All the fun of the fair! Garrett 4CD Showman's Engine - LMM Drives Episode 41

[@Paraffinmeister]

A few years ago, there was a showman's engine and a Foden steam lorry up here in Orkney for the annual vintage rally. The night before the event they were on display in the main town, Kirkwall. It was a miserable, dull, cold, wet night, but the 2 of them parked up, ticking over and lit up in that wonderful warm glow that only a steam engine can produce, looked absolutely magnificent. It was magical in a way that words can't quite describe.

[@karlsson7300]

Seeing, hearing, smelling and feeling an engine like this in the cold months on darker daytimes and maybe with some cups of mulled wine: PERFECT❤

[@AustNRail]

All my young life and now all my adult life I wanted a showman engine.

[@vladabocanek3703]

Hello Lawrie, my father told me, when I was a little boy about 1st tractor, which bought my great grandfather. It was pure petrol engine, 2 cylinders. It was started by handle (with your name) and it covered whole village in blue, when starting. Unfortunately, in 1949 when comunist party took our country (Czechoslovakia), they siezed our farm and took away everything. Never seen it. So I am very glad, to see this old engines still working, still alive. Thank you.

[@Fchops11]

I love the sound of a showman traction engine

[@RDoling]

Great video Laurie, I always describe showman’s engines generating at night as a near sensory overload, sight, sound smells etc. truly magical!

[@TrevorCollyero-tw7on]

This was owned by my late father, Michael Collyer and his friend Geoff Birch. They bought in scrap condition in the mid 1950’s and rallied it for the first time at Thetford in 1957. It was stored on the premises of Ipswich model engineers hence the confusing comment about them owning it. It was sold in the early 1960’s when my father had begun running the miniature steam railway at Felixstowe. I spent many happy hours riding on the trailer behind it!

[@lmm]

Oh thanks for the clarification! I'll let them know!

[@richardbristow1500]

Thanks for the clarification, that period of its history was a bit hazy to me.

[@paulshirley6383]

All the fun of the fair! Garrett Lawrie's Mechanic LOVE LOUIS SHIRLEY

[@Thatonef9a]

At 0:12 I saw the background and the 2 pillars and went HOLYCOMBE

[@kevinsmythers7784]

Wonderful video. I'm a plastic scale modeller and last year I managed to get a complete and unbuilt kit of Garretts Pendle Princess in 1/16th scale. Watching your video has given me a strong desire to get started on that kit. Lots of useful shots for my reference in your vid, for which I am eternally grateful. The noise and motion of the Engine took me back to my youthful days spent travelling up and down the Clyde on PS Waverley Different environment, but the same sounds, smells and excitement!

[@jamesjennerwein7218]

Absolutely wonderful video, especially ending when you ran the Dynamo

[@bjrnfrederiksson2505]

It was absolutely fantastic. What a video, and when you opened the regulator to turn on the lights it was just amazing. Please make more of these.

[@lmm]

I'm glad you enjoyed it! I really hope to do more!

[@bjrnfrederiksson2505]

@@lmm time will tell and when an opportunity comes, who knows.

[@LightningTechNL]

I love showman's so much! It's a dream of mine to own one, one day. (Miniature to keep the dream reasonable) But I'd love to see you do more traction engines!

[@Arkay315]

Now that's a beauty of a machine, old machines in maroon look great.

[@Hadassah-KaquoliMReno]

I love your enthusiasm! And I love all you show on KZbin!

[@IndyD89]

Such wonderful and majestic machines. Could spend hours just watching them tick over. Another awesome video, cheers 👍

[@anythingoldmechanical]

Simply stunning!

[@RenaissanceEarCandy]

Lawrie I'd absolutely love to see you do a road trip on a traction engine.

[@SteamPowerMadness]

I need to get on the road with one at some point! I have permanent access to a 3" fowler showman's, as seen in my profile, but a full size on the road is a must.

[@Prewarpostwaramdmore]

I just bought a Garrett 4CD model for my O-gauge trains. Beautiful engine! This video answers so many questions I had. Especially that smokestack on top.

[@paulhorn2665]

Ahh nice to see the video now :-)

[@bentullett6068]

Beautiful piece of machinery. Usually the best part of a steam fair. It would be interesting to do a review on a fowler ploughing engine next and do some steam ploughing.

[@roberthocking9138]

Beautiful engine, I bet it would be worth a million. Very good of the owner to let you and us experience it

[@BigLMedia]

One is up for sale for 240,000

[@888johnmac]

oh that was nice .. and once the dynamo was connected .. i think i've just found the noise that will let me drift of to a good sleep

[@manfredatee]

This engine has a fascinating history, and thank you for sharing about it.

[@richardbristow1500]

Brilliant, well worth the wait Lawrie.

[@gregory8282]

Absolute magic!

[@SHGPMedia]

Very much enjoyed that. What's not to love

[@harrysemmence5046]

Awesome video a lovely engine, nice to hear all the local names where it spent its life close to where I live in Suffolk

[@Harvey-railways]

Yet another excellent hour.

[@lmm]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Halo1Buff]

I wondered what happened to that post. Always excited to see these moving about

[@warriorstar2517]

Absolutely stunning with all that brasswork. Oughta get myself a model showman’s engine.

[@jamesmchenry4708]

we don't have many of these brassy showman's engines here in the states, neat things to actually see - Most of ours are big ag engines. They'll still sneak up on you, though, if you're not careful. Especially with big noisy gas prairie tractors around as well.

[@guidor.4161]

They may have used a mirror on a stick to inspect the firebox?

[@peddersmeister]

You need a "you can't put wood in willy nilly" badge with you staring direct at the camera😂

[@sambrown6426]

I'm used to a larger American tractor, a 1917 40-horsepower Case to be exact, and while I will admit that this one is much prettier and cleaner, the Case is a bit more ergonomic to use. For one, the whole thing is a little bit larger, most notably the boiler is longer and the platform is much wider, so have a lot more room to swing your shovel. The water tank is also directly below the platform floor, and it holds somewhere in the range of 150-200 gallons, along with a pair of decently sizable coal bunkers. She doesn't have a bell though, but she does have 3 whistles. A high-pitched single chime, some variety of Lunkenheimer 3 chime, and a big boi C&O 6 chime off of some C&O steam locomotive. To be clear, a whistle that big has no business being on something as small as our little tractor, but it is, and it's actually mounted where the boiler fill plug goes, because that was the only opening big enough for it.

[@AndreiTupolev]

I never knew preparing an engine even before you light the fire could be so funny ☺

[@jensenskipper1540]

I use a garret 4CD named that”ll do owned by Christian Cartwright and I run it around at Strumpshaw steam rally for him not a showman just a stock one, great video 👍🏻

[@lmm]

They are really nice engines

[@BigLMedia]

“People of a certain persuasion” 😂

[@eze8970]

TY 🙏🙏

[@ryano.5149]

Ok. I want one!

[@heartland96a]

The clank noise may be normal but would drive me around the bend , not knowing what hitting what , if it's doing harm or about to fail ? And the groan it make when you accelerate. Great piece of history still running and capable of doing usefully work still . Thank to the owners and You for sharing

[@lmm]

It does a fair amount so unlikely to fail, it just seems to do that.

[@richardbristow1500]

It's the famous Garrett knock. It reminds you you have left the pump on!

[@heartland96a]

It seems wrong , something is making solid contact with some part of the machinery

[@richardbristow1500]

It's the play in the pump drive gears as the load changes from the suction stroke to the delivery stroke. A common feature of the 4CD

[@heartland96a]

@@richardbristow1500 so is it possible to replace the gears , either from a source or custom made , would that eliminate that noise ?

[@guidor.4161]

I love the spark arrestor

[@BrokenIET]

it doesn’t have a spark arrestor

[@richardbristow1500]

The spark arrester goes on for road runs, it's a legal requirement.

[@BrokenIET]

@@richardbristow1500 maybe in the US..

[@richardbristow1500]

In the UK. The insurance would be invalid with out one fitted.

[@DangerAngelous]

I would love to go and see one of these going down the road, like this bit here: 36:49 so charming and elegant

[@lmm]

It's amazing seeing a good road run of traction engines

[@althejazzman]

The shots at the end were just what I needed. I also love that gentle repetition of these perfectly engineered machines. Do you know why the clunking was only every two revolutions though?

[@richardbristow1500]

The clank comes from the pump drive gears as the pump goes over tdc.

[@eliotreader8220]

I understand that the engineering Company built a lot of similar engines for the War Office during the great war.

[@davidhall5868]

The traction/Showman’s steam engine remains me of Trevor the traction engine on Thomas and friends the one Edward the blue tender engine saved from scrap

[@Kaylaxtin]

just wondering, was this filmed at the hollycombe steam in the country?

[@richardbristow1500]

That's right

[@guidor.4161]

It seems a footman walking ahead with some flags would be useful, to indicate directions...😁

[@BjornVerzijlbergh]

This machine immediately reminds me of another Steam Fanatic: Fred Dibnah.

[@timwhite4301]

Me 2 God, loved his shows

[@MicrowaveOven12]

Now, spot the difference 🤣

[@PandaJ]

Lawrie you do make life more difficult than it needs to be...

[@lmm]

Yes. Filming is a real challenge, but it's worth it for people who enjoy watching the videos.

[@arrowhasautism9953]

I saw this traction engine today

[@joewynjones4580]

Please do more traction engine video 🙏🙏🙏

[@mrjed6912]

Has the Reliant Rialto hatchback been touched at all? I haven't seen it for a while on your channel.

[@b43xoit]

Is there any automated water-level maintenance for while it is generating electricity? What's the output voltage, frequency, and maximum electric power?

[@lmm]

There is a pump driven off the crank which will maintain the boiler level to a degree. The voltage depends on the size of the dynamo, and size of the engine.

[@SimonPEdwards63]

I would like to own one someday. Last time I looked the only one for sale was 3 million pounds and I was a heap of scrap.

[@lmm]

Not heard of one being that much, I thought Lion set a record when it sold for a million

[@Klutch58Customs]

That's a lot of fuss to get it started! I can see why they all have old fodens and ERFs!

[@dianeboyling7298]

my dad owns firefly and were putting back to origanal and my dads grandad is goerge hawkins

[@PhoneVidoes]

How bizzare is that, here I am crusiing the youtube and find you firing Lady Oliver at Hollycombe, a place I've been to with our half size 3 times this year and I've fired Lady Oliver myself back in the day, small world.

[@The-6666]

I own 3 with one with a No3 raven whistle

[@dkbmaestrorules]

11:50 you laugh about the steering wheel, but I believe there were some early traction engines where they worked the opposite way round...

[@lmm]

No! That's mad

[@PandaJ]

Mostly examples left are ploughing engines, of which the Allen Plougher which lives at Hollycombe steam collection where you are Lawrie

[@sentinelboy8827]

The crazy thing is very few people could actually read at all, at the time these engines were built so it would have been meaningless to most.

[@hhtrains8572]

i think i will be a good size for the starting jobs 😅

[@marklinproductions2180]

would you ever consider buying a standard gauge steam locomotive?

[@brucehewson5773]

and don't you know, that is exactly the same process used by a nuclear power station - make heat - use steam - spin things to make electricity - pure magic!

[@lmm]

A similar process, but not quite the same

[@roseroserose588]

that bucket of wood wobbling around on the rear wheels was giving me so much anxiety

[@detroitredneckdetroitredne6674]

What are you going to do when somebody finds one in a scrapyard? And you get to see it for the first time. I will donate

[@lmm]

I'd be amazed to find one of these still in a scrapyard!

[@Ebolson1019]

speaking as someone who has studied engineering and the engineering of these old machines you are very brave to sit next to a flywheel that is visiable off center.

[@lorddraper]

On the point of modern vehicles and machinery me and my grandfather both rather farm with old small tractors rather than these big tech laden monsters of tractors that wouldn't fit through the gate

[@ukdave57]

Ummmm, swear I watched this a day ago 🤔

[@railnut21]

There were a couple of issues that Lawrie wasn't happy with so he took it down to polish it and re-upload

[@ukdave57]

@@railnut21 I thought I was having a senior moment 😆

[@brashers759]

Lawrie, love your videos, but you always mention the same thing.. the cost of owning an engine now.. I grew up in steam preservation, my father has restored a few engines with friends, and I was heavily involved in threshing from the age of 4 as a ratting boy, up to operating the engine as a young adult, but am no longer involved. So I Just wanted to congratulate the boomer generation for inflating the prices of steam traction engines (as an investment opportunity) to the point that gen-x and millennials will never ever be able to afford their own. Once the boomers are dead, the majority of these machines will fall into the hands of equity companies, they will be mothballed as an asset and the steam preservation scene will regress into a WO Bentley type elitist hobby, unattainable for the everyday working man or woman. I went to all the major steam auctions of the 1980’s and 1990’s with my father,where prices were £5k-£10k for a project, I just presumed I would one day be custodian of my own engine, alas I am relegated to visiting steam rallies as a spectator or when possible a bit of volunteering at a museum. If any one ever wonders why steam preservation becomes a thing of the past, go look in a mirror!

[@lmm]

Everything is expensive now, and finding people who can do the specialised work is harder. For instance, with 393303 we're looking at a minimum of 4,000 pounds to restore what we know is wrong with the engine, and we've not got it fully apart. Things are very difficult.