Tom Varley
Tom Varley | |
---|---|
Occupation | Caravan park operator |
Known for | Preserving steam wagons |
Spouse(s) | Susan |
Children | David, Terence, Catherine |
Tom Varley was a collector, restorer and preserver of steam-powered road vehicles, known for the Tom Varley Collection, a steam museum mostly of steam wagons, "a lasting legacy of which [British steam road enthusiasts] can be proud".[1]
His business was in running Todber Caravan Park at Gisburn, in the high Pennines of Lancashire.[2] The steam museum was housed in a barn alongside the caravans.[3] The collection was best known from its frequent appearances at steam rallies through the 1970s and '80s. Varley's wagons were recognisable from their fine paintwork and signwriting, each named and prefixed Pendle ....
Six of his rarer, and often unique survivors, were re-imported from Australia before restoration.[4]
Tom Varley died December 12th 1990. His contribution to the preservation of steam vehicles in the UK has been widely recognised.[1]
List of vehicles[]
![]() | This list is incomplete; you can help by . (March 2011) |
- These vehicles have at one point formed part of the Tom Varley collection. Since his death, some have now been sold on to other owners, and may have been renamed.
Name | Maker | Type | Year | Works Nº | Registration | Details |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 Pendle Lady | Sentinel | S4 steam waggon | 1934 | 9003 | VE9963 | |
2 Pendle Queen | Yorkshire | 3 ton steam wagon | 1917 | 940 | U4245 | |
3 Pendle Prince | Fowler | steam wagon | 1931 | 19708 | UB8660 | ![]() |
5 Pendle King | Sentinel | DG6P steam waggon | 1931 | 8562 | FD6603 | ![]() 11 ton Sentinel DG6P. [note 1] |
7 Pendle Maid | Yorkshire | 2 ton steam wagon | 1905 | 117 | CA170 | ![]() Rebuilt in 1973 by Tom Varley.[10] Restored from bare chassis recovered in Wales. Now owned by John Ward and renamed as Denby Maiden.[5] |
8 Pendle Laddie | Yorkshire | WG Tractor | 1927 | 2118 | UA1163 | |
9 Pendle Knight | Robey & Co. | 'Express' steam tractor | 1929 | 43388 | VL983 | ![]() Later fitted with pneumatic front wheels.[11] Now renamed as Kernow Knight.[12] |
12 Her Majesty | Atkinson | steam wagon | 1918 | 72 | CK209 | The last known surviving Atkinson steam wagon. Exported to Western Australia and recovered by Tom Varley in the 1970s.[13][14][15] Now owned by Preston Steam Services in Kent. |
18 Yorkshire Lad / Queen Anne | Yorkshire | WG steam wagon | 1927 | 2128 | UA1788 | ![]() Shaft-drive Yorkshire wagon.[16][17] Originally a chain-drive WG model, this was restored by Walter Fearnley using the shaft-drive gearbox from a later WJ model before being purchased by Tom Varley. The original gearbox and drive was then used for WG 2118.[5] Now owned by M.G. Wines of Somerset as 'Yorkshire Lad'[18] |
His Lordship | Burrell | 10NHP Showman's Road Locomotive | 1913 | 3444 | CK3403 | ![]() Sold in 1996 to J. G. Atkinson of the Scarborough Fair Collection.[19] |
Foden | Colonial steam wagon | 1913 | 4086 | M4848 | 5 ton "Colonial" steam wagon.[20] Sold new to C H Curtis, Manly, Australia, then to "Glenreagh " Lake Cargelligo. Recovered and restored by Tom Varley in the 1970s.[21] Sold later to Germany, then returned to Mike Plumb, Norfolk.[22] | |
Aveling & Porter | FGPA steam wagon | 1922 | 9282 | D3777 | FGPA steam wagon built by Garrett at Leiston. Exported to Australia and recovered by Tom Varley in 1978. Later sold to Peter Rigg of Todmorden.[23][24] | |
Pendle Princess | Garrett | 4CD showmans tractor | 1919 | 33705 | BJ4788 | |
Lady Betty | Fowler | 8NHP Showman's Road Locomotive | 1902 | 9381 | WR6770 | Originally supplied to John Smith's Brewery at Tadcaster with short wheelbase, and converted in working life to showman's engine. Converted back to road locomotive and used for agricultural purposes before being re-converted in preservation. |
Pendle Witch | Aveling & Porter | Class BTD Road Roller | 1916 | 8727 | TC2173 | Exhibited at the 1916 RASE Show, New To Morecambe UDC, later John Ball of Forton, Isaac Ball of Wharles and then to Walton Le Dale UDC. Purchased from them by Tom Varley in 1969 for use building the roadways around his Caravan park. later passed on to Alwyn Rogers, Alan Mountfield and Currently owned by Graham Townsend of Southport. |
24 | Howard | two-speed traction engine | 1872 | 201 | Re-imported from Australia in 1980[25][26][27] Sold, along with the Aveling & Porter, to Peter Rigg of Todmorden.[28] | |
Foster | 5 ton steam wagon | 1921 | 14470 | SV5506 | The last surviving Foster wagon. Re-imported from Australia by Tom Varley in 1983.[29] Now named William Tritton [30]
|
Notes[]
- ^ Tom had a Sentinel waggon from the Aberdeen Coal & Shipping company. This may be the same waggon.
References[]
- ^ a b Derek Rayner (2003). Steam Wagons. Shire. p. Foreword. ISBN 9780747805519.
Dedicated to the late Tom Varley, whose personal devotion to the acquisition of rare and unique steam wagons – sometimes from far and distant lands – and their subsequent restoration has left British steam road enthusiasts a lasting legacy of which they can be proud.
- ^ "Memories of Gisburn".
- ^ "Glorious Gisburn". Old Glory (8): 11–12. May–June 1990.
- ^ "List of known exported engines" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 March 2011.
- ^ a b c d "Surviving Yorkshire Steam Wagons". Michael Walters.
- ^ "U4245 (David Varley)". Flickr. 7 November 2010.
- ^ Ran Hawthorne (ed.). Steam Wagons & Tractors. Steaming. National Traction Engine Club. p. 6.
- ^ Sandymain @ Flickr (7 November 2010). "UB 8660 (Tom Varley)". Flickr.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 29 October 2012. Retrieved 8 September 2013.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "CA 170 (Gisburn)". Flickr. 7 November 2010.
- ^ "VL 983 side". Flickr. 7 November 2010.
- ^ "Kernow Knight".
- ^ "CK 209 (Lake Goldsmith) side". Flickr. 7 November 2010.
- ^ "Chariots of Fire". Old Glory (1): 10–15. Summer 1998.
- ^ Aus exports, 8
- ^ "UA 1788 (T Varley) front". Flickr. 7 November 2010.
- ^ "UA 1788 (T Varley) side". Flickr. 7 November 2010.
- ^ "Yorkshire Wagon, 2108, UA 1788 - Steam Scenes".
- ^ "Burrell 10NHP Showman's Road Locomotive 'His Lordship'".
- ^ "M4848 Foden Colonial". Steam Scenes.
- ^ Aus exports, 59
- ^ "Plumb loco!". Old Glory. No. 204. February 2007. pp. 54–60.
- ^ Aus exports, 2
- ^ "Aveling & Porter Steam Wagon 1921. Cumbria steam gathering (Peter Rigg)". 2005.
- ^ Aus exports, 80
- ^ Marcel Gommers (1987). "Howard No24".
- ^ "Howard No24". 1990. also a three-quarter view
- ^ "J & F Howard Traction Engine 24, 1872. Cumbria steam gathering (Peter Rigg)". 2005.
- ^ Aus exports, 75
- ^ Rayner (2003), p. 16.
External links[]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tom Varley collection. |
- Steam museums in England
- Traction engines
- 1990s deaths