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Steam and Commercial Vehicles

  • Thread starter Thread starter BernardR
  • Start date Start date
Seeing the images above I am prompted to post a few of my own though feel they may already be around on the Forum somewhere.

Reflections_-_Science_Museum.jpg Traction_Engines003.jpgTraction_Engines020.jpg Traction_Engines021.jpg Traction_Engines_033.jpg
 
VE I have racked my brain to recall when the photos I posted were taken but failed. I am guessing it would have been the end of the 80s or the very start of the 90s. Certainly towards the end of such occasions.
 
The rally ended in 1995 sadly. Two of the Museum's own engines, the Burrell tractor "Busy Bee" and a 1894 Aveling roller have been in the Collections Centre for some time now, but the 1904 Foden wagon and Ruston and Proctor portable engine moved to the Think Tank.
 
I went to every single rally held in Newhall St and I miss it very much. The atmosphere was magical and the grand parade along Gt Charles St, Livery St and Charlotte St the highlight of the day. In later years, when I discovered beer, I used go down on the Saturday night before the rally proper as there were always some early arrivals to have a look at before going for a couple of pints in "The Steering Wheel" as it was then. One regular attender was the Garrett tractor "Rob Roy" owned by the Millward brothers of Halesowen. Andy, do you remember Ray Morris who used to drive Busy Bee? A lovely man - so sad when he died so young. I'll have look my slides out and get them scanned - somewhere in there are pictures of the people who started the whole thing off, Frank Holl, Eric Middleton, Gordon Limb, Bill Hunt and Keith Gale.
 
Hi Bob,
I remember Ray Morris very well. He used to work with my father Keith Roffey a lot and was a well loved member of the museum's team. Ray started work at the museum in 1970, until his untimely passing in 1989. I also remember the Millward's Garrett, and most of all Len Crane's Fowler engine which made it's debut at the rally in 1970. Other memorable engines I recall at the rally were Jack Crabtree's bright green 1912 Foden tractor (which the later got brought by the late Jim Calder), the Fowler roller "Wildcat", Gordon Limb's Foden tractor "Matilda" and of course Bill Hunt's lovely showmans engines and Wonderland organ. The Think Tank has been contacted several times regards starting another rally, but due to the area outside having block paving Birmingham City Council declined to put on such an event.
 
Those Saturday evenings I also remember well, Bob. My dad, myself and Ray Morris use to get all the barriers and paraffin lamps ready about 2pm, whilst around 9 - 11 engines turned up anytime between 1pm and 8pm. The pub atmosphere was great! Ray loved a pint of mild it must be said! Tom Luck and Bill Gale were lovely gents, as were all the engine crews. Such a shame Newhall Street won't ever be the same again now the Museum's gone and the rally too.
Andy.
 
When I were a nipper, I lived on Gravelly Hill, opposite The Mount.
When the fairs ended at Aston, they travelled over Salford Bridge to go along Tyburn Road, I used to nip down the hill and stand on the corner and watch the old traction engines go by, each one usually towing 3 or 4 trailers.
Must have been hell of a job getting that lot round tight corners.
 
Do you remember Eric Middleton's 'Winston Churchill'? That was my all time favourite engine and I was bereft when Eric sold it around 1970 but if I remember right, Eric (who was getting on) had lost a leg and was starting to dispose of his collection. Actually, 'Matilda' used to belong to Eric Middleton and Gordon used to drive it for him but somewhere about that time Gordon took ownership. Did you ever hear the story about him getting nicked for speeding driving 'Matilda'? I think it was for being clocked at 38mph in a 30 limit (but it was such a long time ago since I last heard the story my memory might be playing tricks). Another Foden that attended in the sixties was Arthur Wedgewood's 'Gwennie Willan', a 1905 five tonner. My dad used to steer for him when Arthur brought Gwennie to Birmingham and as well as the Newhall St rally, Gwennie took part in the Birmingham University Carnival parade a couple of times. Then Arthur sold Gwennie and bought a Mann tractor - he brought that to the rally until the late seventies.

I'm so pleased you hold a kind thought for Tom Luck - he was my uncle.

As I remember it, the rally ended because it had political enemies. The last year the rally was run the council hired a private security firm (the yellow tee shirts) at considerable cost and then, when the question of the next year's rally arose, it was deemed too expensive and that was that! This ignored the fact that for 34 years the rally had run with only 2 policemen in attendance all day and a couple more to warn the traffic on Great Charles Street at the time of the grand parade.

I miss the Science Museum and the Traction Engine Rally very much indeed and I must say that discovering this thread has really stirred up some long dormant memories. Great stuff.

Bob
 
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Hi Guys

Davenports Brewery on Bath Row had a fleet of steam trucks, no idea when this was but I was born in 1937 so it could have been any time during that period, they also had horse drawn delivery drays, I know that was in the 1940's because I used to walk the horses down to their stables in Bell Barn Road.
 
Rainy weekend in Newhall Street maybe in 1978, more about the people than the steamers, the little girl mesmerized by the organ and the man from the Ministry of Funny Walks

Newhall Street Rally 1.jpegNewhall Street Rally 2.jpeg
 
Great times indeed, Bob. Still makes me tearful when I think of the last rally held in Newhall Street in 1995, and then the eventual closure of the museum in 1997. Re- Winston Churchill, I remember the engine powering Bill Hunt's Wonderland organ at the rally.
 
Jack Crabtree's 1912 Foden tractor that attended. A very strange beast. Owned later by the late Jim Calder.
 

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Do you remember the rally when one of the light tractors, a Garrett I think, broke its cranks shaft in Charlotte St and the flywheel fell down and wedged between the belly tank and the rear axle? It was during the Grand Parade and luckily no one was hurt. Quickly Keith Gale got Len Crane to bring the Wanderer around and hoist the said flywheel aloft so that the Garrett could make its way (albeit jerkily) to Newhall St and thence onto its low-loader. It (the Garrett) was alright when it was moving but it was a right beggar to get going if the crank wasn't in the right position. When I think of that I wonder if it would be handled nowadays so coolly and without fuss. There would be blue lights and hi-viz jackets galore, I'll be bound.
 
Brakeman Bob said:
Do you remember the rally when one of the light tractors, a Garrett I think, broke its cranks shaft in Charlotte St and the flywheel fell down and wedged between the belly tank and the rear axle? It was during the Grand Parade and luckily no one was hurt. Quickly Keith Gale got Len Crane to bring the Wanderer around and hoist the said flywheel aloft so that the Garrett could make its way (albeit jerkily) to Newhall St and thence onto its low-loader. It (the Garrett) was alright when it was moving but it was a right beggar to get going if the crank wasn't in the right position. When I think of that I wonder if it would be handled nowadays so coolly and without fuss. There would be blue lights and hi-viz jackets galore, I'll be bound.
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Hi Bob,I remember that mishap well. It was during the parade of the 1980 20th Anniversary rally. The engine that lost it's flywheel was a 1930 Fowler roller named "Hengist". We were very fortunate indeed no one was injured.
 
Brakeman Bob said:
I went to every single rally held in Newhall St and I miss it very much. The atmosphere was magical and the grand parade along Gt Charles St, Livery St and Charlotte St the highlight of the day. In later years, when I discovered beer, I used go down on the Saturday night before the rally proper as there were always some early arrivals to have a look at before going for a couple of pints in "The Steering Wheel" as it was then. One regular attender was the Garrett tractor "Rob Roy" owned by the Millward brothers of Halesowen. Andy, do you remember Ray Morris who used to drive Busy Bee? A lovely man - so sad when he died so young. I'll have look my slides out and get them scanned - somewhere in there are pictures of the people who started the whole thing off, Frank Holl, Eric Middleton, Gordon Limb, Bill Hunt and Keith Gale.
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Hi everyone, I’m Gordon Limb’s grand daughter and remember the Newhall street rallies. I don’t think I was that keen due to all the oil and dirt but will definitely have some photos of them if anyone is still interested. Sue
 
Loobyloo said:
Hi everyone, I’m Gordon Limb’s grand daughter and remember the Newhall street rallies. I don’t think I was that keen due to all the oil and dirt but will definitely have some photos of them if anyone is still interested. Sue
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Yes please Sue, they would be very nostalgic for many of us.
 
Loobyloo said:
Hi everyone, I’m Gordon Limb’s grand daughter and remember the Newhall street rallies. I don’t think I was that keen due to all the oil and dirt but will definitely have some photos of them if anyone is still interested. Sue
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would love to see photos i lived in newhall st when i was very young .
 
Lloyd said:
Yes please Sue, they would be very nostalgic for many of us.
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Hi Sue, some photos from the Newhall Street rally would be lovely to see. My father worked at the Science Museum for many many years and the annual May Traction rally was definitely one of the most fondly remembered times of my life. I always admired your Grandfather's Foden tractor "Matilda". With kind regards, Andy
 
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