In September 2023, we received a grant of £200,000 from The Engert Watford Motor Museum as part of a three-year project to repair and restore three vehicles from the unique industrial heritage collection we care for.
The three vehicles being restored are:
- A Tasker steam wagon - Built in 1924, the Tasker Steam Wagon – or Little Giant – is the only surviving example of its kind. It has travelled nearly 3000 miles in the past 10 years to be showcased at public events, but is currently being operated with its original, nearly 100-year-old boiler, which needs a major overhaul.
- A Thornycroft J Type - The Thornycroft J Type saw active service in World War I: originally fitted with an anti-aircraft gun, it was delivered to the War Office on 28 March 1916 and is now one of just a handful that are still in operation. The vehicle is a key part of the World War I story told at Milestones but is currently in need of a complete gearbox rebuild.
- A Morrison Electricar - The battery-powered Morrison Electricar, was built in 1947 and originally purchased for Portsea Co-Op. Currently not on public display, the Electricar requires full restoration to return it to operational condition. Once conserved, it will go on display at Milestones Museum where it will help to tell the story of electric vehicle technology.
The eventual aim is for the restored vehicles either to be on permanent public display at Basingstoke’s Milestones Museum, which is home to the majority of Hampshire Cultural Trust’s historic vehicle collection, or sufficiently operational to attend targeted events and venues in the wider community.
