Showman's road locomotive

The far greater distances involved meant they never caught on in the United States, where a combination of trains and horses was preferred.

[5] The decline was due to the rise of diesel trucks initially helped by the availability of large numbers of former military vehicles at the end of World War 1.

[1] A 1927 act of parliament reduced road tax payments if the engine had rubber tyres which resulted in them becoming nearly universal.

[1] The last showman's engine to be built was Fowler's 'Supreme', one of the 'Super Lions'; it was completed for Mrs A. Deakin (who also bought 'Simplicity') in March 1934.

Fowler attempted to continue with a similar line of diesel engines, but it was not a success and only a single example was built.

[6] In general, showman's road locomotives share much the same design and technology as other road-going traction engines; however, certain features set the showman's engine apart: Most were painted in bright colours; the Burrell standard was 'Lake Crimson' with 'Deep yellow' wheels.

George Tuby's engines were distinctively painted Great Eastern blue with yellow wheels and lining.

Most road locomotives have some kind of roof or canopy fitted, covering the man stand (where the driver operates the controls) and the crankshaft area.

The canopy of a showman's engine extends forward of the chimney to protect the dynamo from rain ingress.

The extra length of chimney improves the draft through the fire, and reduces the risk of smoke and smuts being blown around nearby fair-goers.

This theory was pretty much ruined when showmen began to decorate the flywheels, worsening the startling effect.

Again Burrell was a prolific manufacturer, as was William Foster, but the market leader was probably Garrett's of Leiston with a showman's engine based on their popular 4CD tractor design.

Although less common than the tractors or larger locomotives, showmen sometimes converted the conventional steam wagons for showland use.

3883 Electra was built in 1921 for Charles Summers of Norwich, it was later sold to an operator in Plymouth, but was later destroyed in World War II by the Nazi Blitz of the city.

Other manufacturers made lesser ventures into the showman's engine market; these included Wallis and Steevens of Basingstoke, Foden's of Sandbach and Aveling and Porter of Rochester, Kent.

Three of these engines survived into preservation, with Supreme and King Carnival II on road haulage duties for their last days in commercial use.

[9] As well as full conversions, showmen were also experts in adding extra dynamos, or fitting their own designs of crane and canopies.

George Cushing, Founder of the Thursford Collection bought Victory, Alexandra and Unity for around £40 each, (For comparison, a similar engine No.

With the ending of the Second World War came hundreds of cheap and powerful ex-Army lorries replaced the showman's engines, making them obsolete.