Steam-driven fairground attractions have fascinated the Felix family all of their lives. Albert Felix was born in 1931 in Assen, The Netherlands. His father was a green-grocer and his grandfather was a blacksmith. He first came in contact with model steam engines through his grandfather who made them by hand.

The fascination for steam-driven rides started during the 1930s and 1940s. In those days a Salon Steamcarrousel, owned by Sipkema, visited the Assen fair each year.

Albert, at that time still a young boy, often found himself looking at the arrival of the Steamcarrousel which came by steamboat on the river which runs through Assen, and watching the build up and pull down of the ride.

Albert Felix, who is now retired, worked for many years in the sales department of Stork Pumps in Hengelo. During the early 1970s he decided to base a hobby around his fascination for the steam-driven fairground attractions.

Modelling activities start in the early 1970s
In the early 1970s plans were made to build a model Salon Steamcarrousel. The only surviving example of this type of ride in The Netherlands is in the Efteling Amusement Park, in Kaatsheuvel, which is near the city of Tilburg.

A Salon Carousel is a very large travelling ride with a huge facade with central entrance and paybox. The carousel itself would operate inside a tented area behind the facade, with decorated wooden walls (the salon), often containing a bar, a dance floor and seating area.

Several visits were made to Efteling in the 1970s to take photos and measurements of the ride. Measurements were taken of the four gondolas whilst they were going up and down and round and round as the carousel was doing its regular rounds.

At that time Albert had completed a model fair organ with a miniature loudspeaker inside.

This provided the music in the carousel for about half an hour whilst standing on the refreshment-bar in the carousel salon. The operator of the carousel stopped the music from the carousel's own Gavioli organ and relied on Albert's little model organ! On that same visit measurements were taken of the façade of the carousel, using a fishing-rod!

As the model developed the problem of driving it had to be solved. Because of Albert's fascination for steam and steam engines it was decided to do this with a real steam engine. At that point Albert joined the Dutch Model Steam Engines Association and concentrated on building steam engines. The model steamcarrousel-project gradually received less attention during the 1980s, although by that time he already had the 12 platforms ready, had built a spinning top and had worked out how to build the motion for the horses and gondolas.

Model steam engine building
Modelling activities now concentrated on model steam engine building. Amongst other things a model of a Ransomes, Sims and Jeffries traction engine (scale 1:6) was built from drawings of Mr John Haining. With his model traction engine Albert participated in several (model) steam rallies in England (Great Dorset Steam Fair), Germany and the Netherlands. Participants on of the Old Glory trips to the Dordrecht Steam Event (called "Dordt in stoom") might have spotted him over there. During the last three presentations of this event in 1998, 1999 and 2000 the Ransomes model traction engine was the smallest of all partcipating steam-driven traction engines.

However, it was his son Idius Felix that inspired Albert to take up his model fairground activities again.

Felix Gallopers on Tour
During gatherings of the Model Steam Engine Association and visits to England (to the Great Dorset Steam Fair) and to Germany, Idius obtained information, photos and sketches on gallopers and other British fairground steam attractions, including information from "Fairgound Art", by Weedon and Ward. During these gatherings he met interesting people from Britain who also helped in the search of drawings to be able build a model galloper. Eventually these were found and bought from Vic King of Oxford (Carousel Crafts). With these drawings the building of the model Galloper started.

The model Galloper (scale 1:12, about 1 meter in diameter and 75 centimetres in height) is almost ready, it only needs some painting here and there. The ride is powered by a working model Savage steam centre engine (made/constructed from photos) that works on a compressor: so the air pressure ("cold" steam) for the steam engine is brought in from outside the ride.

It has a model Gavioli-organ with "live" music through a speaker, driven by a model Savage steam organ engine (made from photos as well). A packing truck, a platform truck and a horse and roundings truck complete the model.

Although the model is typically British in construction (like Savages) it has been given a touch of Holland: all the paintings (in the fair organ and on the rounding boards) are typically Dutch, with windmills and Dutch scenery. In accordance with the family-name it's called: "Felix Gallopers on Tour". The following text appears on the twelve rounding boards:

Felix Gallopers on tour proudly present jumping horses to bring joy to the world by steam on scale.

In Holland such a set of model Gallopers is very rare and the Felix family have had a lot of success with it during several (model) steam events.

Felix Steam Yachts
The next project started was the building of a set of working model steam yachts based on the original Harry Lee Steam Yachts. This model is also in scale 1:12, so about 1 meter in width, 75 centimetres in depth and 75 centimetres in height.

The model is also driven by a working model steam engine, based on the Savages engine on the full-size ride, that works on compressed air. It has a model Chiappa organ based on the original of Harry Lee's Steam Yachts. The end panels have paintings made by Henk Venema, who is a friend from the Dutch Model Steam Engines Association. The paintings are based on those on the Carter's Steam Yachts by Anna Carter: steam boats and sailing ships.

With the help of English contacts and friends, drawings and some photos of the Harry Lee's Steam Yachts were obtained from Neil Watson of Boston, Lincolnshire. Fairground historian Paul Braithwaite sent copies of the 1888 Cartwright/Cracknell Patent (9375) and the 1894 Cartwright improved Patent (15138). Furthermore, Brian Steptoe took some special photos of some of the details of Carter's Steam Yachts: for example, the top of the steam engine with the rabbit gear and the driving arrangement of the swing boats.

These model steam yachts have been given some Dutch elements too. The four flags on top of the model are from Britain, The Netherlands, the province of Drenthe where Albert and his wife were born and the county of Twente where Albert and his wife now live.

Flags are also painted on the bottom of the boats. On one there is the British flag and the other has the flag of the Netherlands. The boats are named "Loduvicus" and "Wubbina" after Albert's two grandchildren. "Loduvicus" is also Albert's second Christian name and "Wubbina" is the Christian name of his wife.

During the building of the model steam yachts a model Scammell Showtrac (scale 1:12) was made to pull the model fairground trucks.

Future projects?
Some new projects are now being planned. Perhaps a model Switchback or a model Cakewalk? Photos of the Gondola Switchback at Thursford from Brian Steptoe as well as relevant patents from Paul Braithwaite are already obtained. Let's just wait and see.

The author would like to thank Brian Steptoe for his help on the translation of the text and Johnny Dallinga, a steam-enthusiast and friend from the Netherlands, who inspired him to write something about his father's modelling. Just watch out: Felix Model Steam Fair will be visiting your place somewhere soon!!

Idius Felix - May 2001

All pictures in this article, unless otherwise stated, are by Idius Felix and remain his copyright.