about some of the exhibits I photographed.
WALLIS & STEVENS No. 7289 Reg. AA5014 "TINKERBELL"
Built 1912. 4nhp. 5-ton Compound Oil-Bath Tractor, which was new to D.Cobb, of Bere Regis, Dorset. The present owner acquired her from the Plymouth area in December 1994. During the Winter of 1999 the boiler was retubed. New pistons were made and rings fitted as part of continued restoration.
Owner Phil Williams, Tywardreath, Par.
FOWLER ROAD LOCOMOTIVE. No 15463. NHP 7. "DREADNOUGHT" Reg No DWn2121. BUILT 1920
Purchased by present owners at an auction in Cambridge in october 2000. Since then has been retubed and repainted and general engineering work has been carried out. Originally supplied new in 1920 to Rober Wynn & Sons the engine spent its early life as part of Wynn's Haulage fleet, and throughout the 30 years following the Second World War was mothballed, attending just a few rallies until being acquired in 1994 by Mr.Griffiths. Since then major restoration work has included the fitting of a new smokebox and firebox.
Owners J&J.Vincent and Sons, 1 Keast Close, Indian Queens, St.Columb.
GARRETT SHOWMANS TRACTOR, 4CD, Reg No BJ 1458 BUILT 1912, WEIGHT 6 TONS, "CORNISHMAN"
Supplied new to John Griffiths, of Glamorgan. Later on to Norfolk, then to Lancashire and was converted to a Roller. Rebuilt in present form in Preservation. Brought to Cornwall by Bernard Ture of St. Agnes in 1982 and bought by present owner in 1992 and since then has had extensive repairs done and brought up to its present condition.
Owner John Vincent & Family, Indian Queens, St.Columb.
AVELING & PORTER. SHOWMANS TRACTOR. "WHIPPET" MODEL KND COLONIAL. ENG No 9179, Reg No CJ 4158. 4 NHP. WEIGHT 9 TONS 12 CWTS. BUILT AS A CONVERTABLE.
New to Hereford County Council in June 1920. One of six similar engines owned by them. Two others survive 9255 (CJ 4168) and 9228 (CJ 4159) may have worked as a roller during Council ownership. January 1955 sold to Taylors Ltd, Willybrokk Estate, Hereford. December 1963 passed to J>HLYeomans & Sons, Hereford. Was known to have worked as a roller in this ownership. Passed to D.Spry, Preston-on-Wye, Herefordshire, date unknown. First preservation owner through unrallied 1971. Sold to F.C.Lambe, Bronsgrove, Worcs, who began conversion to showman type. June 1976, sold to E.Eansworth, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, who completed conversion, repainted in red livery. (Prior to this engine was always green.) Named "WHIPPER" (previously unnamed) Engine was stripped and fitted with new firebox, boiler etc in 1982, was then left partly dismantled until purchased by present owner in September 1992 who completely rebuilt and repainted in original livery.
Owner D.T.Cowling, Wadebridge.
I presume it was due to the slippery conditions in the fields where the rally was held that this engine was towed by a Nuffield tractor when it needed to be moved. I really enjoyed seeing the Nuffield at work, particularly as the Nuffield's operator obviously knew what he was doing. Seeing a tractor working rather than just parading really made my day!
Here we have a fairground organ. I couldn't find it in the catalogue, so maybe it was attending purely to entertain, or maybe I haven't looked hard enough! The Nuffield tractor appears again here. It is in the catalogue somewhere, but I'm not going to attempt to identify which Nuffield tractor it is, as more than one was present. I had enough trouble sorting out the steam engines, and there were only five of them!
BURREL. 4.5 TRACTION ENGINE, NAME "NIPPER", HP5C, REG No CJV 1. BUILT 1981, WEIGHT 10 cwts.
Built by Parsons Bros, Sidmouth. sold to Mr.Haines of Sussex, and acquired by present owner in 1993.
Owner J.Vincent, 1 Keast Close, Indian Queens.
"NIPPER" is seen here giving a ride around the field to two small boys.
It was good to see such a big boy so obviously enjoying himself!
Here were some of the cars at the rally: a Morris Traveller, a Rover 95, and a Morris 8 Tourer.
Finally, I have a picture of a donkey which was stabled alongside the fields where the rally was being held; and a badge from the front of a Fordson tractor. The owner commented that he'd put it there because he liked it rather than for reasons of authenticity, and my reasons for photographing it were similar!
