Eagle engine from 1915 restored to its former glory
After starting life at Eagle Engineering’s Saltisford site in Warwick in the early 1900s, ‘Engine 1694’ was later sold to a local estate in Chesterton Wood, where it worked to drive a saw bench with a 36" blade. It was during this initial part of its career that it was purchased by Charles Isaac Fell, a landlord at The Dog Inn, Harbury. Charles bought the engine in 1916 as a gift for his son's 16th birthday, which was gratefully received.
As he grew older, Brian John Fell, Charles’ son, eventually moved the engine on its flywheels to his family's cottage, which was just down the high street. For many years, Brian operated the saw in his back garden where he worked to cut up logs for sale, until he unfortunately lost a finger. Now a father himself, Brian soon gave the engine to his daughter, Dorothy Mary Revitt, née Fell’s neighbour for safekeeping. The neighbour, Ted Weeks, kept the engine in working order and regularly ran it for the family's entertainment.
On 19th July 2025, the engine ran for its final time, over 100 years since its manufacture. Following Ted's passing earlier this year, the engine was returned to the Fell family, a member of whom now works as a Quality Control Technician at Dennis Eagle’s very own headquarters in Warwick. Henry Revitt’s grandfather, Mervyn, with grateful thanks, has now loaned the engine to Dennis Eagle on a long-term basis for its customers, employees, and partners to admire.
"The engine has been kindly donated by my grandfather, Mervyn Revitt, in remembrance of Brian John Fell, who owned it, and Ted Weeks, who maintained it in later years,” said Henry. “On behalf of the Fell family, we’d like to extend our thanks to Dennis Eagle for restoring and displaying Engine 1694. It’s been fantastic to bring the engine back into the business and to see my grandfather’s excitement and pride when it was unveiled at the new Centre."
A new life continues the legacy
Before settling down in the reception of our new Technical Training Centre, the engine was taken through a rigorous restoration process in an attempt to return it as closely as possible to its original quality. Overseen by Regional Service Manager at Dennis Eagle, Dan Prosser, the restoration was made up of several different stages and carried out in West Wales.
The engine’s aging and dry rot-ridden chassis was replaced with a brand-new oak chassis. It was also stripped bare to gain access to its brass components, ensuring these were sufficiently polished to restore its previous shine. As the engine had become fairly brittle, it had to undergo a delicate hot works process as opposed to shot blasting, giving it a thorough yet careful clean. Finished with a fresh coat of paint, the full restoration took roughly four months to complete. While it is still in working order, the engine’s new role will now be as a silent sentry within our training centre’s newly branded entrance.
“It’s a brilliant thing to have such a substantial part of our history there to greet visitors as they enter the training centre,” said Geoff Rigg, Aftermarket Director, Dennis Eagle. “Such an interesting piece of equipment is a great reminder of where our business started and where it is today. Eagle Engineering once manufactured a whole host of different refuse equipment and municipal vehicles, including road sweepers and internal combustion engines, but struggled to maintain this in the 1970s. The turning point came when we began to hone our focus on refuse collection vehicles, paving the way for our future success.”
You can now see the fully restored engine at our Technical Training Centre where it can be admired in all its former glory. Make sure to stop by the next time you visit.
