The story of my Lister Q type
The story begins in late 1999, an antique dealer friend of mine asked me if I would like to go and see a big engine in a workshop where it had been all its life, in the Village of Pode Hole near Spalding Lincs. I couldn’t get my boots on fast enough!
When we arrived at the old workshop, upon opening the door, it looked to be full of timber and years of junk piled in. We found a path to the bottom of the workshop past several woodworking machines, in the very corner at the bottom of the workshop sat a mighty Lister Q type, sat on a 2 foot high concrete block.What a beautiful sight! We were told that 2 local engine clubs had turned it down due to its size and it being sat on the concrete block.
My friend had visions of taking the roof off and lifting it out through the roof, but the owners didn’t want this as it meant churning up their lawn, so he offered the whole clearance job to me! I was made up and very excited. While he was sorting out a deal with the owners, I had a chance to look at the engine, totally original, lovely oily rag condition, not seized Q type engine number 8680, built in July 1913 and sold on the 5/11/1913 -these are dates from David Edgington
So now I had to work out how to get the engine out. The engine had driven line shafting to drive the entire workshop. List of the machinery – Large bandsaw , Large circular saw, Thickness planer, very large grindstone and 3 woodturning lathes. The workshop, when it was in use, was the local wheel wright, undertaker, and general carpenter
Moving was going to be a task, to empty the lot- a job for another day! Two days later we returned with a good friend with every tool you could imagine. First removing all machinery that was in the workshop, this was 2 days work. Then coming to the engine, we jacked up the engine, cut through the holding down bolts and let it down onto 2 heavy duty metal piling steels and steadily eased the engine down the ramps. It did go very well! We then had to put it on rollers and roll it towards the door on wooden planks due to it being a mud/earth floor, at last it was loaded- a big sigh of relief!
The engine was in wonderful condition and having got it home, the next day it was given the once over oiled up points cleaned and started, it run perfect!
It has at some point in its life had the Brass oilers taken off, I still have these which were in a box and found at a later date. The oil box set up works off the brass fuel pump and is unique.
On a different journey to finish clearing out the rubbish in the workshop, I found a wooden box with the original brass oilers in it, also a sales document that came with the engine signed by one of Listers engineers and also a strong cardboard box with Piston rings, fuel pump balls and springs exhaust gaskets and valve springs see pictures’. Finding this was just as enjoyable as finding the engine, a once in a lifetime find, I still own this engine and have great pleasure in running it at my open days.
Now forward to 2015, a friend of mine had a Lister Q tucked away in his barn, he also lives in Lincolnshire. He told me he wanted to sell it, he then told me of its History. It had also come from the village of Pode Hole, Lincolnshire. Now this was truly remarkable, It is a late style vaporiser , what are the chances of two Lister Qs in one small village? This one had driven a small garage workshop on the other side of the road! Unbelievable, I did also buy this engine and later sold it to a good friend.
Please see all pics
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Country: GB
