Welland Steam Rally 2013
Working Engines

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 Welland index and click here for the overall index.

By working engines, I mean steam engines which did more than sit looking beautiful or amble round the main arena to have their pictures taken.I had relatively little free time so I was not able to optimise my photography, nevertheless an idea of what was on offer is shown here, there are YouTube videos which shows most of these attractions http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WMIkNcIC-A, another is specifically for the road making demonstration http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZM96P137Qg.

Road Making Demonstration

This was my main excuse to attend the rally as the local Lea Bailey Light Railway was part of the set up, providing stock to move the crushed stone around. The portable was powering the stone crusher. For more pictures of this, check out the LBLR website (http://www.leabaileylightrailway.co.uk/welland3.htm link broken by December 2021).

		Aveling and Porter	11448/1926	NP 7791	"Alfie"
		Ruston Proctor	ca 1917/8

Water Pumping

A tiny portable was working next door to the above. It's a well travelled machine having spent its working life in Chile. Unfortunately, I omitted to record it working when a belt was attached to join it to the pump in the background. Next door a steam roller was ready to do the same job.

			Ransomes, Sims and Jefferies	14385/1902
			Aveling and Porter	8548/1915	AF 4442

Steam Ploughing

With limited time spare from my official duties, I passed on the steam ploughing as I had seen it well at Marcle a week earlier. However, I did record these steam ploughing engines. There may well have been one or two more present as four in all were listed in the programme. For other pictures at other rallies click here..

			Fowler	2528/1875	AL 8345	"The Chief"
			Fowler	14257/1916	KE 2494	"Linkey"

Steam Crane

There is a 1950s ex-British Railways steam crane which is used to move logs for use in the sawing demonstration:

Smith Rodley

1950s

Steam Sawing

These two engines were getting ready to power belt driven saws:

		Ransomes, Sims and Jefferies	27524/1918	E 5123	Jesse Hay Rally 2013 Picture  Shrewsbury Rally 2013 Picture   Abergavenny Rally 2014 Picture
		Foster	2728/1903	V 7917	Stargazer

Showman's Engine

The troupe of Can Can Dancers performed to the music from the Gavioli Organ which was powered by the Burrell (3890/1922).

Steam Locomotive

The Ross-on-Wye Steam Engine Society have installed a short standard gauge line on the site and "Willy" gives rides on a GWR brake van ('Toad').

Kerr Stuart

0-4-0T 3063/1918.

Gallopers (Galloping Horses)

Save the best to last! I managed to walk past this fairground ride the first time without noticing its very special power unit. I believe there are several such rides preserved in the UK, one is certainly at Beamish Museum. The 'John Bull' engine was built by Savage of Kings Lynn perhaps the pioneer of such steam powered rides although this (638/1895) is not the original engine but was fitted in 1940. Of course we just had to take a ride...