Mad or just plain stupid!!....but who's joining us?

Right then......

After a few too many beers in the beer tent at Old Warden Rally this weekend we've come up with our next challenge. After the successful completion of the Lykamobile Challenge we have now decide to try the following:

4" Burrell Road Loco Relay from John O Groats to Lands End

Yes we are flaming NUTS but i believe we'll be the first to attempt it and every one who succeeds in being the first to do something tends to be a bit mad!! (i mean sailing off the edge of the world must have took a right fruit loop!!)

A Date, Time and Schedule is yet to be decided (and it's likely to be a year or so in the organising) but the plan will be something like this:

1 Engine - a 4" Steam Traction World Road Loco.

1000ish Miles (taking in to account we won't be able to go on really busy main roads).

100 Drivers (maybe 50 if we can't get 100).

Each driver completing a 10 mile relay and then changing to the next driver. (if only 50 drivers then each driver would do 2 x 10 mile stints but not consecutively.)

All for charity (which one to be decided) with every driver having to raise a minimum £100 for each stint they take part in. The total raised therefore would be £10k minimum with hopefully extra money and sponsership raised on route.

Ideally we would need the drivers to have considerable experience firing a minature as this will be needed with some of the hills we will be tackling so this will not be just open to STW customers (although they will have priority).

We estimate it'll take at least a month but each of the drivers only needs to be involved for their stint (near where they live) and not for the whole journey. This means you would only need to give up an estimated day of your time (less than a normal rally weekend) to be involved in what could be a Guiness book of records attempt!!


Who's up for it??


Names below would be awesome.


All the best


Dean & Steve

I guess I will be doing some driving in the highlands and Inverness area?
Count me in as by the I will be practiced on highland steaming.

Whats the point in getting old if you can't have a few mad moments. Yes you can put my name down, it sounds like a great challange. So what's the challange going to be when we have completed our 6" Foden lorries?

Bill

Hi all
Sounds like a great challenge, put me down for a stint in the Central Belt (I will show you a quicker way to the Forth Bridge this time!!)

All the best

Tom A

I quite like the idea of breaking someone elses engine for a change and the back up crew would sort it!!! I'd certainly like a crack at a good long road run, and if it has a double seat then two man firing/driving would be a nice way to spend an hour or two. I can confirm with absolute ceratinty it can support and steer with two full grown adults on.

Andy... ( The Coleman) would you want to join me??? We can share the van to get to the meet up point, probably somewhere between Birmingham and Exeter at a guess.

Count me in ,what time of year are you thinking

Not December!

MAD idea
its a yes again from me..


Without Robin who would rather do it on rails...


Nick

Hi Nick,

Robin should come also. He could be the entertainment & should we struggle to sleep at night he could tell us one of his loco stories......lol

Only joking, personally think he's a top fella & itd be great if he came along too.

Dean

I'm up for for it.

With best wishes
Simon

depending when it is I may well be up for doing a stint and some support too.

I have done 100's of miles on full size engines along with ploughing, threshing and generating for fairground rides but the only miniature i've driven is our 3" suffolk dredging tractor round the rally field when I was younger, and a 4" foster that belonged to someone else.

Can certainly see it being a challenge.

I think the coast to coast with the Foden's would be fun!

LAJOG is a coast to coast run

Coast to coast in an east to west can be as little as 40 miles

I've got no experience in firing and driving so probably can't help there, but if you need help in back up support for a day or two count me in and hopefully I can clear the diary.

It's mad but I like it.

A thought that is probably not possible, but if you have a two seat arrangement you could offer driving lessons to customers for a fee / donation to the chosen charity, or to SAC members to complement their current build project.

Mad idea but I'm up for it

Robfishman wrote:A thought that is probably not possible, but if you have a two seat arrangement you could offer driving lessons to customers for a fee / donation to the chosen charity, or to SAC members to complement their current build project.

Dont see why not, the engine can easily cope with two fair sized adults on road surfaces. Those of us that have driven engines regularly could give advice to those who have less experience, having spent the weekend with The Coleman its nice to have someone to talk to and show the controls to, he will certainly be well versed with driving his engine when its finished.

Robfishman wrote:I've got no experience in firing and driving so probably can't help there, but if you need help in back up support for a day or two count me in and hopefully I can clear the diary.

It's mad but I like it.

Happy to ride shot gun and help where I can as I have same experience as Rob.

Ian

Brilliant idea, love to have a go. Regards to all, David Watts.

Frostie is defo up for it !!!
Put me down for the cornish corner..

Mal

Hi Mal

I'd already pencilled you & Buzz in for some of the Cornish leg, the engine should be nicely 'run in' by the time we get a drive! Should be a good laugh, especially on some of the Cornish hills.

Steve,

Good move buddy, I wonder whose engine will be used for the run ??? 1000 miles will be a good test, and, wear gauge of the rotating parts for future reference at least.
I also offer to be part of the back up team for Devon/Cornwall if needed.
I managed to get a caravan almost the same as yours last month, so I can now attend rallies in the comfort that sooty gentlemen of our years deserve LOL.
I had a good first steam up last month, and am looking forward to 10 days time when I can have another go. I did manage to trundle up the road for 100yds and back. the rotating bits ran beautifully.
Look forward to seeing you soon, all the best
Mal.

I think is a good idea, and should be fun.

I would like to be considered for this as well as I have a little experience.

Tony.

The engine that is planning to travel from John o groats to Lands End is the Road Loco I am building for Steve which is in the 'Presidents' colour scheme. I've been preping the back wheels today ready for assembly, the steel hub castings are so smooth, these steel castings coming through now are really impressive.

I think Steve & Dean would like as many STW customers as possible to drive the 1000 odd miles. Nearer the time the route will be split into 10 mile slots and names allocated to each slot. I think if you can drive a 2" engine then that easily qualifies you for a 4" as it's much harder driving the little engines. I'd be more worried about a full size engine driver having a go as they are used to thing changing more slowly.

Are you coming to the 'social' tommorrow night Tony?

Glad you found yourself a nice caravan Mal, having done the small tent, big tent, small caravan, big caravan the big caravan is best! especially when it's raining

Surprising how fast some things can happen pull a few hundred amps or pulling a big load but would have to agree if just trundling round a rally field. A lot of owners/drivers don't do much more but I prefer a challenge.

Hi All,

More than happy to get involved in any leg travelling through the NE/Yorkshire Area.

Tim