[SEL] Tillie's first show of the year

[Jim French]

Hi Jim

We've only taken Tillie to a couple of shows; one is a little local show at
the city pumping station where there are a small number of all sorts of things
mechanical on display, so people don't realise that they're seeing something
really special.
The other show, Lamport, is the one we're doing this weekend, and we took
Tillie there a couple of years ago.  It's about 15 miles south of us at a
beautiful stately home, with LOTS of displays.  I think they're expecting over
100 stationary engines this year.  Not only is this show the perfect setting,
it also has the most enthusiastic organiser for the engines.
There are lots of shows which have expressed an interest in having Tillie on
display, but Pete makes a huge effort to ensure that she has pride of place on
the showground AND means of loading and unloading.
We are fairly certain she's the only half-breed in the UK - possibly in
Europe.  There are rumoured to be other oilfield engines in England, but I've
never heard of them being rallied.
One of the most interesting things about the first time we did Lamport was the
way she drew the steam men over.  Normally, the steam fraternity don't take
any notice of the engines, but most of them made the exception for Tillie!
Today when we took her and unloaded her, lots of folk ambled over and in the
course of the conversation, asked if we'd taken her barker this year!!!! That
had definately stayed in a lot of memories!  Of course, we will be
demonstrating!
The public also ask lots of questions, because she's so big! The two-coloured
paint job draws attention, but it's a great way of explaining the steam to gas
converson.  So all in all, she's a great crowd puller, from the totally
unmechanical, who just want to know what she did and how we move her around,
to the highly technical, who are fascinated to see something so different.

Dolly

Jim and Diane wrote:

> Nice way of loading!  What is the reaction of the public and the engine
> crowd to the engine.  I don't expect there are many of these over there.
>

--
Jim French
fbi at insulate.co.uk
http://www.insulate.co.uk
http://www.oldengine.org/members/dolly/index.htm