History

Whilst on school holidays, Colin could be found queuing up outside the Works entrance at 2.30pm on Wednesday afternoons for the factory guided tour. In the late 1960’s steam had vanished from our railways, and Colin was introduced to road engines by his father, taking him to Seend rally in 1968. In 1969 Colin joined the crew of Ted Haggard’s Aveling & Porter piston valve roller ‘Ebenezer’ no.10762, and in a baptism of fear for blowing off cylinder end covers, was put on the man stand where he leaned to drive ‘steam on the road’, aged 14.

During the early 1970’s, Ted’s second engine, Burrell SCC 2426, was rallied in place of ‘Ebenezer’, usually clocking up 300 or so miles per year. At 17 Colin started his apprenticeship at Austin Morris in Swindon, on the Millwrights (machine maintenance) gang.

Colin Hatch by Burrell 2426 in 1971

As a journeyman he spent time in the factory’s Boiler & Compressor houses, together with work on 100 ton power presses, overhead cranes, and all manner of factory machinery. Parallel to this he was maintaining road steam engines in ever greater ways as the years progressed. From 1978 he took a sideways move into the drawing office environment, working for 2 different companies as Design Draughtsman. Colin joined a Professional Institution during this time, and is registered as an Incorporated Engineer, retaining his membership of the Institution of Engineers in Technology.

 In 1987, he became joint owner of Burrell SCC no.2426, continuing the tradition of roading to all events.

Gradually, steam engine maintenance took over from ‘normal’ engineering, and, from the early 1990’s the base at the current works site was established.   

Gordon Smith, Ted Haggard, and Colin on Easter Sunday 1970