i think this "information black hole" is one thing that lets down rallies. would you expect to go to a zoo and look at animals whilst only having a vague knowledge of what they were? Most people have no recollection of these vehicles working and on several occasions last week I had people asking questions that I would have considered to be "basic" knowledge even to someone who wasn't a traction engine enthusiast - not all young people.

I was in Rome in July and the place was full of people walking round with earphones on and little boxes hanging round there necks on audio tours getting all the information about the historic sites. Maybe this is an idea that could be extended to a canny rally committee? or even better a downloadable app or a podcast - then all you have to do is ask people to download it before they come along and press play when they arrive at a specific area - stick a big number up on a pole - 1 for threshing, 2 for haulage, Showman's line up and so on, and the punter gets a nice 10 Minuit talk about whats going on in front of him.

*edit* we had a similar thing at the pay gate for Longleat safari park last year - a free information CD for the car player.

Demographics

As we all age there are less people around with an interest in steam.
A few of the younger generation have a passionate interest but this is not the majority.

Many rallies are rebranding as country fairs but I am not convinced this helps.

I put a laminated A3 sheet with my engine details and a copy of the original sales catalogue page in front if mine at GDSF this year. The saw bench boys in front of me were fed up answering questions about my engine.

A lot of people stopped to have a read. Usually it is on the inside of the living van door at rallies where the engine and van are together. Again a popular item, if they need more info joe public then seem more willing to ask.

Douglas

If poeple do not know what a traction engine rally is they can allways google it.
Then that is half the battle if they are interested then they will attend a rally then you need a programme resonable priced with details about the engines

We always have a A borad out with our engines and they get an awful lot of people reading them but we are still very happy to answer anyones questions as well.

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its quite true.

I have a single A4 sheet for the engine, austin 7 and now the living van, current versions are laminated, but I have had them in a sealed (with silicone) picture frame before now.

Sadly some owners regulary enter engines into events and give the organiser no details for the programme which makes it even worse for Joe Public. I have a condensed text only version of my A4 sheet which I generally print out and enclose with my entry forms.

When you have something for the punter to read, I find that they stimulate sensible conversation with the punters, rather more than the standard opener ''wots it worth mate''. At Onslow Park my engine which has a derbyshire reg number gained the interest of an old gent from the county who seemingly had worked for Olive & Partington and came out with pictures of 'Lord Doverdale' at work and some very interesting stories to tell. I pointed him towards team Debes and using my fathers description to look for 'a bloody old ploughing engine or a Clayton painted a horrid green' where I learnt later he had been introduced to the engines owners daugher.

Can there really be any excuse for owners not providing information, if only for the commentator, or for the rally organizers only producing a one page programme which merely gives maker, owner, type and date?

As much as it loathes me to agree with him, Bob the convertions officer is right for once, if we are not having fun then we are not going to make the punters as happy as we could, I took Fossy to a tiny little do at Moira furnace last weekend, the atmosphere was superb, no irritating or bossy organisers, no silly rules just a nice relaxed do.

I'm sure that this was the reason why all the engines owners seemed to communicate more with the public.

Chris I agree 100%. We have been called antisocial and miserable because we don't go to many rallies with the engines! Well perhaps we are just picky. We try and do one "big" rally a year but plenty of smaller events or working demos which are loads of fun.

I too have done an information board this year and it has gone down a treat, often striking up conversations from people after they have had a read through.

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