Full steam ahead.

In February 2005 To celebrate its 50th anniversary, the West of England Steam Engine Society set up a challenge to build a steam motorcycle capable of being ridden at up to 50mph around a "wall of death", the cylindrical fairground attraction that has thrilled crowds for 70 years.

Gerry Stoneman, a retired engineer from Devon, stepped up to the challenge using a Field steam plant in a 1920 Sunbeam frame. It was ridden around the infamous wall of death by impresario Ken Fox at the South West Motorcycle Show at the Westpoint Centre in Exeter in Aug 2005. Over the course of the weekend the steam powered motorcycle was used for a further six runs to a capacity crowd.