Hollycombe Steam Collection

History

The collection dates back to the late 1940s when Commander John Baldock decided to preserve some of the steam traction engines that were rapidly disappearing from British life. By the early 1960s he had acquired a significant collection of road vehicles and started to collect fairground rides. In the late '60s he extended his interests again into preserving railway equipment.

The collection was eventually opened to the public and became a major Hampshire tourist attraction. At length the collection grew so large it became impossible for one person to maintain, and by 1984 Baldock decided he would have to close the operation.

A Society was formed by volunteers to operate the collection. This was successful and the collection continued to expand. At the beginning of 1999 a charitable trust took over the majority of the collection, funded by a Heritage Lottery Fund grant. The collection is now operated by a charitable trust.

Edwardian Fairground

The Edwardian Fairground is a complete steam fair comprising rides originating from the 1870s and later. The rides include a Tidman 3 abreast Golden Gallopers roundabout, a single Steam Yacht a Razzle Dazzle being a grand aerial novelty ride with a rotating and tilting movement. S Fields Steam Circus was built between 1868 and 1872 and is the oldest surviving mechanically propelled fairground device. The fairground also has a set of Steam Swings, a Set of Walker Chair o planes, a big wheel and a Bioscope Show which is an early travelling cinema. The rides are constructed mainly from wood and, where appropriate, are powered by steam engines. There are rides for all ages and the atmosphere is completed with a number of fairground organs and a range of sidestalls.

Current ride and attraction list: - Steam Yacht (The only steam yacht in the UK, Built in 1911) - Razzle Dazzle (The ever first ride with 2 movements that are tilting and rotating, built in 1906 by Howcroft Carriage & Wagon Works ) - Gallopers (3-abreast Steam Gallopers, Built 1912 by Tidman of Norwich) - Mr Field's Steam Circus (Built in the late 1870s by Savage of Kings Lynn, it the world's oldest surviving mechanically driven fairground ride) - Steam Swings (The ride consists of six boats driven by an overhead line shaft from a 1901 Brown & May portable engine) - Big Wheel (50 ft high and built by Hayes Fabrications) - Steam Chair O Planes (Once a set of gallopers, destroyed in the war. Now a set of chairs o planes built in 1910 by Walker's) - BioScope (The Bioscope is typical of the travelling shows which brought the very first films to the public) - Haunted House (Built by Orton & Spooner around 1915, the Haunted House) (back in service for 2017) - Austin Car ride (Built by Supercar in 1948) - Juvenile Roundabout (Built by Orton & Spooner in 1930 and spent its working life at Chessington Zoo in Surrey until purchased by Hollycombe in 1985) - Children's Swing Boats (Built in 1990) - Juvenile Chair O Planes

Farm

The farm includes a wide range of vintage steam-powered farm equipment including: ploughing engines, a threshing machine, a baler, and a stationary steam engine driving small machinery through a line shaft.

The sawmill is used to cut much of the wood used on site and is powered by a large semi-portable Robey Steam Engine. Close by is the engine from the paddle steamer Caledonia.

Railways

There are two railways: narrow gauge and miniature railway. A third standard gauge line formerly operated but is now abandoned.

Narrow gauge railway

The narrow gauge railway at Hollycombe started in 1967 using equipment purchased from the Dinorwic slate quarry in north Wales. The quarry had recently abandoned its extensive internal rail system and Commander Baldock acquired the steam locomotive Jerry M along with a quantity of track and several wagons. Construction started in 1968 and reached the sandstone quarry by 1971. The 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge line was later extended to include a loop, which brought the track length to its present 1½ miles. The second steam locomotive Caledonia was purchased in 1968.

Four of the five passenger coaches were bought from the Ramsgate Cliff Railway when it closed; the fifth coach was built at Hollycombe to the same design.

Miniature railway

The miniature railway at Hollycombe is set at 7 ¹⁄₄ in (184 mm) gauge.

The miniature railway starts at the station by the saw mill and climbs past crossing gates and through a cutting. It reaches the top and bends to the left. The fairground is on the left and the woodland gardens on the right. It then heads into another cutting before a 360 degree loop onto an embankment. It runs parallel with a 5-inch gauge line into the 2 platform station.

Standard gauge railway

The standard gauge (4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in (1,435 mm)) railway ran for ⅓ mile between the sawmill and the farm, passing the fairground along the way. The railway had one steam locomotive:

Steam engines

The collection has over 30 different steam engines of various types. Some of the engines are not on display as engines which in some cases are 100 years old require regular maintenance work to keep them in service.

Traction engines

Hollycombe has a large collection of traction engines and some are used on open days either to plough a field, work a threshing machine, give rides or work a fairground ride.

Showman's engines

The showman's engines are used to power the fairground rides.

Steam tractors

The light steam tractors (a small design of traction engine) are used for giving rides.

Agricultural engines

These engines are used for ploughing or driving a threshing machine.

Portable engines

This type of engine was used for driving agricultural machinery.

Road rollers

Centre and organ engines