Steam paddle tug John H Amos being raised at Chatham on 27 March.
Holes had been cut in her hull to allow water to drain rapidly as she was
lifted. The weight on the crane was 330 tonnes when the lift started and
225 tonnes after the water had drained. MARTIN STEVENS

THE three days of 26-28 March saw the real beginning of restoration for the last steam paddle tug in the UK – John H Amos – when a proud Martin Stevens and his Medway Maritime Trust members saw the culmination of three decades of waiting and planning.

Until now her restoration could not start because her Chatham resting place was needed for development.

The vessel could not be towed away because her hull was corroded and could not be trusted to survive a hazardous tow, meaning that the only option was to lift her with a giant crane and place her on her own pontoon.

Taking advantage of the crane barge Atlas having two commercial jobs in the south of England, the date of a possible lift changed 10 times between mid-February and mid-March – a difficult scenario to give notice to others involved.

With the specific practical help of Martin Staniforth, Martin Stevens was determined that everything should be ready and on the morning of Wednesday 26 March Martin Staniforth was still welding extra steel reinforcements to the lifting spreader beams. At the lunchtime high tide Atlas appeared for the first of three lifts.

The first part of the lift was to raise the bow of the John H Amos and slide two wire lifting strops under the hull, two others had been positioned two years previously.

Read the full story in the current issue of Old Glory >>

Photo: Nick Evans

THE Grade II listed historic Scenic Railway at Dreamland, Margate, has been destroyed by fire.

The iconic wooden structure went up in flames just before 5pm on Monday 7 April and by 5.30pm the wooden rollercoaster’s drop collapsed.

Hundreds of people crowded around the disused fairground to watch as the 1920-built ride gave way to the inferno.

More than 60 firefighters attended the scene. The main section of the structure and the train shed was the most badly damaged, and the railway cars have been lost.

The Scenic Railway was to have formed the central plank of regeneration plans for the amusement park.

It is believed to be the third oldest example of this kind of rollercoaster left in the world after Luna Park, Melbourne (1912) and Copehagen (1914).

Burrell showman’s road locomotive No 3444 of 1913 His Lordship
in the new ‘Scarborough Fair’ museum. KEVIN GRUNILL

A NEW steam and organ museum is due to open its doors to the public on 21 June. Based at the Flower of May Holiday Park at Lebberston, near Scarborough, The ‘Scarborough Fair Collection’ is the brainchild of enthusiast Graham Atkinson, who has built up one of the largest and finest collections of steam showman’s engines and mechanical organs in the UK.

Gavioli, Ruth, Marenghi, Decap and Mortier organs join several showman’s engines including The Iron Maiden, regarded by many to be the world’s most famous traction engine and star of the 1960s film of the same name.

Two Mighty Wurlitzer organs will feature during regular Sunday open days and weekly Wednesday afternoon tea dances, played by ex-Tower Ballroom, Blackpool, organist Kevin Grunill. The long-awaited opening of the collection will be welcomed by many, particularly those who still mourn the loss of the Turner’s attraction at Northampton. Of particular interest to mechanical organ enthusiasts will be the first public appearance of two new additions to the collection; ‘Rosita’, built by Anton Pluer and the rare Model 37 Ruth, which will be entertaining visitors for the first time since arrival at Scarborough.

Graham anticipates that the collection will attract visitors from far and wide. “We’ve already had hundreds of enquiries from people asking when the new attraction is going to open and after several years of hard work by all those involved in this mammoth project, I’m pleased to be able to announce that the new complex will be open from Saturday 21 June,” he said.

Read the full story in the current issue of Old Glory >>

THE long-awaited bronze statue of Fred Dibnah is getting nearer to becoming a reality thanks to all those who generously subscribed to the Bolton Civic Trust initiated fund, reports Keith Langston.

Over £45,000 has been donated so far and the fundraising still goes on, in order that any monies left over can be used to set up an engineering bursary in Fred’s name at the University of Bolton, Fred’s home town. The final location of the statue is still to be decided and talks are ongoing with planning officers.

Originally a town centre site was requested and after considering alternative options, it now looks as though the impressive 8ft tall Fred will indeed overlook shoppers on Bolton’s Oxford Street, a pedestrian area adjacent to the town hall. One idea was to place Fred’s statue inside the glass display building that houses a Hick Hargreaves steam engine. However, it now looks likely that Fred will be placed next to that exhibit, but not inside it. There is now a proposal that the statue should be placed on a low wall (plinth) that represents the top of a chimney, in celebration of Fred’s celebrated career as a steeplejack.

Show that you Support the Statue..

Fundraising enamel pin badges (below) are still available from Wendy Close, 56 Thorns Road, Astley Bridge, Bolton. BL1 6PD. All badges £1 each, plus 50p postage (any quantity).

Please state which of the three versions below that you require (Note third badge carries mis-spelling by manufacturers). Note no green or bronze examples left.

More in this issue of Old Glory >>