Curly Bowl 2014 Leyland Model Engineers (Live Steam locomotive)

The first reference to the Curly Bowl (as it later became known) occurred in the Editor's SMOKE RINGS column in the 1st March 1968 issue of The Model Engineer :

LBSC Memorial

As many readers have requested that an LBSC Memorial Fund be instituted, I will now be pleased to accept donations. The present proposal is that a handsome silver cup be purchased, to be known as the LBSC Memorial Challenge Cup, and for this to be awarded at the Model Engineer Exhibition for the best model locomotive built to a design by LBSC, or for a model based upon one of his designs. It has been suggested, and I would like to add that I am in full agreement with this, that the award be made for efficiency on the track, as a practical passenger hauler, and not for external appearance, workmanship or finish. For this purpose, general handiness and ease of control by the driver would be taken into consideration.

This would make a welcome change from the method of judging used for the competition classes at the Exhibition, where the judges must obviously work mainly upon what they can see. While it is true that the great majority of competition winners in the past were also good workers on the track, their beautiful finish and fine detail clearly do not make for the ideal " work-horse."

There need be no restriction on past awards, if any. In other words, if the competitor had won a Championship Cup, or nothing at all, at previous Exhibitions, that would not be taken into account; thus a very large number of practical working locomotives would become eligible. There would be no restriction as to gauge either. LBSC was fond of the Gauge " O " and Gauge " I " engines, so long as they were coal-fired (he never liked spirit firing, which he used to describe as " poison-gas plants ").

Should more funds be received than would be needed for an elegant cup, they could be put towards some other project that would encourage the building of live steam locomotives, but this fence can be crossed if and when we come to it.

Please make out your cheque or money order to Model Engineer, and cross it "lbsc memorial fund". Individual receipts will be sent out to every donor. #

The next reference was in the 20th September 1968 issue :-

LBSC Memorial Fund

I am pleased to say that the response to the LBSC Memorial Fund has been excellent. At the time of writing, the amount received stands at £281. A solid silver bowl has now been purchased, to be competed for at the forthcoming M.E. Exhibition. My picture, which does not do it justice, will give readers some idea of this very fine trophy. The engraving on one side reads " Presented by friends and admirers for the best locomotive to LBSC's design."

On the other side of the bowl, we have had engraved an outline general arrangement of the late LBSC's favourite locomotive, the single-wheeler Grosvenor. This has been beautifully executed by Messrs Garrards. I feel sure that if he had still been with us, LBSC would have been " tickled pink " with this engraving.