Crockey Hill York 2016
(Cable) Steam Ploughing 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 (since 2013). 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 Crockey Hill index and click here for the overall 2016 index.
I have added some extra data on this occasion to illustrate the comprehensive nature of exhibits. Sadly one or two choice specimens could not be present owing to the cost of fettling them up and/or bringing them a long distance. The class nomenclature is less than transparent, but all are twin cylinder compound engines except for those designated SC (= Single cylinder). Some idea of relative size is given by the Nominal Horse Power, although the engines are actually far more powerful than the numbers suggest. Normal ploughing engines were supplied in matched pairs, they are indicated R(ight) and L(eft) according to the direction the cable runs out when looking forward from the footplate, with Fowler the lower number of a pair was traditionally given to the right hand engine, although some pairs later swapped over drums etc to even out wear on gears. The road registration numbers were a 1920s innovation so consecutive numbers do not necessarily indicate an original pairing which would normally carry successive manufacturer's numbers.
If you like this sort of thing then try David Collidge's Steam Scenes http://www.steamscenes.org.uk/