Shelmerdine's Amusements/

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David Powell
Posts: 523
Joined: Thu Mar 13, 2003 10:38 pm
Location: Pickering Ontario Canada.

Shelmerdine's Amusements/

Post by David Powell »

For the past couple of years I have been the custodian of an approximately one and a half inch scale scenic showmans traction engine
. The model is, in some ways, rather crudely made, but none the less of very authentic appearance. It appears intended to be a model of a Foster engine.
I have repaired and upgraded it a little to make it functional and await better weather to again steam up
The only clues we have as to its history are that it was purchased by Charles Matthews and brought from Britain to Canada in 1959 and that the canopy is lettered Shelmerdine's Amusements.
It will be placed on public view shortly and we would really like to know more of its story, for it is obviously a very old model
Regards David Powell.
Glenn Brooks
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Joined: Mon Nov 10, 2014 1:39 pm
Location: Woodinville, Washington

Re: Shelmerdine's Amusements/

Post by Glenn Brooks »

David. Pictures! Pictures! Remember the old saying: pictures, or it didn’t happen! :D

Be great to see some photos your work. Also, any idea of General dimensions? There are a couple of amusement industry pages on Facebook that might have some membership,that knows about these things... I think one of them is named NAPHA .

Glenn
Moderator - Grand Scale Forum

Motive power : 1902 A.S.Campbell 4-4-0 American - 12 5/8" gauge, 1955 Ottaway 4-4-0 American 12" gauge

Ahaha, Retirement: the good life - drifting endlessly on a Sea of projects....
JoeKahan
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Joined: Sun Jan 04, 2015 3:46 am
Location: Las Vegas, NV

Re: Shelmerdine's Amusements/

Post by JoeKahan »

David,
Have you contacted Shelmerdine Garden Center outside of Winnipeg? Someone there may know if it's something from their past. They've been around since the 30's I think. They have a website and are on Facebook too. But I agree with Glenn, please post some pics.
Joe
Joe Kahan
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David Powell
Posts: 523
Joined: Thu Mar 13, 2003 10:38 pm
Location: Pickering Ontario Canada.

Re: Shelmerdine's Amusements/

Post by David Powell »

Thankyou for the suggestion. Several E mails to them have failed to elicit a reply. Regards David Powell.
James Powell
Posts: 504
Joined: Fri Oct 28, 2011 10:42 pm

Re: Shelmerdine's Amusements/

Post by James Powell »

Dad asked me to post what I have here:
ImageDSCN2241

ImageDSCN2242

ImageDSCN2243

ImageDSCN2244

ImageDSCN2245.MOV

ImageDSCN2233

ImageDSCN2235

ImageDSCN2245 by Peach James, on Flickr

I hope that works for Photos !

Yes, the rather sketchy looking doll came with the engine. Which is a bit strange, as I didn't remember it from seeing the engine in the workshop at the Matthew's Brothers. But, that may well have been a kid failing- I remember the engine being kind of in an alcove on the stairs (going above where the Universal Carrier was the last time I visited...)

James
David Powell
Posts: 523
Joined: Thu Mar 13, 2003 10:38 pm
Location: Pickering Ontario Canada.

Re: Shelmerdine's Amusements/

Post by David Powell »

The engine sat in the Matthews Bros workshop from 1959 till 2017 and oversaw some restoration projects of full size steamers and overhaul and repair of their working trucks and equipment.
If only she could talk what a lot of tales we would enjoy !
I have endeavoured to keep her appearance as it was, some of the paintwork is still original, especially the Canopy lettering.
While the workmanship was somewhat questionable for a working model the attention to detail shows that the builder was well acquainted with full size engines
We will post some photos later in the year when we steam her.
Regards David Powell.
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Steamer Al
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Joined: Tue May 26, 2020 3:17 am
Location: Comox, BC

Re: Shelmerdine's Amusements/

Post by Steamer Al »

I love it! You are lucky to have her in your care. Hopefully you can post a video or some more pictures of the steam up.
David Powell
Posts: 523
Joined: Thu Mar 13, 2003 10:38 pm
Location: Pickering Ontario Canada.

Re: Shelmerdine's Amusements/

Post by David Powell »

I keep having visions of an itinerant carney sitting on the steps of his caravan in the shadow of a full size engine happily working away on this engine sometime in the 1920s or early 30s. Lots of the screws used are hardware store ones with Whitworth threads. The boiler obviously had a previous life in anothe model, possibly a locomotive, It has only one tube just under 2 inch diameter. The cylinder fitted was a brass one, of the style sold for models pre 1914 or so. The spokes of the rear wheels are cut from thin sheet, such as used to be found in oil tins, Goodness knows where he got the gears, she has only one speed, The dynamo was a cycle generator which I replaced with a larger motor, the exciter is an ancient mains motor, I gutted it and fitted a modern small motor which hopefully will work as a generator and light a couple of leds. One small clue to her age is the cast nameplate Fayette, the name given to a model loco described in Model Engineer magazine about 1935. James says I have changed too much, but I had to make her a reasonable worker for her new owner, I bought another model from their collection for myself , Regards David Powell.
James Powell
Posts: 504
Joined: Fri Oct 28, 2011 10:42 pm

Re: Shelmerdine's Amusements/

Post by James Powell »

I know that it isn't Dad's project- it belongs as he said, to someone else. My thought on it was that the engine should not have been rebuilt, but simply perhaps made to run on air & that would be all. However, since dad is dancing to someone else's tune, they get to call the shots :).

Al, I live at the south end of the Island (out past Sooke). Drop me a line via PM if you want to visit when the COVID deal is a bit more ended.

James
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