Our alliance partner, Antony Pritchett, faced an interesting challenge. He had to move a 4.5 tonne steam engine from St Ives where it had been on display for many years. With no immediate alternative display venue available it had to go into storage on the Central Coast. A large gathering of family and friends bent their backs to the task together with a vast array of winches, cables, jacks and timbers. It took about 5 hours to move about 20m; out of the building, along a terrace then down a steep hill, to where a truck could reach it. All went smoothly, if slowly, and there were no broken floor tiles or injured helpers. Once on the truck things picked up a pace, until it reached a low bridge where it had to be unloaded, towed under the bridge and reloaded on the other side. It is now packed away safely in a shed. Later this year it is planned to have a working day when the old engine will be brought to life and do some useful work such as powering an old bench saw.
For all you closet steam buffs, the engine is a Marshall ‘Britannia’, Built 1908, Restoration completed 1993 Portable Steam Engine; for more information on this type of engine go to: https://collection.powerhouse.com.au/object/211873
