Astle Park steam traction engine rally.

[Alyn Foundry]

Just a reminder for our UK membership that this year’s Astle Park steam traction engine rally is this weekend 9th and 10 th of August 2025. At SK11 9AD North Cheshire.

The weather is reported to be fair. My boys will be there showing a selection of stationary engines. Go say hello….

   Graham.

[PaulR]

What a shame, I would have liked to come along (from just south of Stafford) but it's a big family birthday weekend Hope we get to see some pics at any rate.

[Alyn Foundry]

Hi Paul.

The lads have been kept really busy.

Here’s a photo of the Alyn Foundry display. I’m still shocked that it’s the 40th anniversary of the Penultimate gas engine prank, third from left.

Photo courtesy of David Mashiter.
   Graham.

[Sanjay F]

Looks great and nice weather - looks like a few people were so surprised they fell backwards off their chairs!

[Dave Otto]

Here’s a photo of the Alyn Foundry display. I’m still shocked that it’s the 40th anniversary of the Penultimate gas engine prank, third from left.

I'm guessing there is a story here?

[Alyn Foundry]

Here’s a photo of the Alyn Foundry display. I’m still shocked that it’s the 40th anniversary of the Penultimate gas engine prank, third from left.

I'm guessing there is a story here?

Oh…. Most definitely but I wonder if folks want to know? 

   Graham.

[Jasonb]

Dave, I've sent you the story on facebook. As told by the man himself

Graham I can post it here if you don't want to type it all out again.

[Dave Otto]

Thanks Jason, that is hilarious!

Dave

[PaulR]

Dave, I've sent you the story on facebook. As told by the man himself

Graham I can post it here if you don't want to type it all out again.

C'mon let's see what it's all about!

[Alyn Foundry]

Dave, I've sent you the story on facebook. As told by the man himself

Graham I can post it here if you don't want to type it all out again.

C'mon let's see what it's all about!

I’m trying to find some associated photos with little success so Jason please add the literature and I’ll see what I can find.

   Graham.

[Jasonb]

The first engine.

I don't remember the season only that it was cold, wet and miserable. Vincent and I were exhibiting at the Tern Hill clubs annual show, even the stubble field was miserable! As usual we were trolling the stalls for those things you need, you know the things that still litter my shelves today. We came across some nice little Victorian/Edwardian cup oilers. I don't know what sparked the thought but we both sort of said, wouldn't it be great to make an engine around them? You know, put something out there, totally bogus and wait to see what happens. Well, that's exactly what we did. The Penultimate was born from a miserable day.

Both Vincent and I had been experimenting with casting, independent of each other. He'd made all the bearings for his National " K " type gas engine and I'd been making all the missing Brasses for my Lister " P " type. We'd both had reasonable success in Aluminium too. At the time I was quite ill with an unknown problem, akin to glandular fever but tested negative every time. The pain was almost constant but I found that if I concentrated on something it relived a little, during these bouts I'd scribble. At that time a vertical Crossley had been found in the Liverpool docks area, I liked it very much, the Penultimate grew from that form.

Several days later I handed the sketch to Vincent who set about making some patterns. Few people knew that Vincent was a fully trained horticulturist and that his father hadn't let him pursue his dream of being a mechanic but, instead had kept him in the family nursery and florists business. The majority of patterns were made from the wooden, ex butchers block that they had used in the florist shop. It had been condemned from use by the local authorities and repurposed by Vincent. Problem was that every time we tried to paint them they oozed juices, for want of a better word, and then the paint fell off. Because of this problem it took several attempts at a mould before we got something half decent.

Two become three.

Both Vincent and I were members of the CVVMS, a local group/club of vintage restoration enthusiasts that met monthly in Llay near Wrexham. By now we had managed to cast most of the engine parts and were discussing timing gears over a pint at the meeting. I wanted an epicyclic drive, Geoff Challinor is to blame for this LOL, when a quiet voice said " I can cut gears " that voice belonged to non other than Martin Lorenzo. This was the start of a long and fruitful friendship between the three of us.

Martin kind of took over the project and pretty soon the Penultimate was nearing completion. He found that our nice looking Aluminium castings were actually as holey as Swiss cheese. To combat this he made separate " caged " valves and we even had to resort to a pair of Steel plates to create the combustion chamber. A few home cast Brass parts were made for the conrod and eccentric strap and a crankshaft and gears were " borrowed " from a JAP 1A petrol engine.

After several weeks of tinkering I finally managed to get the engine running on hot tube. But, by now it didn't really look like anything nice at all. It was Vincent who saved the day by using a plastic flowerpot as a pattern to form the now, all familiar bottom part that hid the ugly looking Steel plates from view.

The Sting.

Astle park steam rally was, and still is a prestigious event. Back in the day you had to be invited to attend. Both Vincent and I had been invited a year or so earlier but now it was Martin's turn. He was to debut the Penultimate, an engine found in an old Cobblers shop in Leicester.... The cooling system hooked up to the high level flush of a water closet.... I kid you not, Martin was a " Master " story teller, I had to walk away because I couldn't contain myself from laughing uncontrollably!!

The engine was the " star " of the show, photos were taken, serious money was offered and it ended up as an article in Stationary Engine magazine. The only person that nearly caught us out was Robin Jackson, he said that the flywheel looked like a Simplex air pump one, it was!! In fact he'd sold it to us a year or so earlier lol.

Fame.

After the article in Stationary Engine Martin got a letter offering over a £1000.00 for his engine, in the eighties that was a lot. We just ignored it and carried on with making engines because by now Alyn Foundry was up and running and we were having fun. The final irony was that several years later the Penultimate gas engine was included in Patrick Knights book, The A to Z of British  stationary engines. Poor Patrick had never been told about our prank, he found out about it from me nearly 25 years later.

[Jasonb]

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZwu5F_UOg4" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZwu5F_UOg4</a>

[Jasonb]

So good Graham told the story twice 

It was the Penultimate that got us " IN " to that highly prestigious engine rally at Astle Park. As the stationary engine section was by invitation only.

Percy Gallimore was in charge and the engines had to be of a high standard and of a rare nature.
Martin was picked to be the owner and finder of this rare little beast. Typical of Martin who was very quick witted, the story evolved.
Found in an old " cobblers " shop in his home town of Leicester in derelict condition, Martin had then restored it to its current state of presentation. I forget who Martin was telling the story to but as Vincent and I were listening Martin was getting more and more inventive. When he told the listener that the engines cooling system had been plumbed into the high level flush cistern of the lavatory in the shop, I had to walk away before bursting out into peels of laughter.

The engine drew quite an interest and before long Dave Croft was offering money and one of his rare Danish import engines in exchange. Martin declined, for obvious reasons.

Needless to say after many photos were taken the Penultimate gas engine ended up in the pages of Stationary Engine magazine in the identity and assistance section. This section was dedicated to helping owners of unknown engines in the hope of finding out their historical background. Well, Vincent and I were proud, our prank had reached national recognition, we waited....

A few weeks went by and Martin received a letter, just 3 words on the envelope, M Lorenzo Ruabon... Amazed that it got to its recipient, it was from a serious collector associated with Ed Bolton. A few words, " I know nothing about the maker or origins but I'm willing to offer you £1000.00 for your engine " obviously we were amazed at such a large sum of money! Being well aware of future consequences the offer was ignored.

After a few years had gone by we decided to " come clean " on the Penultimate saga, I wrote to David Edgington and told the whole story. He didn't respond favourably at all! " you have made me look a fool " he replied, if you think you're going to get this story printed in my magazine, think again....

The Penultimate story got quietly forgotten by most until.... Patrick Knight published his extensive and authoritative treaties, The A to Z guide of the British stationary engine.

You've guessed it, the Penultimate got included!! Despite the fact that many enthusiasts knew, Patrick didn't. Luckily Patrick took the news very differently, we had a good laugh....

[PaulR]

Excellent yarn, that was some prank and I can see why the magazine editor wasn't impressed!

[Sanjay F]

Great story and regardless of its dubious birth its a great looking and running engine