National Traction Engine Trust

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The National Traction Engine Trust is an association representing steam roller and traction engine owners in the United Kingdom. A junior wing called the Steam Apprentice Club exists to train skills to future generations. [1] The trust was founded in 1954 as the National Traction Engine Club and remains the main umbrella organization for operating preserved steam vehicles on the road network. [2] [3] A motto of "Preserving our heritage with steam on the road" is used. [2]

The trust coordinates an "Approved Rally List" each year, of planned steam rally events, setting a code of practice for safety and ensuring that events do not overlap. [4] The previous largest yearly event was the Great Dorset Steam Fair (1969‒2024), attracting around 500 road vehicles. [3] [4]

On the sixtieth anniversary of the organisation, a cavalcade of 180 steam vehicles toured Bedfordshire. [1]

A magazine called Steaming is produced by the organisation. [4]

As of 2004 John Astor, 3rd Baron Astor of Hever was patron. [5] As of 2015 the vice-chair was Hugh Dyson. [1] As of 2016 the head of technical services was David Smith. [6] [7] At the beginning of 2018 Anthony Coulls was the chair of the trust, [7] before Rob Wing became chair. [8]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Wells, Liz (2015-10-07). "Hugh Dyson". News. My engineering hobby. Institution of Mechanical Engineers . Retrieved 2026-01-28. Hugh Dyson … Both children are members of the Steam Apprentice Club, the junior wing of the National Traction Engine Trust. The club aims to equip the younger generation with the skills to operate and maintain road steam vehicles. … Hugh Dyson … vice-chair … National Traction Engine Trust 60th anniversary road run, which saw 180 steam vehicles take to the lanes of Bedfordshire.
  2. 1 2 "National Traction Engine Trust". Partners and associates. Heritage Railway Association . Retrieved 2026-01-28. Established in 1954 as the National Traction Engine Club, the National Traction Engine Trust was registered as a charity in the 1960's … motto of "Preserving our heritage with steam on the road" … NTET has become the umbrella organisation for the non-rail steam traction movement
  3. 1 2 Trowell, Ian (2017). Difficult Fun: Fairground as Heritage, Heritage as Fairground (Doctoral thesis). Sheffield School of Architecture (Thesis). University of Sheffield (published 2018-05-16). p. 250. Retrieved 2026-01-28. The National Traction Engine Trust was established in 1954 as a key moment for the coordinating the seriousness of restoring and protecting these objects, and long running rallies … the Great Dorset Steam Fair (GDSF) has grown to be the biggest event, running for a week in August/September.
  4. 1 2 3 Downing, Tom (2018-06-07). "History of rallies and American steam shows". Farm and Diary. ISSN   2993-5334 . Retrieved 2026-01-28. Steaming which is the official publication of England's National Traction Engine Trust … The Approved Rally List which the trust publishes late spring. … The trust does not sponsor shows but keeps up a code of practice for how shows should be run covering such things as inspection of boilers, insurance which is provided by private commercial companies who also train and license the inspectors. … range is from three engines to 500 at Dorset. … Their inspections put most of our state inspections to shame, involving an internal and external with the boiler dry, then a cold water pressure test, then a check under steam pressure.
  5. ↑ Astor of Hever, Lord (Register of interests). House of Lords. Register of Lords' Interests (Report). The Stationery Office. 2004-07-16. p. 12. HL Paper 147. Retrieved 2026-01-28. Astor of Hever, Lord … 15(c) Office-holder in pressure groups or trade unions … President, Motorsport Industry Association … President, Heavy Transport Association … Patron, National Traction Engine Trust
  6. ↑ "'Wrong tyres' derail steam roller test in Redditch". BBC News . 2016-10-06. Retrieved 2026-01-28. Mr Urquhart … "It's kind of absurd, because how could any road roller work it if only had rubber tyres? … They seem to have come up with a new rule which myself and the National Traction Engine Trust [NTET] are certainly not aware of, and so we're asking them to find this UK legislation" … David Smith, head of technical services at the NTET, said there was no legal requirement for rollers to have rubberised tyres, and said other steam roller owners were "aghast" at the "bizarre" decision.
  7. 1 2 Goakes, Michael (2018). Gooding, Brian (ed.). "Chairman's letter" (PDF). Rolling. No. 174. Road Roller Association (published 2019-05-15). p. 3. NTET held their usual Forum on the Friday evening and after opening remarks from Chairman Anthony Coulls, David Smith, the Trust's Technical Advisor, informed us that there was a problem with the water authorities over the use of hydrants … out of the total membership, only 375 are engine owners.
  8. ↑ Pascoe, Grace (2024-08-19). "Dozens of steam engines roll into Stithians for 69th annual West of England Steam Rally". ITV News . Stithians . Retrieved 2026-01-28. Rob Wing is chairman of the National Traction Engine Trust. He said: "Steam took over from the horse and plough. Richard Trevithick in Cornwall especially, was the first person to introduce a powered vehicle on the road"
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