1903 Burrell 8hp traction engine returns to the road

We report on a 1903 Burrell 8hp traction engine’s return to the road, part-way through its fantastic restoration.

Wow, what a sight! Caught on Ben Matthew’s camera in late April is 1903 Burrell 8hp No. 2547 DCC road locomotive BL8368 Endurance owned by Edward Goddard and under restoration with Allison Engineering of Wem, in Shropshire. The engine will not be staying long as a road locomotive, which it was until 1933 when it was new to JK Cooper & Sons Brickworks, Maidenhead, in Berkshire. Here we see the engine on its first foray back on the road with James Allison at the controls.

The engine was purchased for £60 in 1933 by JM & R Stokes of Basingstoke and Southampton, and was converted by Wallis & Steevens, who looked after the Stokes fleet of engines. It didn’t sell this engine for scrap and it was preserved by David Hunt of Sherborne in 1956. As times moved on, the engine stood in the Midlands with its sheet gradually disintegrating until Len Crane from Wolverhampton persuaded the owner to sell it to him.

The project took many years as Len was more than occupied with Wolverhampton Wanderer, but it made its debut at the Welland Steam & Country Show in Len’s later years. After his death Endurance was sold to Edward knowing the engine needed a full overhaul in most departments. The engine had a new firebox, tubeplate, skirts, all new gears, back wheels rebored, brake rings, crank machined, flywheel machined and fitted properly to the crankshaft. It has also had  new bearings on the 2nd shaft and back axle, cylinder bored and faced, new link gear, and wheel pins and that’s just for starters!

There is no intention to leave the engine as a road locomotive – as we speak Endurance is having her canopy, perch bracket and dynamo fitted ready for her showman’s debut at Welland at the end of July.

This feature comes from the latest issue of Old Glory, and you can get a money-saving subscription to this magazine simply by clicking HERE