Engineman Steve Dean went ‘window shopping’ in Kent on December 28 to one of the Preston Services’ Christmas open days.

Questions: Which English county contains the most portable engines and what do you keep in an oast house?
Unless anyone proves differently, the small village of Preston, near Canterbury, Kent, is home to the largest and most fascinating collection of steam portable engines to found anywhere. As for the oast house, well forget drying hops. If your name is Michael List-Brain, then a building like this is the perfect place to install a compound beam engine.
Steam boys (and girls) need their mid-winter fix and courtesy of the List-Brain family, assisted by a team of helpers, the premises of Preston Services have been thrown open for two days. Ignoring warnings of wind, heavy showers and cold the visitors arrived in good numbers. Many had travelled three hours and more to inspect the delights on view.

	Just a little spanner work required! Dismantled engines and boilers await their turn in the yard at Preston. Photos: Steve Dean.

In steam and greeting visitors in the yard were Aveling & Porter roller No. 5636 of 1906 Iona Lui and Foden wagon No. 12228 0f 1926 Britannia. Close by, and the first of many engines on site not to be found in the Traction Engine Register was Foster No. 3084. Its maker’s plate tucked away on the back-head behind the axle, the engine was repatriated from Argentina in 2002 and made a fine sight as it caught a few moments of weak winter sunlight.
Organ music wafted from a nearby barn and entry into this beautifully-restored building provided a warm respite from the biting cold wind. The warmth was supplied by Burrell showman’s road locomotive No. 3933 of 1922 Princess Mary which was gently ticking over, its chimney venting through the roof via a flue. At the other end of the barn, but not in steam, stood Fowler Class R1 showman’s road locomotive No. 9393 of 1905 Sir John Fowler.

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