Our regular ‘Time Traveller’ slot travels even quicker this month as Derek Rayner reflects on a record-breaking steam engine run which took place in 1964 - and which has yet to be bettered.

A few years ago, in May, 1999, much interest was generated by the John O’ Groats to Lands End road run which was successfully undertaken by a number of Sentinels. This was by some 10 waggons starting on May 10 and completed the 940-ish mile journey, after three days rest en-route on May 21. It was not the first such journey by this type of vehicle - for a group of four Sentinel owners (and a Foden) did a similar long distance run in 1976. On this occasion, they visited the Aberdeen Rally in mid-June on the way up north and set off from John O’ Groats on June 24, stopping off for a couple of days at the Stirling Rally on the way south, with an arrival at Land’s End scheduled for Thursday July 1, thus taking some six days travelling for the journey. This was a somewhat faster time than the 1999 run.

Posing for the camera at John 'Groats - with the famous hotel in the background - on Sunday May 31, 1964, the day before the start of the big adventure. From Left, Jack Peirson, Jack Wakefield, Roy Wakefield, Sid Gibbons, Jack Wakefield Jnr and Harry Parks. Photo: Dick Preston.

However, there are perhaps a few readers of today’s magazine who can remember another long distance journey between these two locations - even earlier - in mid 1964. On this occasion it was even more remarkable since it was a speedy little Burrell ‘Gold Medal’ tractor on solid rubber tyres - not a pneumatic-tyred wagon - which completed the same 900-plus mile run.

The tractor, Burrell No. 3397 of 1912 (Reg. No. AH 095), Cock o’ the North, was at that time in the ownership of Jack Wakefield of Hetton-le-Hole, Co. Durham. Jack was an early participant and supporter of traction engine rallies in north-east England and elsewhere.
Recently, some photographs of this trip have come to light - courtesy of Old Glory reader Paul Griffin in Somerset - who obtained them from a local car boot sale! Paul passed them on to us in the hope that they might make a ‘good article’. Paul’s kind action has resulted in the compilation of this feature which is offered as a tribute to the people involved with the little tractor’s record-breaking run almost 40 years ago.

A few of those involved are still around today - including Jack’s sons, Roy and Jack Jnr. and also Sid Gibbons - but Jack himself died in 1986. Also, Jack Peirson, that extremely knowledgeable engineman from Darlington and whose photographs were legendary, has also passed on. Incidentally, Roy Wakefield was quite prominent in the 2002 rally scene in the north as it was his first year out with one of his father’s acquisitions, 1919 Mann tractor No. 1386, which was always considered by Jack (and others!) to be an ‘ugly duckling’ when compared with his beloved Burrell. As a result, this machine was left unrestored in the back of the shed for a very long time and finished up being the last of the family’s engines in the legendary Wakefield’s yard at Hetton-le-Hole. Regrettably, the yard at Hetton-le-Hole is scheduled to be built on and with its passing, many happy engine memories will be lost for many people.

During the 1964 journey, however, the tractor carried the incorrect registration mark AB 095, (it should have been AH 095), prompting one person who was told about it during its long distance journey to comment that it had a Worcestershire registration, although he was unable to explain the significance of the ‘leading zero’ at the time. Perhaps it was not common knowledge then that it was virtually only the Norfolk licensing authorities which adopted this now strange method of including a ‘leading zero’ in some of their early registration numbers - some of which can still be seen today on a few Burrell ‘Gold Medal’ tractors in the Traction Engine Register.