Directorate of Naval Recruiting
Sultan Gets Up Steam - The News 20 Sep 1980 Back
Months of dedication and hard work at the Gosport Naval base HM.S. Sultan were being rewarded today with the establishment s prized steam engine taking part in its frst major rally for three years. The base’s 50-year-old engine, a 24ft. long Super Sentenal, was back on show at its first major public function since restoration Work on it began in earnest.
Naval personnel have spent hours repainting and stripping
down the engine and chassis. The vehicle’s boiler has been completely rebuilt.
The six-ton vehicle, first registered in 1930, was last used for work for
excavating gravel in Chertsey London, but is now used by Sultan’s Welfare Fund
at events in the Gosport area. The steam engine was today appearing alongside
other engines and vintage cars at a two-day steam rally near Blandford Forum
Dorset. Yesterday, Chief Petty Officer Graham Print had the arduous task of
driving the machine, capable of a maximum speed of 24 mph. for the 70-mile
journey. Travelling under its own power the journey was expected to take him
more than four hours at an average speed of 18 mph.
CPO Print was later to link up with the officer in charg e of the steam engine,
Lt.-Commander Geoff Baker.
