Andrew Williams took his Garrett tractor to Cornwall’s Boconnoc Steam Fair in July, the first time that the engine had been to a rally in 11 years, following an extensive overhaul, writes Roger Hamlin.

Garrett tractor No 33353 of 1919 The Chough makes its rally debut at the Boconnoc estate in
mid-July, after an absence of 11 years. ROGER HAMLIN

A Cornish engine through and through, Garrett 4CD tractor No 33353 was built on Tuesday 25 February 1919 and has spent both its working and preserved life within the Duchy.
New to contractors R Dingle & Sons of Stoke Climsland, it stayed in their ownership until it was retired in 1952. By 1955, the engine had passed into the ownership of well-known engineman Joe Warren of St Austell and, while in Joe’s possession, was named Prince.
In 1961 the tractor was sold to Bernard Broad of Redruth and it has remained in his ‘extended’ family ever since. Bernard attended the first West of England Steam Engine Society’s rally with the Garrett, which was then in a grey livery. Bernard had given the engine an overhaul: it was completely stripped down, the gears were reconditioned and it received a new smokebox, chimney and flywheel bearings, which is partly the reason why the engine is in such good condition today.
The above work was completed over just one winter, with help from his friends, Kenneth Kent and Jack Nicholls. In order for Prince to be ready for the following season, Bernard didn’t have the time to finish painting, hence the grey livery. It was at this time, in the early 1960s, that the Garrett was named The Chough, after a very rare Cornish bird.

Good to be back: On the estate road at Boconnoc on 16 July. ROGER HAMLIN

In its first season with Bernard the little Garrett attended all the local rallies and fetes and would be seen roading to an event every weekend. By 1962-63 Bernard decided that he’d like to see the engine with showman’s fittings and started in earnest to change its appearance. Over a few years, it received a dynamo bracket, a canopy was built and erected, twisted brass front uprights were obtained and the engine remained in this guise for many years.
In 1965, Bernard’s daughter Patricia married Elwyn Williams, a young fellow from Wales, and the couple were only too keen to take the engine to rallies with Bernard. Son Andrew arrived (the current owner) and was just three weeks old when he was introduced to the engine at a local rally.
The engine was steamed until 1994, when it attended the now-defunct Merrymeet Rally near Liskeard. Andrew was now on the engine all of the time, helping with the firing and cleaning, just as youngsters do. After that rally the Garrett was taken home and parked outside Bernard’s house, where it sat for just over a decade.
Andrew had by now been bitten by the steam bug and was as keen as mustard to take it apart, to see what would be required to return it to steam.

End of the On-line article.
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