[SEL] What was your best engine trip?

Peter Scales peter at loud-n-clear.net
Tue Mar 1 10:51:51 PST 2005


In message
<A0005A7383753E46B67B1DD1DA6FEBE1013F45FA at nexus.plaza.ds.adp.com>,
George Best <George_Best at adp.com> writes
>
>If everyone would tell the story of their best engine related trip that
>would keep us busy for a long time.
>

Well, so far in my hobby career, I have only made three "real"
engine-related trips.  I count a "real" trip as one that takes me out of
the county (about 50 miles on average in the UK) and requires a trailer
to bring back the spoils.  I had another one that nearly qualified, but
no trailer involved.

The first real trip was to just north of the Scottish border, to bring
back a Lister CS 6/1 purchased on eBay.  My son (age 9) and I set out in
my wonderful old LHD diesel Renault 21 (2.1 litres normally aspirated
and over 200,000 miles) (remember that the UK is RHD) pulling the big
Ifor Williams twin-axle 8' x 5' general purpose trailer.  This weighs
about 1000 lbs empty and the vehicle is only rated for about 2000 lbs
towing weight.  We didn't manage to break any speed limits, as it is
uphill all the way from England to Scotland.  The limit for towed
combinations not over 7.5 tonnes gross train weight on county roads is
50 mph, and 60 mph on motorways (Interstate Highways) and dual
carriageways with central reservation.  Most of our northbound journey
was carried out on motorways at a speed of about 55 mph.

We overnighted in Seahouses, Northumberland, with my cousin Jane and her
family.  We'd travelled about 240 miles.  We were made extremely welcome
and I look forward to the day when I can return the favour.  The
following morning, we continued about 60 miles or so to our eventual
destination, not far from Berwick-on-Tweed.  There we had the engine
loaded for us by the very pleasant and obliging vendor, a Mr Anderson.
We didn't stay long, as we had a 300-mile journey to undertake.

The journey home was uneventful, despite the extra 750 lbs on board.  We
managed 60 mph at times (it was downhill, after all).  We arrived back
in Shropshire and immediately set about lifting the engine off the
trailer and getting it into the Shed.  (The Shed is always spoken of in
reverent tones in the UK.  Some lucky chaps may even have two Sheds.  I
am informed that the renowned Monty Python ensemble once performed a
sketch featuring a certain "Two-Sheds Jackson"...)  Unfortunately, the
engine is still a Shed-case.  It had been stored outside with an open
exhaust pipe and valve, and had a slight case of the stickies...  I
think that the only thing that needs attention now is the injection
pump.  This has been at the bottom of a tin of diesel for two years and
may be just about freed off by now.

Some pictures later at http://www.petesextension.com/Borders/

In part II, I will bring you the saga of the Start-o-Matic and the CS
12/2 we fetched from north of Aberdeen.  For our friends from larger
countries, this is the UK equivalent of fetching an engine from
Bismarck, ND, to Topeka, KS, or Alice Springs, NT, to Townsville, QL (is
that the right abbreviation for Queensland?).  It doesn't take quite so
long, though, and the roads might be a little better than in Oz...

Regards to all

     Pete
-- 
Peter Scales




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