Twyford Waterworks Spring Rally 5th May

This Rally is held as an opening event for the year and includes all the site being open and as much as possible in operation as well as lots of visiting cars, tractors, stationary engines, model boats, a minature railway, several minature traction engines and several full size ones too!

The main steam engine is out of commision at the moment so the Diesel House has to fly the flag for operational equipment. Currently the two main engines are down. The 4 cylinder Ruston VER is being rebuilt and the 3 cylinder has been stopped pending a repair on a cracked sump as well as a full rebuild! Across the road in the Transfer House the smaller 3VCR is up and running and progress is being made on restoring the original compressor engine, a type 2PS. This had been running recently after repairs over the winter but further work was identified which meant a hurried rebuild of a ‘spare’ 2PS to at least show how the original one worked. A more modern Petter diesel plant has been installed in a new ‘hutch’ outside.

We are still looking for the carrot patch to go with it! A nice day blessed with good weather and a good turn out of visitors, many arriving on vintage King Alfred buses from Winchester city centre. Well worth a visit and if you are about in October, look out for the special display of Ruston compressor engines.

Mark Tewkesbury