Mk.IV Meets Garret

[Pete Nash]

Sunday 31st March was the Leiston Long Shop Museum's first Steam Up day at the former Garret works in Leiston, Suffolk.
Although it is close to Sizewell Nuclear Power Stations radiation suits are not required.

Garretts are best known as manufacturers of agricultural and Showman Traction engines an in their later years for Industrial Washing and drying machines. If anyone is in this neck of the woods (East Suffolk) it is worth a couple of hours of your time.

I was there with my Mk.IV as part of the Ipswich Model Engineering Society. I joined them at the end of 2018 and was immediately asked to bring the Mk.IV in to show them on their 'Model Night'. There was about 25 members there and most stood up and gawped as it trundled into the club house.

As for Leiston Steam Up day, it generated a lot of interest as I sat with every switched on ready to go, then while people were 'admiring it' I switched the engine sound on causing little boys and girls to jump back in surprise, and more surprise when the now awakened 'sleeping giant' started to move and spin around in front of them guns flashing and firing.

sadly my Panzer III didn't make it, it suffered some track damage the previous day. IMES host birthday parties, the previous day the P.3 was at one chasing 4 year old boys and girls about when they weren't riding the 5 inch guage trains.

There is not doubt that, given a decent amount of space kids enjoy being chased by a large scale tank and even some ladies are impressed by them.

[Daniel Scholefield]

Looks like it was a nice day out. The reaction to your Mark IV is pretty similar to my Village fete experience last year, lots of kids wanting to touch (and in a couple of cases kick!) the metal monster.

[Pete Nash]

Hi Daniel

My Mk.IV and RR armoured Car 'starred' in my Village's celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the Armistice. As a result I have been 'ordered' to bring them and my Panzer III to this years Fete.

At the do some eanted to see the tank moving but I declined as the hall has a polished wood floor and I didn't want to damage it.
However I did demonstrate the RR. Three kids pretended to be shot and kept falling down. They had a whale of a time.

[RobinStorey]

Your Mk4 looks great, nice detail of the Fascine ready to trench cross !
I once had the idea of trying to get the works drawings and building a Mk1 with the steering tail.
One day maybe.

Just noticing another rare engineering beauty there, the Garret Suffolk Punch, also known as the Agrimotor. Garrett hoped to fend off the increase of internal combustion engined tractors with this design, using high pressure steam and a compound arrangement with the cylinders. It's forward control layout being relatively unique in British traction engine design. I believe that one is the sole survivor.