Great Rempstone Steam and Country Show (12th

This is one of a series of pages I have uploaded to illustrate facets of the steam rallies we have attended in the UK. Click here for the 2025 introduction and overall index.

We had been to Rempstone in 2016, 2017 and 2022. It's a large show (41, 46 and 54 engines respectively) and this year the number had risen again (to 69), no doubt the demise of the former Lincoln Rally was a significant factor. In fact this was a practice run for 2026 which will mark 70 years of the event and they failed to meet a target of 70 engines only because of a late failure of a regular and reliable attendee. It was a great day out at the traditional end of the steam rally and the large crowd seemed satisfied on a day when the constant warm sun was somewhat tempered by a cooling breeze.

I said of Rod Smith's 2024 contribution that It's a brave gricer who attempts to photograph everything here in the course of a day. I think I was successful but 'Nessie' spent the day parked up in an effectively impossible position. I'm not even sure it was in steam. For me the highlight was Aveling and Porter 1760 of 1882 in steam, the oldest working steam roller in the world (together with 2031 in second place). This is another rally where the engines no longer park up in the arena because of lack of space. One welcome development here was the publication of the programme online with a list of likely engines present. Like the hard copy version which was handed out for free, it had its glitches but it did mean that I had some idea of what to expect before I left home.

Next year the rally will celebrate 70 years since its inception, a good excuse for an earlier than usual return.

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General Engines	Steam Rollers	Other Engines

These two old Aveling and Porter engines were lined up for this photographer at Rempstone. On the right is roller 1760/1882, the oldest such working engine in the world today. It lives not far south in the Vale of Belvoir and I believe that this was only its second public appearance since restoration was completed (it was at Quorn over the Easter weekend). Amazingly it still has its original steel boiler. On the left and almost as old is 1995/1884 which has been out for a few years now, I saw it at Quorn in 2023. It's longevity is exceeded only by 833/1872, repatriated from Australia, and which I saw at the Yorkshire Traction Engine Rally in 2021. There's an even older engine (721/1871) in the Science Museum in London.

Together with the second oldest roller which was also here (2031/1884), these three engines are collectively 425 years long in the tooth, a tribute to those who first built them and those who carefully maintain them now.