The Talisman Tour is a challenge of epic proportion and has been organised in honour of dearly missed family member Angus McIntosh.

Angus sadly passed away in 2018 at the age of 25 following a lifelong battle with cystic fibrosis.

The Talisman Tour sees the journey of ‘Talisman’, a Fowler B6 Big Lion Road Locomotive re-created by Alex Sharphouse.

Only five Fowler B6 Locos were ever made, of which Talisman was one, and the last time one of these steam engines was built, was in 1931.

The engine weighs twenty tonnes, has back wheels seven feet high and has a nominal ten horse engine (not to be confused with brake horsepower). It’s the equivalent of a very large, modern lorry, with a top speed of 20mph on the road and a boiler pressure of 200 PSI.

Talisman took over six years to build and complete, with Angus (who is Alex and wife Charlotte’s nephew), being an integral part in the launch of this project. He filmed and produced a video that was used to obtain the vital sponsorship required to fund this monumental endeavour.

The ‘Talisman Tour’ is a professional challenge and sees the engine doing what it was built for in the 1920s, moving heavy equipment. It will transport a historic engine weighing fifty tonnes in total; from its location at Threlkeld Mining Museum, along the 50 miles to Alex’s Workshop in Bouth, Cumbria.

This will not be an easy task and it will be the engine’s first major pull since its reconstruction.

The Talisman Tour honours Angus, who was not afraid of a challenge himself. During his life, he undertook all manners of physical challenges, from pushing himself by BMX biking competitively and racing bikes through London, all this while coping with symptoms of this disease.

The team hope to raise vital funds for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, who are the only UK charity dedicated to fighting for a life unlimited by cystic fibrosis for everyone affected by the condition.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a life-limiting genetic condition affecting more than 10,000 people across the UK. It affects the lungs and digestive system and can cause chronic infections and reduced lung function. Currently, half of those with CF will not live past age 41.The Cystic Fibrosis Trust is fighting for a brighter future for people with CF and their families by funding cutting-edge research, driving up standards of care and supporting people with the condition and their loved ones every step of the way.