The International Steam Pages


Hollycombe Steam Fairground 2014

This is one of a series of pages which I have uploaded to illustrate facets of steam rallies we have attended in the UK. Such events occur all over the country in the summer months, they are easily found by using your favourite search engine and may have anything between a handful of steam engines and hundreds (as at the Great Dorset Steam Fair which could probably be fairly described as having an excess of riches). Click here for the Hollycombe Steam in the Country 2014 index and click here for the overall index for 2014.


For the record, the date of our visit was Saturday 23rd August 2014, the first day of the late Summer Bank Holiday weekend.

Hollycombe (http://www.hollycombe.co.uk/) promotes itself as 'Steam in the Country' and is a marvellous eclectic collection of old steam machinery. However. truth to tell, the place is a bit run down and there seems to be neither the income nor the volunteers available to keep anything like all the kit serviceable let alone running. In recent years they have had grants for important capital projects, storage space for the fairground off season (absolutely essential) and a visitor centre (desirable but not really essential). On the occasion of our visit, the fairground, narrow gauge railway and miniature railway were operational; the fairground is the place's unique selling point and together with the railways offers visitors something they can directly engage with. Elsewhere, the other serviceable parts of the collection were idle. I was disappointed that for a major weekend the road engines were mostly sheeted over and unphotographable (probably 15 minutes of volunteer time could have got them  uncovered). The standard gauge railway is effectively defunct and the sawmill is out of use as was the Robey portable (which was also sheeted over) needs expensive repairs. It's all rather sad.

Anyway, this page covers the steam fairground where most of the steam rides were indeed running much to the pleasure of the visitors who were present in reasonable numbers. The Dobby (an early version of the gallopers) was covered up and I was told elsewhere that it needs serious money spent to get it running again. Despite what is said above and I was vaguely aware of the issues before visiting, I have to say that the fairground is fabulous and worth the price of admission alone.

Details below were taken from the engines and also David Collidge's Steam Scenes site http://www.steamscenes.org.uk/ which continues to be the most reliable source of information.

A YouTube video clip of all the working exhibits is available here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5I1mdd2k3s.

Portable Engines

Two portable engines were being used to provide steam for the first three rides so their engines were not generating their own steam.

Maker

Number

Notes

  Ruston Proctor 30656/1906 "Big John" 
 SteamScenes Link 
 

Clayton and Shuttleworth

50010/1926 Traction engine style configuration 
Steam Scenes Link 

Golden Gallopers

A classic set of Tidman gallopers with centre engine and organ dating from about 1881.

 

Steam Yachts 'Neptune'

Basically a giant swing with the engine giving them a push, according to the website it is a converted Burrell steam roller.(3356/1912, Steam Scenes Link)

 

Razzle Dazzle

Probably the original 'white knuckle ride', it revolves and at the same time tilts on its axis. At the time I did not realise that the engine was probably a rare Walkers (of Tewkesbury) product.

 

Big Wheel

A classic ride powered by a Clayton and Shuttleworth portable engine (44140/1911, Steam Scenes Link).

 

Steam Swings

Swings driven off a grippable line shaft powered by a Brown and May portable engine (6691/1901, Steam Scenes Link).

 

Chair-o-planes

Walkers swing chairs powered by one of their centre engines, ca 1910.

 

Showman's Engines

These two engines will, I believe, generate electricity for the fairground lights during night time operation.

Maker

Number

Registration

Notes

Burrell 1876/1895 AH 5366 "Emperor"
SteamScenes Link 
Great Dorset Steam Fair 2018 Picture
Garrett 33348/1918 SZ 100 "Leiston Town" 
SteamScenes Link 


Rob and Yuehong  Dickinson

Email: webmaster@internationalsteam.co.uk