Play it again, Sam!, Old Warden Steam Rally (September 18th

This is one of a series of pages I have uploaded to illustrate facets of the steam rallies we have attended in the UK. Click here for the 2026 introduction and overall index.

Over the last 10 or more years that I have been attending UK steam rallies, I have learned that organisers tend to try a little harder every 5 or 10 years when a significant anniversary is due. This year Welland turned out an astonishing 140 engines for its 60th celebrations and, at Rempstone, celebrating 70 years of rallying, the site had undergone a revamp to better showcase almost 100 engines.

The advance publicity for Old Warden 2026 had highlighted the fact that it was the BSEPS 65th rally and that it was 70 years since the society was formed. As such, I, and no doubt others, had eagerly awaited something special. Alas, what we got was undoubtedly a large and impressive show but with 10% less engines than last year and only the two visitors from the Netherlands were out of the ordinary. It was something of an anti-climax and I'll now give it a few years to regain the atmosphere of yore before I try again.

Choose the page you are interested in and within that, click on a thumbnail for a larger image. Then click again to return to the page.

Rollers	General Engines, Part 1	General Engines, Part 2	General Engines, Part 3

Steam Wagons	Showman's Engines	Miscellaneous Engines

I've set out above why I was more than a little disappointed with this year's Old Warden event.
Anyone reading my reports would have correctly worked out long ago that miniatures are a corner of the hobby
that doesn't greatly attract me. However, even I was more than a little impressed when this convoy came past,
indeed it was probably the most memorable moment of the 3 days for me.