© Ipswich and District Historical Transport Society

 Latest Meeting Report:

Meeting Report of the Ipswich and District Historical Transport Society on February 28th 2024.


 A total of 64 members and guests attended our first meeting of 2024 – the highest number for some time.

We welcomed Teresia and Richard Stock. Richard gave an illustrated talk on “The History of the Charles Burrell Works and Museum.”

Joseph Burrell began as a blacksmith, making and repairing agricultural implements in 1770 in a forge in Thetford. By 1801 he was advertising "Chaff Engines, Drill Rolls and Drill Machines" (these being items of agricultural equipment) from his foundry on Kings Street, Thetford. By 1836 Joseph's nephew, Charles, had taken over the business when he was only 19 years of age.

Charles was a young man of vision and he championed the building of the company's first steam engine in 1848. Initially, like most other similar manufacturers, they built portable engines but they gradually moved into self-moving agricultural machines. In 1856 they built the first road haulage engine in conjunction with James Boydell. Boydell had invented a system where flat boards were attached to a wheel loosely at their centers and as the wheels revolved; the boards spread the weight of an engine over the surface of the board. These helped to negotiate the bad roads of the time and could be considered the precursors of caterpillar tracks.

The vehicles Burrell built were individually tailored to a customer’s needs and these bespoke engines made the company’s name. They were tested by negotiating a one in twelve gradient, hauling a 50 ton load, in Croxton, a village about three miles north of Thetford – an acid test, indeed.

Richard said they had three speeds, which were: slow, very slow and extremely slow. The average speed being c. 13 mph.

Through the latter part of the nineteenth century Burrell produced other products such as ploughs, elevators, sash window catches and even ice cream machines. One interesting fairground galloper ride they built was driven by a steam engine on a track running round on the inside of the horses, travelling in the opposite direction. Such a pity this was never preserved!

During World War One, the machine shop and boiler shop were employed making shells and other wartime equipment. After the war the business declined rapidly. In 1919 Burrell joined the formation of the Agriculture and General Engineers (AGE). Like many of the companies who joined, this proved to be a disastrous move. In 1928 the company closed its doors for the last time.

The last Burrell engine was King George V, built from Burrell parts at Garretts of Leiston in 1932.

The museum opened in 1991. They have many impressive rescued machines in the museum including the Queen Mary which is a compound, double drive showman’s locomotive built in May 1920. It carries five tax disks: one for each county she has worked in. This is a legal requirement for steam road vehicles.

They have links with Bressingham Steam Museum and one exhibit owned by the local Dad’s Army Museum is Jonesy’s van. This is a great draw for Dad’s Army fans. Readers will recall that we visited the museum on our summer outing last year.

The evening ended with a short Q and A session, followed by warm applause for our guests and a vote of thanks from our Chairman; Sylvia Kerridge.


Mervyn Russen







































































































































Teresia and Richard Stock (Photo with their permission)

Logo plate from The Burrell Museum (Attribution: In the public domain)

Closing day of the season in October 2023 at the museum with on the left; Stuart Wright (Mayor of Thetford) and Roy Brame (Chairman of the museum committee) (Photo courtesy of Teresia and Richard Stock)

Dramatic picture of Queen Mary at Weeting Steam Rally in 2023 (Photo courtesy of Teresia and Richard Stock)



General purpose traction engine number 2479 built in 1902 and named Old Dull Bob. The engine got that name but it is believed now to be the nickname of the original driver! (Photo by Merv Russen)

General view across the museum from the gallery July 2023 (Photo by Merv Russen)