Steam Traction World

21/10/2026

Now listed on Rightmove. Available ideally as a let but also available for sale (reluctantly) at the right price.

Based in Daventry, central to UK with close access to M40, M1, M6, A14 & DIRFT.

Anybody looking for a commercial warehouse, circa 10,500 sq ft with an additional 4,500 sq ft external space give me or Howkins and Harrison a shout.

For Sale / To LetIndustrial facility with office space and yard area in Daventry.10,402 sq.ft GIADescriptionThe prope

19/10/2026

Considering putting together a professionally printed glue bound book/instruction manual for each engine. Each book would contain all packing lists, instructions & isometric drawings, in kit order, as one easy to access set.

To do this in the right volumes would work out far cheaper than me printing individual kits off which currently cost around £6 per individual kit. A single book containing all the information would also help those with engines locate which kit parts are in and find part numbers when wanting to order spares online.

Not sure of a cost yet as likely to contain 300+ pages per book but would hope to keep cost below £30, cheaper if I can sell enough.

Is this something you would be interested in? Do you think there would be a market on a print run of 50-100 as a start?

If it’s something you’d be interested in please post a comment below.

04/10/2026

Just a photo to give the 9 remaining DCC Showman’s customers some hope that there will be light at the end of the tunnel. Stock take done on Kit 31, 32 and 33. Not got round to Kit 35 yet. Lots of work still to do, lots of parts still required and still need to send the drawings for missing parts off for quotes but progress all the same.

Just as an add on, a photo of a complete set of kits for a 4” Driving Wagon which will be going to Northern Ireland later in the month along with a photo of a set of parts for the sides and metalwork on a 6” Foden which were collected last week.

01/10/2026

‘STWspares’ EBay account now set up. This will be used for all items that are too good to throw away but not necessarily relevant to the STWspares website (blank Burrell crank castings for example).

The first listing, which is almost everything you need for the front end of a 6” Burrell (smokebox, wheels, axle, fork etc) goes live on auction at 6.30pm tonight.

https://ebay.io/m/Go06t9

The majority of items will be listed for ‘auction’ so definitely worth keeping an eye out for the odd bargain that might appear.

29/09/2026

I’d like to say a genuine heart felt….Thank you.

What a month!….lots of spares gone out the door, 3 x 4” Agricultural Driving Wagons also gone out along with a set of 6” Foden sides and associated metal work.

This means thanks to everyone who has ordered over the last couple of months, that next month I’m going to be able to focus on finalising the stock check on the missing kits for the DCC Showman’s customers & fund getting these and other parts people require on order. This will involve getting quotes and letting all those with kits outstanding the costs involved and then placing orders!

I’ll also be ordering the parts to complete Kit 10’s and Kit 19’s of the Road Loco that just a few people require while trying to push the boiler production forward. Finally next month I’ll be letting those interested in a 4” Traction Trailer how many I have and how much they are going to cost.

Without the faith everyone is putting in me, doing all of the above would not be possible as they all have a cost implication…..despite me supposed to be enjoying ‘semi retirement’ I’m genuinely appreciative and grateful and for the most part enjoying the challenge. 🤣

To the SCC customers…..you haven’t been forgotten about & I will get round to you. ❤️

28/09/2026

After the Foden post the other day I’m sure someone is trying to tell me something….either that or Alexa’s been busy listening in on conversations!!

The very next day I turn the TV on, to be greeted with this wonderful image….my late business partner, Steve’s Stanley Steam Car ‘Geraldine’….now owned by Simon Webb.

I watched (& occasionally helped) this amazing engineer extraordinaire build two of these beauties (Geraldine & Alice), over a 7 year period, building them from the ground up, containing original engines from the Stanley Museum in America…….with the end result what was shown on Channel 5’s The Big Steam Adventure. No corners were ever cut with only the best materials used and Steve modelling every part in 3D Solidworks prior to producing. The man was a genius who was so talented….for those who don’t know…this was his 1/3rd scale Hornsby Chain Track…another project he built (this time over a 12 year period).

25/09/2026

When you turn the TV on and the first picture that comes on is one of the 6” Fodens you were part of the design and manufacture of!! Tinged with immense sadness along with immense pride of what ultimately was an amazing company Steve and I started, bringing so much joy to so many people and changing the miniature section of the rally fields forever! Channel 5

22/09/2026

Well that’s one of the four DCC customers who needed a cylinder block a very happy chappy!!…and what a journey/logistical adventure it was…..

It all started off with an Australian Agri customers visit to a fellow Australian DCC customers home 1100km away from where he lives….while there he noticed a spare DCC cylinder block and asked the owner the story behind it and what he intended to do with it, as he knew we had people desperate for a block. Long story short the cylinder was a spare ordered in error, so made the 1100km journey back with the Agri customer to his home in Aus and this weekend has made the 10,000 mile journey back to the UK as part of said gentlemans hold luggage. On arrival he was met at Heathrow airport by a family member and it will shortly be working its way to Czech Republic to the new owner leaving him now only two kits away from completion!!

One way or another, even if I’m not making parts, I am doing my best to get everyone a step closer to completing their engines. ❤️

(Photo for image purposes only).

22/09/2026

From the Archives.
We said top five memories in the last post (Lykamobile Challenge) this has to be up there too.

It was Steam Traction World 10th anniversary in 2018 which coincided with Banbury/The Bloxham Steam & Country Fair 50th. So what better than a get together of as many STW engines as we could? - It was a blisteringly hot weekend too!

Here though - the people. That’s the best memory sharing our love of steam with you guys and girls.

17/09/2026

From the Archives.

Steam Traction World achieved some remarkable things. From enabling so many people to become involved in the fantastic hobby of steam to the engines that would go on to win countless awards. All testament to a really great product.

Up there, top ten? Top five? Has to be, the Lykamobile Steam Car challenge from John O Groats to Lands End.

A simple idea, an incredible journey.

Here, about to depart from Daventry Steam Traction World was featured on BBC Radio Northampton. August, 2009. Sit Rep: 1,000 miles to go!