A few days before Tractor Fest the phone rings with the offer of some engines and a motorcycle up for disposal, not an unusual kind of call, usually happening every month or so. This lot consisted of a Lister engine and saw bench along with an early Greeves motorcycle, “oh and the little Gardner engine out back”. After being in the game long enough, only too often does a “water cooled Petter engine” turn out to be the inevitable Lister D type so it was nothing to get too excited about, some pictures will confirm. This is where the problem lie, after a further phone call I was informed that pictures were not possible due to the owners disability and the engines in question were 150 miles away in Ellens Green, Surrey. The only description being that the Gardner was only small, around half the height of the Lister.
After a few days away at Newby Hall and the mind wandering as it does I had somehow come to the conclusion that it would be a Lister A type with the saw-bench meaning the Gardner must be horizontal!!, A date and time was arranged and the morning of the expedition arrived, it dawned on me that I had created the Lister A type as a figment of my imagination and it could indeed be anything so my assumption of the horizontal Gardner was imaginary. Oh well, it’s organised now so for the cost of the diesel we may as well go and check it out, armed with the trusty Sprinter van, winch and set of ramps.
Upon arriving at the property in Ellen’s Green the property didn’t look like the usual run down, overgrown place where gems are found sleeping but we’re here so best check it out.
After introducing ourselves and the usual pleasantries I was directed down the side of the garage which you can see is against the road save for the grass verge. There I would find the Lister and saw bench. Sure enough after taking down some fencing there was indeed a saw bench.
What you can’t quite see in the picture is what was about to happen next, upon squeezing past the sawbench I tripped on something hidden in the undergrowth, upon a little uncovering my eyes nearly popped out of my head as I found what every engine man dreams of finding. The Gardner exhaust pot!
Knowing that this was indeed a Gardner exhaust and with my mind racing, my interest in the Lister, which turned out to be a B type for those wandering and also the motorcycle was rather reduced, I was only interested in one thing.
A rather sad Tank cooled Lister B type.
The 1964 Greeves 250cc twin that had been sleeping under an apple tree for quite some time.
Carrying on a little further down the garden, not forgetting we are still only 6 feet from the main road, the most wonderful sight appeared in the base of the hedge, being used as a leaning post for a stack of slabs of all things.
The Gardner as first seen.
After a little digging the engine was moved out of the hedge for closer inspection. Even though it had been outside for 50+ years it was in surprisingly good order, although siezed it certainly wasn’t rotten.
Even the exhaust silencer was found nearby.
After speaking to Geoff at the Anson Engine Museum he tells me the engine is a Spirit engine and was sold in December 1910 less than 10 miles from where it was found.
The strip down has now begun and it is hoped, with help from a few fellow enthusiasts that it can be rebuilt and running in only a few weeks in time for Power And Machinery Of The Past At Breamore House
Another article covering the rebuild will follow shortly.
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Country: GB
