• Concern over the growth of what are seen to
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be "commercial" rivals to established steam rallies has led to the County of Salop Steam Engine Society adopting a "get tough" attitude against the newcomers.
The society which has operated an August Bank Holiday rally for the past 27 years — and is expanding to a June rally at Weston Park this year — has decided that anyone who exhibits at any "commercial" rallies in Shropshire will not be invited to exhibit at the Society's events.
Announcing the society's decision, the chairman, Mr Torn Henderson, said the society's roots went back to 1960 when a small rally was first held at Church Stretton. Since then there had been progressive expansion to the point where the Bishop's Castle rally was now a highly acclaimed national event.
"All this has not come about by chance," says Henderson. "By our society looking constantly to the future, each year improving on the last. This, of course, is true of many well-established preservation societies up and down the country".
• One show steam lorry that won't be going to Shropshire's Bishop's Castle rally is the Halls Mentho-Lyptus Fowler.
Is this because of the new "get tough" attitude? I asked the Halls person. Certainly not, he replied. We don't need the County of Salop rally as it would be a case of preaching to the converted. We want to take our steam lorry to places other steam lorries have not been.
One hundred and twenty seven of these Fowlers were made between 1924 and 1932 and this is the only one left. This beauty starts a massive tour on June 29 from the Guildhall in London, visiting most major cities during the summer.
• Perkins Condor CV12 diesel engines will power the tractor units for the US Air Force's Hard Mobile Launcher (HML), currently under fullscale development in Arizona.
Four Condor units each generating 1,200hp (895kW) at 2,300rpm have been ordered
in an initial contract which may lead to sales of more than 500 engines. With deliveries beginning next year this would be worth 40 million dollars.
Perkins' Condor, built at Perkins' Shrewsbury factory in England is the same engine which powers Britain's Challenger battle tank.
(Shrewsbury also happens to be in Salop. Perhaps the County of Salop Steam Engine Society should beef up its "get tough" attitude, temporarily forsake its steam commitments, get one of these HMLs and blow all enemy steamers to the great scrapyard in the sky).
• As if the Sun isn't doing enough to damage the image of the road transport industry, a lunatic truck driver has developed the nasty habit of hurling eggs at people from his speeding cab.
Sounds like a good joke until you realise just how close to tragedy this prank has come. One victim, Kenneth Jempson of Bexhill, himself a lorry driver, was hit in the eye by an egg as he rode his motorcycle home from work.
I know it's Easter but this is ridiculous.
• From eggs on your face to eggs for children. The Arlington Motor Company of Basildon, Essex, last week raised over 500 Easter eggs in a charity stunt to benefit children in the NE London area.