Report on outings of the clubs 1923 Lister A Type

By Michael (& Jackie) Brown

We collected the engine back in early April from where it was being safely looked after by one of the Club’s founder members. The first show taking the club’s engine out this year was the Spring Cuckoo Fayre at Laughton near Lewes for a day over the May Bank Holiday.  There was a lot of interest from local people as soon as they read the information sheet that the engine was supplied to local Agents Beeny Brothers of Hailsham and spent its whole working life in Sussex.  The engine ran well and a very productive chat was had with a chap who said he has the same type of engine with the Beeny Brothers badge on and he was also from Hailsham.  Contact details were exchanged and more information hopefully to follow.

Then it was a day out to the High Weald Steam Working Weekend at Pippingford Park, Nutley held on 15/16^th June. We arrived on the Sunday and although raining first thing, we had definitely picked the better day as the Saturday has been heavy storms.  Unfortunately, when I did go to start the engine the magneto failed and there seemed to be no spark at all… perhaps it was the weather.   After a bit of ‘head scratching’ and trying to start it again several times without success, on further inspection I found the magneto casing had a hole in it and no doubt the rain had got in! However despite not running, the engine did draw quite a lot of interest from the public with good conversation. Once home, I carried out a repair to the casing by filling and securing the hole with a rubber bung and managed to get the engine running again… ready for its next day out, fingers crossed.

Our third venture out was to another local event at the Broyle Country Show near Ringmer at the end of June.  This time it a was lovely hot sunny day and also the first time Phil Sampson and Derek Funnell were organising the stationary engine section so it was good to see lots of familiar faces and catch up. I will certainly be supporting this show again next year.  The engine ran perfect the whole day and generated interest from the public and fellow exhibitors.

Next it was a bit further afield in July to the engine rally organised by Dennis and Chris Barnes on the Braemore Estate in Hampshire.  I felt the engine needed to go there as it is the third oldest known to survive and although there was some spectacular, rare and jaw dropping engines being exhibited, perhaps not likely to be all seen again in one setting, the Club engine didn’t feel out of place and there much interest shown from fellow enthusiasts.

Saturday, 10 August a day out to Rural Past Times Show towards Hastings, East Sussex. First time here and good selection of engines and a thoroughly enjoyable show. Another hot sunny day and the Lister A never missed a beat.

Finally the engine was taken to the Festival of Transport at Hellingly, Hailsham for the whole of the August Bank Holiday weekend.  Saturday was heavy rain from the start so no-one uncovered their engines.  Much later in the day the weather did improve and a few of us decided to venture out and start our engines, the A type being one of them.

The rest of the weekend the engine ran perfectly.  The engines here are in a good location along a line as the public walk through the entrance gate so there was quite a lot of people stopping to look at the engines and asking questions.  At this show, I also made contact with a friend of many years who helps to run the Hailsham Museum Heritage Centre in the Town and he has some further information on the Beeny Brothers family and the shop where the Engine was delivered.  We agreed to meet up at the Museum soon.  More information to follow once known.

It’s been a joy and great privilege this year to have been able to take this engine out to local shows in East Sussex and those further afield.