The Ruston in the Blue Lagoon
A rattling yarn that will fascinate all nostalgia lovers and steam fans everywhere.
This story of a conservation miracle tells of the dogged determination of engineering historian Ray Hooley who rescued what is now the world’s oldest working excavator from a watery grave. Steam Navvy no 306 was built by Ruston, Proctor & Co in Lincoln in 1909.
Thanks to Ray, a team of experienced engineers at the Vintage Excavator Trust, and a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, this amazing piece of Edwardian history will work on into the future at the Trust’s working weekends.
To get the Navvy this far, scores of other helpers, from sub-aqua divers to friendly businesses, engineering apprentices to Museum volunteers, have contributed across four decades.
The programme looks back to early engineering and uses old images and film to set No 306 in context. Stream here.
The Lincoln Trams
A thoroughly enjoyable ride with the Lincoln trams which ran from their depot in Bracebridge to the City Centre and back between 1882 and 1929.
Utilising a unique private collection of images, and other compelling archive stills, Producer and Narrator Andrew Blow leads us from the horse-drawn days through to the overhead wire era with the help of period music. Including, of course, the days in between when Lincoln was the only location for the Griffiths-Bedell magnetic system.The programme includes a tribute to the Bracebridge brothers who left images and tram memories.
The Ruston in the Blue Lagoon
The amazing story of the world's oldest excavator....a steam navvy made in 1909.
