The Thames Valley Traction Engine Club

A compilation of all the entrants from the Appleford Rally programmes from 1953 – 1971 has been made. 151 engines attended Appleford over the years according to the programmes with likely many more attending and not being listed. We would like to give the opportunity for all of the engines to attend if they wish. The link below will take you to a PDF link for the list of engines. Each engine has been listed with its owner at the time of attending an Appleford Rally, and the current owners have been intentionally left out for now. We are looking for contact details for all engines that don’t have a “yes” in the owner contacted field, if you have any information, please let us know!

Appleford engine list

In July 2020 it will be 70 years since Arthur Napper and Miles Chetwynd-Stapylton D.F.C had a race with their traction engines, which unknown to them at the time would be a major part in forming the steam preservation movement. A celebration event will take place in Appleford on 25th July 2020. It is intended to invite every engine that attended an Appleford rally between 1950 and 1971 and have a traditional traction engine rally as they were in the early days. There will be traditional ring events, photographic opportunities, photographic displays and generally lots of steam nostalgia.

Arthur Napper was a founder member of the Thames Valley Traction Engine Club and its president for many years. The TVTEC also ran the last Appleford rally in 1971.

Get your calendar at a club meeting or email us to place your order.

For the November Club Meeting we have Mr. Roger White coming to give a talk entitled “Chicken Guns and Steam Engines”. Roger will be talking about his job in testing aircraft and his collection of Steam Engines. See you at Englefield Social Club from 1930 on Monday 12th November.

For the October Club Meeting on Monday 8th October we will have Peter Green coming to give a talk about the Steam Boat Alaska.

http://www.thames-steamers.co.uk/index.html

This weekend there will be a gathering of vintage vehicles in Burghclere village near Newbury. Centred around the newly built Burghclere miniature railway (https://www.facebook.com/BMRSociety/) there will be full size and miniature road steam, cars , tractors and much more. The sports club will be serving refreshments.

Pictures provided from Burghclere model railway facebook page.

For the September Club meeting on Monday 10th September we have Peter Turvey giving a talk on Crofton Beam Engines.

Crofton has the oldest working steam engines in the world still performing the job they were built to do! There are two beam engines, one of which is an original 206-year-old Boulton & Watt. Both are fed by a hand-stoked, coal-fired Lancashire boiler. These are magnificent pieces of industrial archaeology. The engine house is set in unspoiled Wiltshire countryside close to the old market town of Marlborough.

The TVTEC have been contacted by the organisers of the Hungerford Victorian Extravaganza. They are looking for engines to attend this years Victorian night on Friday 14th December. If you are interested then please contact David Small on 07713 094759 David@dagsmall.co.uk

Calling all TVTEC engine owners. Croftom Beam Engines are looking for engines to attend their Steam Gala on 29th – 30th September.

https://www.croftonbeamengines.org/  Coal and stabling will be provided.

Don’t forget Monday’s club night when we’ll be descending on Fred Cooper’s yard for our annual models evening. Bring your model with you or just turn up and enjoy the fun.
For further info contact our secretary on 07787 550824.