Original delivery truck with 2 horse-power

Not all steam engines were huge brutes. The little red lorry was a beauty, almost silently making its way along the track. That's something we've forgotten about the old steam engines. They were quiet. If you heard a hiss, it was either from the engine or its driver.

One of the little steam lorries that eventually replaced the horses

The day's events fall under the watchfull eye of an Owl And some old activities involving the animal world. Have you ever seen a falcon's claws and beak close up? They frightened me. And a couple of dray horses, placidly pulling captivated children round the grounds on a four-wheel buggy (I'm sure there's a proper name for the vehicle).

If you're gonna get a Hat get a Cat... who is he?

A line of old grey "Fergies"	A "Gold-Belly Fergie"
The Ferguson small tractor was the workhorse - good word that - of many an Ulster farm. A brilliant design and affordable. It was one of the first tractors to allow the fitting of ploughs and other farm devices directly on to the back. Ford thought so much of it that they copied it as the Fordson, with even the same grey paint. The dust flew in the row that followed.

Little boy's heaven	Any colour but grey..
It's a small boy's heaven but one for mum and dad too. They could call it the nostalgia show. Heaven knows what our children will have as our nostalgia. It cannot be more magnificent than the heritage being preserved by people who have a curator's care for old machinery of all kinds.

For a little while you can step off this existence and enter a time past. It's better than Disney because what you are seeing and touching is real, part of the multitude of bits and pieces forming the basis of our world today. A snapshot of the transition between a world of horse-power to the world of power. It is a living history lesson-cum-entertainment mounted by people who lovingly know what is of lasting value.

The glory of burnished brass and steam

A sunny smile makes the day

I wonder how they controlled the weather?

(Pictures by Don Anderson & Marty Johnston)

Your Responses

Chloe - Feb '08
lovely place i would live in it all the time

Marian Bradley - May '07
What date does your rally take place? marian here from Dublin. We go to a lot off the steam rallys, and we would very much like to go to your rally this year.