On April 14th through April 20th, 2013, we steamed our 1914 Stanley roadster around every day in Southern California. Some days were as long as 138 miles. The high light of the weeks tour was our four day progressive tour up into the Sequoia National Park where the ten pre 1916 cars that we were with spent the night in a lodge at the 8,000 foot level. It got down to 20 degrees F. with winds at 20 mph during the nights. Even with our Stanley under a blanket and with the pilot light left on, our Stanley still froze up solid in the pump pit. Damage was done from the freeze up. On the 18th we ran our cars around the Kern County Raceway in 83 degree F heat. Our Stanley had the pole position just behind the pace car. That was fun too.

Basil and I took our Model 70 over to Germany for the Dampf in Melle Tour, 27th April to 1st May, organised by Heiner and Anne Marie Rossler and their team of helpers. It was a pleasure to meet other steam car owners from Germany, Holland, Austria, Belgium and Italy who were on the tour with us. Our car went perfectly with no problems apart from occasional blocked jets and the steam whistle getting stuck on once!

There were 17 cars there with 15 of them taking part on the tour routes. It was good to see the ex-Marion Coles condenser touring effortlessly. Also taking part was the ex-John Liming Model R in the hands of it's new owners.

It was fun to see a condenser screech to a halt at the museum for the Fire Up dinner driven by its enthusiastic 22 year old owner.

I took lots of photos which will be sent to the web master shortly.

Vicki

Basil and James drove our Model K and Model 70 over to the local Whitwell and Reepham Railway (M&GN) this afternoon, just an excuse to sit in the sunshine, eat cake and have a cold drink as the steam train chuffed backwards and forwards beside us. This was another trial run for the K and it ran effortlessly, easily keeping up a steady 50mph where the road surface would allow it.

Vicki

Took our 607 on a couple of 17 mile test runs along the Kennet Valley and over the Marborough Downs to Ramsbury and back today after replaceing a leaking modern fuel filter and repacking main fuel and main burner valves to cure some very small drips (wish I had left well alone). Unfortunately the car is now not steaming well, looks like a fuel supply problem or perhaps a vapouriser one as the burner is not getting enough fuel on hills & we were crawling up. A job for later this week.

On Monday we took our 70 and our K over to Strumpshaw Hall for the annual steam engine rally. There were two more steam cars there: Geoff and Annemarie Scott-Coomber's restored 1901 Locomobile and Bernard Green's 1923 Stanley 740. It was a pleaure to be out with the cars on a glorious sunny day. We didn't get one day like that last year!

Vicki

We steamed just 10 miles today to Skeyton with the K and the 70 to the 14th Classic Car & Motorcycle Rally based at the 16th century Skeyton Goat Inn. This rally is famous for the large attendance it attracts of around 400 vehicles which this year was held in aid of the Norfolk charity "The Big C"

On arrival we were handed an envelope containing a treasure hunt clue to hide on the car and as soon as we had parked the BBC radio Treasure Quest team asked us if we had a clue for them. We didn't realise that this morning's program was titled "Steaming Ahead" and that they were "on the hunt for something steam powered during this week's Treasure Quest" So obviously this was prearranged with the rally organisers and it explained why we had been phoned during the week to see what time we were due to arrive!

It was a brilliantly organised event blessed by sunshine all day, at the end of which we found the Model 70 had been awarded the prize for "Most Outstanding Vehicle" which Basil was very surprised and touched to receive from the owners of the Inn and the rally organisers.

Yesterday we had been invited to attend the military display at The Muckleburgh Military Collection 24 miles away at Weybourne. It was rather surreal to have steam cars next to WWII vehicles and military re-enactments however the cars generated lots of interest as usual.

The information display sheet with the K raised lots of ribald comments as it states its top speed to be 90mph. To which I would comment that Basil has already broken the speedo as it only goes up to 60mph.

Vicki

We took our Stanley 607 to the Wiltshire Steam & Vintage Rally at Oare near Marlborough this weekend, lovely weather and a varied event with lots of activities and demonstrations in a beautiful location. A 20hp Roadster replica also attended, and the Stanleys generated a lot of interest;



Edited 1 times. Last edit at 06/10/13 09:52AM by Peter Turvey.

Dear Peter, Did you get any photos of the 20 HP roadster at the Wiltshire Steam and Vintage Rally? What year and model was the roadster? Was the roadster a "restoration in progress" or was it completed? Your 1914 607 looks well done and now your steamer stands proud. Thank you for all your postings.

Thanks for the compliment Pat,

Did not take any photo of the 20hp; however it is no. 6120 Model 72 Roadster 1911 according to the Stanley Register Online at [www.stanleyregister.net]

There is a good photo of it in the register.

It lives about 15 miles from me nowadays.

We were invited to attend the Sheringham Classic Car and Bike Show on Sunday, a breezy round trip of 50 miles for us, for which the whole town centre was shut to accomodate the 100s of cars and bikes and thousands of people who turned up to look at them. We took the K and the 70 and Basil was one of the winners of "the best turned out car" with the K which was parked in front of the organiser's pub in the High Street along with two immaculate Model T Fords and a Bugatti. The other winners were two brothers with one of the Model Ts which had been in their family for three generations.

Basil's thank you speech also explained how steam cars work and he suggested people check out our club's web site for more information and as always we gave out a lot of SCCGB business cards to interested people.

Vicki

We read in our local paper that the car rally at Skeyton we went to the previous Sunday raised £7,289 for The Big C!