[SEL] Tillie's first show of the year

[Jim and Diane]

Hi Helen,

Thanks for the reply.  I got to thinking about half breed engines and I have 
to say they are not very common here either.  I have never seen one made by 
anybody at any of the west coast shows, some oil field engines yes, but no 
half breeds.

Jim

Jim and Diane Kirkes
Hemet, CA
jd.kirkes at verizon.net
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jim French" <fbi at insulate.co.uk>
To: "The SEL email discussion list" <sel at lists.stationary-engine.com>
Sent: Saturday, May 28, 2005 5:46 AM
Subject: Re: [SEL] Tillie's first show of the year


> 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
>
>
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