Tom Varley

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Tom Varley
OccupationCaravan park operator
Known forPreserving steam wagons
SpouseSusan
ChildrenDavid, 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 12, 1990. His contribution to the preservation of steam vehicles in the UK has been widely recognised.[1]

List of vehicles[edit]

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
Tom's second steam wagon, rebuilt in 1970.[5] Now owned by Tom's son, David Varley, repainted red and exhibited under his name.[6]
3 Pendle Prince Fowler steam wagon 1931 19708 UB8660
The last known surviving Fowler steam wagon. Rebuilt from remains found in scrap pile in Leeds.[7][8] Now owned by Tom's son Terry Varley and run by his grandson Jason Varley.[9]
5 Pendle King Sentinel DG6P steam waggon 1931 8562 FD6603

11 ton Sentinel DG6P.

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
Yorkshire WG flexible six wheeler, 'Pendle Laddie'. Rebuilt by Tom Varley from parts recovered by Walter Fearnley. This vehicle was supplied to the Leeds Corporation Electricity Department as a cable carrier.[5]
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 "Colonial Type" 6 ton steam wagon 1918 72 CK209
The last known survivor of the more than 500 Atkinson steam wagons built, it is powered by a uniflow engine and has chain-drive transmission. Following its completion as a new vehicle, it was exported to Western Australia, where it was operated by a Perth brewery and later a number of other operators, including a Wiluna gold mine. It was retired during World War II, and then lay derelict until 1971, when the Shire of Wiluna collected its remains for display in a local museum. However, the Shire later decided not to restore it.[13][14][15][16] In 1975, Varley first heard of the remains, and after protracted negotiations they were delivered to him in Gisburn in January 1976.[15][16][17] Varley and some fellow enthusiasts then fully restored the vehicle, including by having replica single-ram 3-way tipping-gear made for it with assistance from Bromilow & Edwards, who had made the original gear. Upon completion of the restoration in March 1977, the vehicle was named Her Majesty, in recognition of the Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.[13][16] Later sold to Preston Steam Services in Kent.
18 Yorkshire Lad / Queen Anne Yorkshire WG steam wagon 1927 2128 UA1788

Shaft-drive Yorkshire wagon.[18][19] 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'[20]

His Lordship Burrell 10NHP Showman's Road Locomotive 1913 3444 CK3403

Sold in 1996 to J. G. Atkinson of the Scarborough Fair Collection.[21]

Foden Colonial steam wagon 1913 4086 M4848 5 ton "Colonial" steam wagon.[22] Sold new to C H Curtis, Manly, Australia, then to "Glenreagh " Lake Cargelligo. Recovered and restored by Tom Varley in the 1970s.[23] Sold later to Germany, then returned to Mike Plumb, Norfolk.[24]
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.[25][26]
Pendle Princess Garrett 4CD showmans tractor 1919 33705 BJ4788
New to Stone Court Brick and Tile Works, Pembury, Kent as tractor. Converted to showmans tractor in preservation before being bought by Tom Varley. Now in Japan at the Bandai Museum.
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[27][28][29] Sold, along with the Aveling & Porter, to Peter Rigg of Todmorden.[30]
Foster 5 ton steam wagon 1921 14470 SV5506 The last surviving Foster wagon. Re-imported from Australia by Tom Varley in 1983.[31] Now named William Tritton [32]
Sentinel Super steam waggon 1924 5260 RS5540 Supplied new to Aberdeen Coal & Shipping Co, and operated until the 1960's. Originally preserved in Aberdeen, later owned by Tom Varley.[33]


Notes[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ "Memories of Gisburn".
  3. ^ "Glorious Gisburn". Old Glory (8): 11–12. May–June 1990.
  4. ^ "List of known exported engines" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 March 2011.
  5. ^ a b c d "Surviving Yorkshire Steam Wagons". Michael Walters.
  6. ^ "U4245 (David Varley)". Flickr. 7 November 2010.
  7. ^ Ran Hawthorne (ed.). Steam Wagons & Tractors. National Traction Engine Club. p. 6. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  8. ^ Sandymain @ Flickr (7 November 2010). "UB 8660 (Tom Varley)". Flickr.
  9. ^ "North West Evening Mail | News | Lakes | Cumbria Steam Gathering". Archived from the original on 29 October 2012. Retrieved 8 September 2013.
  10. ^ "CA 170 (Gisburn)". Flickr. 7 November 2010.
  11. ^ "VL 983 side". Flickr. 7 November 2010.
  12. ^ "Kernow Knight".
  13. ^ a b Boddy, Bill (June 1977). "V-E-V Odds & Ends The Riley Register's". Motor Sport. p. 676. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
  14. ^ "BBC North West Regional News Material 1973-1986: Programme Details - Further details for Look North West: Friday 22/4/1977". North West Film Archive. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
  15. ^ a b "One from 500". The Commercial Motor Archive. 23 December 1977. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  16. ^ a b c "Gold mines giant restored in England". The Sunday Times (Western Australia). 12 August 1979.
  17. ^ "Chariots of Fire". Old Glory (1): 10–15. Summer 1998.
  18. ^ "UA 1788 (T Varley) front". Flickr. 7 November 2010.
  19. ^ "UA 1788 (T Varley) side". Flickr. 7 November 2010.
  20. ^ "Yorkshire Wagon, 2108, UA 1788 - Steam Scenes".
  21. ^ "Burrell 10NHP Showman's Road Locomotive 'His Lordship'".
  22. ^ "M4848 Foden Colonial". Steam Scenes.
  23. ^ Aus exports, 59
  24. ^ "Plumb loco!". Old Glory. No. 204. February 2007. pp. 54–60.
  25. ^ Aus exports, 2
  26. ^ "Aveling & Porter Steam Wagon 1921. Cumbria steam gathering (Peter Rigg)". 2005.
  27. ^ Aus exports, 80
  28. ^ Marcel Gommers (1987). "Howard No24".
  29. ^ "Howard No24". 1990. also a three-quarter view
  30. ^ "J & F Howard Traction Engine 24, 1872. Cumbria steam gathering (Peter Rigg)". 2005.
  31. ^ Aus exports, 75
  32. ^ Rayner (2003), p. 16.
  33. ^ "Great Dorset Steam Fair program, 2022".

External links[edit]

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