John Crawley Engines

We have reached a stage in the preservation scene when fewer and fewer of the pioneers of the movement are still with us. It was the foresight of these men and women, that saved so many engines from the cutters torch and it is to them we should be thankful. Many including John Crawley, also rescued literature and photographs building a large collection of information that will bring interests for many generations to come. Since the early days no less than 24 engines have passed through John’s hands, some of these saved at the last moment and one in fact new from the manufacturer, something that not many people still with us can claim to have happened to them. At the Bedfordshire Steam & Country Fayre September 2005, 15 of those former Crawley engines gathered for a special display to mark not only the start of our Society’s 50th Anniversary Celebrations but also John’s 80th Birthday.

John’s interest in steam started as a schoolboy when he used to ride on the miniature railway in Bedford owned by Walter Gower, an old friend of John’s mother. In later years, Walter would maintain John’s engines from his boiler works. As he grew up, the Beds County Council rollers would be a common site around John’s home and he would often see the Showman’s engines belonging to the Thurston Family on the local fairs.

It was in 1955 that John’s passion became a reality and he purchased his first engine, Fowler 15657 “Kitchener” from Harry Hollingworth of West Riding. Walter Gower, often referred to as Wally, accompanied John to visit and subsequently purchase the engine, an R3 Showman’s Road Locomotive. Built as a Road Locomotive for F. Barnes of Portland, Dorset and used for hauling stone from the quarries down to Portland Harbour. In 1932, Dorset County Council passed a law that steel-wheeled vehicles should be fitted with rubber tyres and so the engine was sold. The new owner was Mrs. H. Oadley of Derbyshire who sent the engine back to Fowler’s works for a complete overhaul and was converted to full showman’s specification, emerging with the name “Kitchener”. It was the interest shown by the local people to this engine being stored in a pub car park that led to the formation of our Society in 1956.

The enthusiasm John had for his hobby had been rekindled from his childhood days and he decided to look for a second engine. He set upon a Scenic Showman’s from the Thetford Works of Charles Burrell & Sons and before too long No. 3610, “William V” had arrived in Bedfordshire to join “Kitchener”. Their new home was at Woburn Abbey by kind permission of the Duke of Bedford, who incidentally became the first President of the BSEPS. John continued to exhibit the two Showman’s at Woburn at weekends when they were not attending steam rallies. In 1957, John started the famous Woburn Park Traction Engine Rallies, which were to run for several years.

In 1958, John purchased McLaren Ploughing Engine No. 1541 of 1918. Now one of only two Ploughing engines preserved by this maker, there were very nearly three and John was only just too late to save the pair, No. 1540. They had been sold new to Lt. Col. Miles Courage before passing through several owners until purchased by William Whitely of Ashburton, Devon, a keen huntsman. He controlled the movements of the 1541 from his horse as it pulled logs out of the valley, the rope being returned by a Fordson tractor. Because of the terrain, the tractor and engine never came within sight of each other.

The same year the Thornycroft came along. Built in 1900, it is now thought to be the world’s oldest steam wagon. New to Francis Wintle of Mitcheldean, Glos the wagon was registered for road use in 1904. During the 1914-18 War, she was commandeered for war duties, being overhauled afterwards and returned to Mr Wintle, although it was put in a shed, as many surplus petrol lorries were now available. The wagon then passed to Ivor Dobbs of Longhope who sold her to engine dealer Jesse Vines. Recognising the rarity of the wagon, Jesse telephoned Tasker’s of Andover who were creating a museum to see if they were interested but they were not. They did, however, put Jesse onto John who purchased the wagon in 1958 for £180 and exhibited it at the Woburn rally the same year. John sold the wagon to Phipps Brewery in 1963 and it was again restored in 1974. It now forms part of Robert Crawford’s collection at Frithville.

Another engine to arrive that year was the Wallis & Steevens Oilbath Steam Tractor No. 7640, purchased from Jack Wharton, which worked from new in Berkshire and always remained around that area.

John’s agricultural business was a Ransomes dealership among other things and one day in 1960, he received a phone call from the company asking when he would next be visiting Ipswich. At the Orwell works, a museum had been set up which included two traction engines. An agricultural, No. 20760 which had been purchased from Chris Lambert and a small 4NHP portable that had never been completed. On his next visit, John viewed the engines and was asked if he would be interested. John enquired as to the price and was told they were his, no money was asked for. The true number of this portable will probably never be known, as it had not had its plates fitted. John believes that the engine was built in the later years of the war as it has steel boiler bands instead of brass. The engine was never completed as the ashpan and chimney had not been made, although the drawings were delivered with the engine to John’s Yard at Bedford. John had the ashpan and chimney made by Walter Gower and he painted the engine, finding the number E409 stamped on one of the parts. Ransomes used a series of E numbers although this one had never been used, and the sequence was only used up until 1909. As the engine was new and un-steamed, John became the last person in the country to take delivery of a brand new engine from its builders.

The next engine to come along was the small Fowler T3A roller “Princess Caroline” in 1961, which was to star in the Iron Maiden 🔗 film the following year. This engine worked for many years for the Mechanical Tar Spraying and Grouting Company of Reading as fleet number 36. This engine has been in preservation for a long time in Cornwall, making its first appearance for many years at Old Warden in September 2005.

John exhibited “William V” at many events throughout the area but still desired a Special Scenic Burrell, and had heard of “No.1” still sitting in Collins’ Yard. New to Pat Collins of Bloxwich for fairground work in the Midlands, the engine stayed with the company all of her working life. John had been trying to purchase the engine for a couple of years when he met a member of the Collins family purely by chance at the Centenary Agricultural Show in 1961 at Windsor Great Park. John mentioned how he had been after the engine for some time and was duly invited to tea with Clara Collins in her living van where the deal was done. The engine went straight to Gowers for a total rebuild. After many years and much trouble, the engine was sold on to Arthur Beale, having never attended a rally under John’s ownership.

Further additions the same year to the collection were a pair of Fowler BB 1 Ploughing Engine’s, No. 15344 & 15345 of 1919, which had been built for Thomas Bath of Biggleswade. In 1935 they moved to Herbert Burton of Easton, Hunts and by 1941 they were with William Chapman of Barnwell, Northants from where John purchased them along with a plough and water cart. They were steamed the 15 miles back to John’s agricultural depot. John rallied the pair for many years putting on displays; they have since returned to the Chapman family.

In 1962 John bought another ploughing engine, Fowler BB 14384 “Princess”, the pair to “Prince” which was owned locally at the time by Ruffs of Wilden. These were ex John Patten engines, a sale that John could not attend to his regret; although it was the day he visited Ransomes and was given the two engines, so he couldn’t really complain.

The second roller to join the collection came in the form of an 1897 Wallis & Steevens 10 ton single-cylinder version, which had been new to James Penfold of Arundel. The engine was in good condition and had been looking after all of its life.

In 1962 John was involved in “The Iron Maiden” film as technical director, with many of his engines featuring, with Kitchener and William V as the main stars along with Fensom’s Garrett Tractor “Patricia” and Jack Wharton’s Burrell Showman’s “King George V”. There was no Woburn rally this year and in 1963, the rally moved for one year to Bletsoe in conjunction with the Bedfordshire Agricultural Society. It was at this rally that two engines joined the rapidly growing collection, with John then owning 12 of the 55 engines on display, namely Aveling Barford road rollers AG 757 and 758 both of 1946. New to Cumberland County Council the rollers had been sold back to Aveling Barford in part exchange for Diesel rollers. Knowing of John’s interest in steam the Sales Manager approached John and a deal was struck, £350 for the pair, which included delivery by rail to Bedford. Both engines had current boiler certificates and were steamed from Bedford Goods Yard to Bletsoe. The two rollers were split when John sold them and were reunited for the first time at Old Warden, with AG758 making its first trip north of London since it left Bedford.

That same year, the oldest engine John would own was to join the collection, McLaren No. 127 of 1882. The engine was at Romsey on part of the Beaulieu Estate, for whom John was running events at the time. A visit to see the engine found it in remarkable condition and stored in its own shed, with the belt from the flywheel passing through the wall into a sawmill. The engine was still with its original owners, who had regularly kept the engine maintained by Taskers of Andover, including the fitting of a new firebox in the 1920s. The driver had always taken pride in his engine and it gleamed when John became her second owner as she was being replaced by a tractor. Very little work was needed on the engine and it appeared at the Bletsoe rally. In the present ownership of Steve and Chris Arrowsmith the engine was steamed down to Old Warden Park from Staffordshire, taking four days each way.

Travelling around the country on business John always tried to view engines whenever he could, as there was not the collection of magazines or rallies we have today. Whilst in Somerset in 1963, and having a keen interest in Showman’s engines, John decided to pay a visit to Mr. Emery at Highbridge, who owned Burrell No. 2877 “His Majesty” of 1907 vintage. He had owned the engine since 1959 and restored her, having bought her from the commercial owners who had her from new, Charles Heal & Sons, Showmen of Glastonbury. A visit was arranged and after un-sheeting the engine for John to see, much to his surprise he was offered the chance to buy her, and after half an hour of discussions, she had joined his fleet of engines! This engine now forms part of the collection at the World of Country Life Museum at Exmouth.

In the same year, an Aveling & Porter roller was available for purchase in Scotland. John purchased the engine, No. 12826 of 1932, over the telephone but later found it that it had a cracked headstock and sold the roller on shortly afterwards.

The next roller to join the fleet was Aveling & Porter Tandem No. 6530. A friend of John had seen a chimney poking out of a scrap yard from the window of a passing train. He described the location to John who went in search of the engine. Having a line side pass for the railway John was able to get around the back of the yard and view the engine the best he could. It turned out to be the first steamroller bought by the Luton Corporation and worked for them until the late 1950s. It was in a derelict condition and John never did any work on her, eventually selling her to Tom Varley who restored her. The roller is now owned by the Luton Museum Service and rallied locally.

In 1969 John purchased an Aveling & Porter ‘L’ type Tractor, No. 12152 that he was to keep for many years, as he was very happy with it. It had been supplied new to The Edinburgh Corporation and used by them for hauling roadstone from the local quarry to the roadside. It worked with them until the late 1950s before going into preservation.

Then in 1974 came the third Aveling Barford roller. John viewed the engine at the Eddison depot at Grantham after going to buy a living van and was asked if he cared to place an offer. He did not expect anything to come of it and a week later found himself the new owner! On completion when new, this engine took a tour of the Far East ending in Singapore as a demonstrator. By the time of the Japanese invasion, the engine was luckily on her way home. Built under A.G.E, the roller was designed by Ruston’s, built by Ransomes, Sims and Jefferies and sold as an Aveling Barford. In March 1943 she was sold to Barnes & Co. of Biggleswade where she was first registered and given the name Prince of Wales, with fleet no. 107. In 1948 the roller joined the fleet of the Eddison Steam Rolling Company.

In 1981, John fulfilled a dream in finally purchasing a Foden Wagon, a C Type of 1926. Not only that, but the wagon had worked locally for most of its life, with some years as a tar sprayer. John had the wagon completely rebuilt and it still carries the final livery he had her in, that of the Newquay Steam Beer Company.

The final engines joined the collection in 1983, namely the two Sentinel Waggons, Standard No. 3899 and Super No. 5407. Both waggons had a good pedigree the Standard being one of the famous Brown Bayley Fleet and the Super having worked up until the 1960s with the United Africa Company on Liverpool docks, the livery it still carries today. The Super passed into the ownership of son David.

Over the years, engines came and went, the last being the Super Sentinel in 2003 when it moved to Scotland marking the end of an era as the last of the 24 engines to leave the family, 47 years after John bought “Kitchener”.

But what of the one that got away? John has told me of a Wallis & Steevens Oilbath Tractor that he agreed to purchase over the phone from the Leighton Buzzard area. When he went to collect the engine and pay for it, it had disappeared. Was it scrapped, is it in preservation or is it hidden away somewhere? We may never know.

Mark Worbey