Shropshire firm helps engineer's dream
For six years, engineer Alex Sharphouse was a man with a mission – to recreate a legendary "king of the road."
And now, with backing from a Shropshire firm, he has achieved his dream of building from scratch that classic 20th century steam engine. Talisman is a Fowler B6 Big Lion road locomotive, capable of hauling loads over 100 tonnes.
Shrewsbury-based Morris Lubricants, and the company’s brand ambassador Guy Martin, supported the mammoth task taken on by Alex, 39, who lives at Bouth, near Ulverston in the Lake District, and his small team of enthusiasts.
Alex’s journey to recreate Talisman has been captured in a mini-series of films to be shared on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/Morrislubricants – and on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/c/MorrisLubricantsGB this month called “How to Build a Steam Engine with Morris Lubricants”.
Only five Fowler B6 locos were ever made, of which Talisman was one. Having acquired the original drawings of Talisman, Alex got the project off the ground with funding from Morris Lubricants, who supported him throughout.
The ambitious project was given a massive boost in 2017 when Alex tracked down and bought a collection of the original Talisman parts from the family of a late collector in the New Forest.
Because the new engine has some original parts, the DVLA agreed to let Alex register it as Talisman after his painstaking detective work.
Future plans include demonstrating the steam engine’s capabilities by pulling a 100-tonne load, just like the original Talisman, and a promotional tour in association with Morris Lubricants.
Morris Lubricants’ executive chairman Andrew Goddard said: “It was a massive undertaking to recreate what in the steam world is a legendary engine but, knowing Alex and the high standard of his work, I was in no doubt that Talisman would be spot on.
“As a company with a heritage in steam, we are very proud to be associated with this venture and have some exciting plans to promote Talisman when the coronavirus pandemic has cleared.”
Members of the Goddard family are keen steam enthusiasts themselves, owning two Burrell traction engines and a Sentinel steam waggon. Andrew’s brother, Edward, is Shrewsbury Steam Rally chairman and their parents, David and Diana, are directors of Morris Lubricants.
Morris Lubricants has been manufacturing lubricants in Shrewsbury since 1869.
