Thursford Steam Museum

The 'new' Thursford Fantasy Land Hall

The Thursford Collection is a Charitable trust endowed museum, located in Thursford, Norfolk. Founded by local man George Cushing, its is now known for the scale of collection of steam engines, organs and fairground attractions; and its annual Christmas spectacular show, which draws over 100,000 people to the Norfolk each year.

George Cushing

George Thomas Henry Cushing was born at Thursford on March 25, 1904, the son of a farm labourer. After leaving school aged 12, he became a farmhand, but had developed a childhood fascination with steam engines. In 1920 he travelled to the King's Lynn Mart, and got a job driving a steam roller. Having bought a 1913 Aveling and Porter roller from the local council with savings of £225, Cushing set up his own sub-contracting business, which had expanded to 15 steam rollers and a steam wagon by World War II.

Laurel farm

By the late 1930s, steam was on the wain from commercial usage as diesel lorries became more popular. To Cushing, it was "As though the crown jewels were being sold for scrap", and he began to buy up redundant steam engines, storing and then restoring them at Laurel Farm, where he had worked as a child and now owned. This was also where he raised his own family of three boys with his wife Minnie.

Thursford museum

As Cushing's collection grew, more enthusiasts travelled to Thursford to help restore and then view his collection. Thus, in the 1970s Cushing opened his museum in what was a series of old farm shed's, and would personally tour the audience between exhibits, most often dressed in a countryman's flat cap, tweed jacket and muffler over baggy jumper, trousers and gumboots. He would then shake each visitors hand, and ask departing guests with a blunt "Did yer loik it, then?"

The original museum had limited opening times, but Cushing expanded the attraction to include a gift shop and tea rooms, and opened seven days a week during the summer season. In 1982 he co-wrote, with Ian Starsmore "Steam at Thursford;" and for the scale of his efforts in saving much of Britain's steam heritage, Cushing was appointed an MBE in 1989.

Thursford collection

A Scene from the Winter Wonderland tour (2008 season)

On the death of his wife Minnie, Cushing realised his collection could be subject to death duties should he pass away, and so set up the Thursford Collection as a trust endowed charity, now run by his son, which alone attracts 170,000 visitors a year. George Cushing died on February 26, 2003.

The collection today includes a Mighty Wurlitzer which is the fourth-largest in Europe and has a total of 1,339 pipes. There is also a 2 ft narrow gauge railway and a 19th-century gondola merry-go-round which was built in the Norfolk factory of Frederick Savage. The merry-go-round is decorated with carved heads depicting Queen Victoria and her family, including the German Kaiser Wilhelm II. The collection and museum is also famous for its popular summer and winter shows. The annual Christmas "Spectaculars" attract coachloads of devotees from around the country and must be booked months in advance.

The Engines

The collection of engines runs to over ? with the majority Steam rollers, but with several fine examples of Showman's Engines and a few Steam Tractors and a pair of rare Ploughing Engines.

2010 Sale

In July 2010 it emerged that the collection was proposing to sell some of the collection via auctioneers Cheffins. The Ten (10) engines believed to be being offered for dale are in effect the reserve collection from the Yard at the Farm. The proposed sale has had mixed reception from the steam world with some believing the sale will devalue the collections integrity. Others feel that it will provide an opportunity for new owners to get an engine and that bring more engines back to life is beneficial to the preservation movement. The trust has been criticised for allowing the engines to slowly deteriorate as they were stored outside, so some see it as a reaction to that, will others believe that due to the number of engines in the overall collection they would never be restored anyway. Any engines sold will create great interest due to their provenance, but any purchaser will need deep pockets as they need complete rebuilds.

The sale also includes over 200 lots of Aveling & Porter spare parts many being acquired by Mr Cushing during his contracting days and as the steam era ended and being brand new parts direct from the factory or the A&P agents. This will be a rare opportunity to obtain genuine parts for A&P engines.

List of engines in the collection

Make & Engine No.	Year built	Type	Name	Reg No.	Image	Notes
Aveling & Porter no. 8169	1913	Tractor	-	KT 998	-
Aveling & Porter no. 8178	1914	Tractor	-	PU 700
Aveling & Porter no. 8200	1914	Convertible Tractor	-	AH 0778	to add	bought by GT Cushing for £225 in 1930
Aveling & Porter no. 8890	1916	Ploughing ZTD	Field Marshall Haig	DO 1943		ex Chatterton & Cooke of Deeping St. Nichols, Lincolnshire
Aveling & Porter no. 8891	1916	Ploughing ZTD	General Byng	DO 1944		Pair with A & P no. 8890
Aveling & Porter no. 9010	1919	Tractor	Jimmy	AP 9235
Aveling & Porter no. 9036	1919	Convertible Tractor	-	BP 6065
Aveling & Porter no. 9149	1920	Road Loco	-	KE 2202		owned by GT Cushing since 1959 Engine photo required
Aveling & Porter no. 10003	1921	Tractor	-	AH 6130		In the workshop (April 2009)
Aveling & Porter no. 10324	1922	Roller	-	NO 5898	to add
Aveling & Porter no. 10341	1923	Tractor	-	PW 623		in yard
Aveling & Porter no. 10342	1922	Tractor	-	NO 5896		in yard
Aveling & Porter no. 10345	1922	Tractor	-	NO 5893		in yard
Aveling & Porter no. 10347	1922	Roller	-	NO 5891	to add	Ex Essex CC
Aveling & Porter no. 10415	1922	Tractor	-	ME 5770		fitted with Scarifier
Aveling & Porter no. 10437	1922 ?	Convertible Tractor	-	OS 1314		Full photo unavailable due to winter wonderland setting
Aveling & Porter no. 10456	1922	Convertible	-	NO 7239	to add
Aveling & Porter 10675	1923	Tractor	-	PR 6710
Aveling & Porter 10755	1924	Road Roller	-	PD 1510
Aveling & Porter no. 10780	1923	Tractor	-	PR 1392		in yard
Aveling & Porter no. 10785	1923	Convertible	-	PD 7738	to add
Aveling & Porter no. 11205	1925	Roller	-	MO 5545?
Aveling & Porter no. 11322	1925	Roller	Castra	PT6445	to add	fitted with scarifier
Aveling & Porter no. 11454	1926	Tractor	-	PE 9234		in yard
Aveling & Porter no. 11822	1927	Tractor	-	UF 1934		in yard
Aveling & Porter no. 11918	1927	Convertible	-	YT 4531	to add
Aveling & Porter no. 11980	1927	Convertible	Bert	DY 4878	to add
Aveling & Porter no. 12181	1928	Roller	Cheryl	DW 6156	to add
Aveling & Porter no. 12186	1928	Tractor	Annie Laurie	PK 2684		Cast wheels Ex Kent CC
Aveling & Porter no. 12205	1928	Tractor	-	VF 4393		in yard
Aveling & Porter no. 14008	1929	Roller	-	VG 2269/NO 5898
Aveling & Porter no. 14137	1931	Tractor	-	TM 9357		in yard
Aveling & Porter 14163	1934	Roller	-	MJ 4597		Displayed with living Van shown below and a water cart.
Burrell no. 2780	1905	Showman's Rod Loco	King Edward VII	CL 4300
Burrell no. 3075	1909	Showmans Tractor	Alexandra	CL 4301
Burrell no. 3200	1910	Showmans Tractor	Unity	CL 4296
Burrell no. 3827	1920	Showmans Tractor	Victory	CL 4299
Burrell no. 3850	1920	Convertible	-	AH 0775
Burrell no. 4045	1926	Tractor	-	PW 8878
Burrell no. 4081	1927	Traction engine	Fearless	RT 5104		5th to last engine built
Clayton & Shuttleworth no. 48308	1919	Wagon	-	FE 2754
Clayton & Shuttleworth no. 49105	1924	Traction	-	TL 555		one of the youngest survivors from C&S
Clayton Wagons T1136	1929	Wagon	-	VG 1825		A unique example only survivor
Foden no. 13358	1929	Tractor	Victor	DF 8187		Late model steam timber tractor
Garrett no. 33902	1920	Showmans Tractor	Medina	BJ 5340
Garrett no. 34187	1922	Traction Engine	Kathleen	AH 9623
Marshall no. 79108	1925	Roller	Poppyland	PW 5042		Fitted with a John Allen Patent Scarifier
Ruston Proctor no. 39872	?	Traction engine	-	RT 1487
Savage no. 418	1887	Organ Engine	-	-	to add
Savage no. 421	1887	Centre Engine	-	-		On static display
Savage no. 449	1888	Organ Engine	-	-	to add
Savage no. 740	1898	Centre Engine	-	-	to add	(turned by electricity)
Savage no. 762	1900	Centre Engine	Enterprise	-
Savage no. 763	1900	Organ Engine	-	-	to add

Other exhibits

A Aveling and Porter Living Van

The museum also has a collection of other exhibits in addition to the Engines.

• Fairground rides collection
  • Fairground center engines
  • Gallopers
  • Fairground Organ
  • Switchback ride
• Living vans
• Trailers for Traction engines
• Threshing machines
• Baler
• Stationary engines - single cylinder oil & Diesel engines
• Water bowsers
• Scale Steam Engines Models
• Steam Whistle from the local factory
• Tools display.

See also

• Steam fairs
• Shows and Meets
• Museums List
• Collections

References

• Founders day tour
• TER 2008 list
• Old Glory Magazine, no 228, Museums Directory

External links

• Thursford Collection website