This video has proven so popular on our Facebook page here that we thought we would share it here. It’s our very own  John Fowler BB1 (Tiger) Ploughing Engine that has been fully restored. When loaded with coal and water, it weighs 21 tons, so it’s no lightweight.

In its day it would have worked as a pair on the Lincolnshire fens with it’s near twin, know as the Lion. Built in 1930 when the norm was ploughing with a man and his horse, it helped transform agricultural output to feed the nation after the shortages still left over from the war.

To give you some numbers to put this into context. A man and a horse could plough approx one acre per day and work effectively for three days per week. This pair of ploughing engines, working together, could plough 40 acres per day and work seven days per week. So rather than three acres a week, it could deliver 280. That’s a ninety fold increase.

The great news is that we also have the sister to this one the Lion, also under restoration and expect that to be completed sometime during 2019. We will share that story, as soon as we have more to show you. Seeing them running together again will be an amazing feat.

At Garmendale restoration, refurbishment and serious theme park engineering is what we do, but we live and breath it and this restoration of our own steam engine is what we do for fun.