News

Santa Run Brixham 2011

Friday, 03 February 2012

A few photos from the Brixham Santa Run - Christmas 2011

The General	Santa arrives in style
Fireworks	Michael at the controls - with unusual hat..
The General on the quay	Colourful scene

Boiler Test Day 2012

Thursday, 19 January 2012

It is getting to that special time of year again and this years boiler test day will take place on Wednesday 21^st March to which you are welcome.   Please call Michael or Sean to book your engine in – this is essential as it will be a busy day and places are limited to an absolute maximum of 15 engines.

As mentioned in the news item, the cost of each test will be £125.00 + vat which allows an hour for each engine being tested. If there is a problem and in the unlikely event the test takes longer than an hour, there is an additional charge of £85 + vat per hour.  

There will be the usual “chuck wagon” on site at lunchtime and we look forward to seeing you on the 21^st March.

Boiler Testing

Thursday, 19 January 2012

We are pleased to announce that following discussions with RSA Inspection & Consultancy Services (www.rsainspections.co.uk ), our boiler testing will now be conducted by them. This follows the announcement by Ian Farrance, as published in Old Glory, that he will no longer be conducting testing for the NTET disc scheme.

The new boiler inspector will be Martin Hawkins whom I’m sure some of you will know. The tests will now be part of a written scheme with a full comprehensive boiler report with everything approved by Royal Sun Alliance and the National Traction Engine Trust.

The cost of each test will be £125.00 + vat which allows an hour for each engine being tested. If there is a problem and in the unlikely event the test takes longer than an hour, there is an additional charge of £85 + vat per hour.

Berrybrook Steam is now in a contract with RSA Inspections so payment will need to be made to us in the first instance.

Out & About 2011 & 2012

……2011 came to an end with Berrybrook Steam being very busy.

3 engines and a wagon went out in December and The General was in popular demand for charity events.

At the end of November on a Saturday, Michael took The General to Brixham for the turning on of the Christmas lights. The engine was steamed and positioned alongside the harbour and spent the afternoon generating. This attracted quite a number of people as they enjoyed the adjacent fair and the Christmas shopping. Of course they were really waiting for the main event which was the turning on of the lights by Santa Claus. At 6pm we drove The General and two trailers through the streets to collect the man with the long white beard.

With Santa safely on board we then drove back through the winding Brixham streets to the quayside accompanied by much cheering and waving and whistling from The General. There was then a big countdown to the turning on of the lights along with a fantastic firework display. With the weather being kind to us this was a most enjoyable day.

A couple of weeks later Sean took the Berrybrook organ to a carol singing event in the village which again attracted large crowds.

We are now starting to plan for 2012 as some entry forms start to arrive. In a few weeks time Michael and Sean, as organisers of the steam and vintage section, will be required to attend a meeting with the secretary and director of the Devon County Show. (17th / 18th / 19th May)

The show does not take place until May but the early meeting shows how many weeks work goes into organising just one small section of this fantastic local event showing the very best that Devon has to offer.

Export Success

In 2011 we have sold a 1” scale Fowler ploughing engine to a customer in the US,  two 4” Burrells to Australia, two 4” Burrells and a 1” Minnie to New Zealand.

The Minnie was purchased at the Great Dorset Steam Fair and was shipped in a container back to New Zealand in the company of a full size McLaren that was returning home after arriving here last year for the McLaren event at Dorset.

I have put most of our Antipodean customers in touch with each other so that they can share their passion for steam and gain common knowledge.

It has been a very successful year for Berrybrook Steam exports and is very pleasing for us to know that we are flying the flag for steam on the far side of the globe.

Extracts from email received from one of our overseas customers

"I picked up the Ruston today from the forwarding agent. The shipping agents at both ends were very helpful. ISCA kept me briefed on the movement up to it being in the air.

I was impressed with the way that it had been packed. There was no way that it was going to move in transit. It was a nice stout crate.

My concerns about what I was buying with only the photos and brief description to go on were unfounded. All in all it is a nicely turned out little engine.

I haven't had time to steam it yet. I still have to build a blower and get in a supply of coal.

So, thank you for steering me in the right direction with the engine you have been most helpful. I now realise that while a 3 inch scale engine would have been nice a 2 inch scale one is just right.

Thanks again. Kind regards, Gary Warton"