The Brickworks Museum / Bursledon Brickworks - Autumn Steam Up (Part 1) | 27/10/24

A location that I have previously been to but not some six years ago since 2018 is The Brickworks Museum (also known as Bursledon Brickworks). Located in Swanwick within the Borough of Fareham, the Bursledon Brickworks was built in 1897 and is the last remaining Victorian steam-driven brickworks left in the UK. On Sunday 27th October 2024, I returned to The Brickworks Museum for their Autumn Steam Up, their final steam-up of the 2024 season. The first two videos from the Autumn Steam Up include the working machinery in steam and three of the full-size resident traction engines dating from the late 19th century to the early 20th century and owned by individuals in the care of the South Hants Historic Steam & Engineering Society, in addition to seven miniature traction engines. The full-size traction engines were giving trailer rides, along with two of the miniature traction engines driving around and giving rides. There was a working demonstration of wood/log sawing using a newly restored rack saw bench manufactured by Popes from Torrington in North Devon, and in its working life, it was operated by the Hearn Brothers from Frithelstock. The saw bench was recently acquired by the South Hants Historic Steam and Engineering Society earlier this year and was collected from a small sawmill near Cirencester. The saw bench was driven by the resident 1948 Field Marshall Series 2 Mark II Standard-Tread tractor registered GOT 928 and owned by Robin Lock in the care of the South Hants Historic Steam & Engineering Society. Other visiting exhibits include eleven stationary engines, and playing music throughout the Autumn Steam Up was the 49-key Marenghi Fairground Organ (Serial No. 2078) built in 1903 and owned by Richard Evans of Southampton.