Tom Varley

Tom Varley
Occupation	Caravan park operator
Known for	Preserving steam wagons
Home town	Gisburn
Spouse(s)	Susan
Children	David, Terence, Catherine

Tom Varley was a collector of steam-powered road vehicles, known for the Tom Varley Collection, a steam museum mostly of steam wagons, "a lasting legacy of which [British steam road enthusiasts] can be proud".

His business was in running Todber Caravan Park at Gisburn, in the high Pennines of Lancashire. The steam museum was housed in a barn alongside the caravans. The collection was best known from its frequent appearances at steam rallies through the 1970s and '80s. Varley's wagons were recognisable from their fine paintwork and signwriting, each named and prefixed Pendle ....

Six of his rarer, and often unique survivors, were re-imported from Australia before restoration.

Tom Varley died in the 1990s. His contribution to the preservation of steam vehicles in the UK has been widely recognised.

11 ton Sentinel DG6P.

Rebuilt in 1973 by Tom Varley. Restored from bare chassis recovered in Wales. Now owned by John Ward and renamed as Denby Maiden.

Later fitted with pneumatic front wheels. Now renamed as Kernow Knight.

Shaft-drive Yorkshire wagon. Originally a chain-drive WG model, this was restored by Walter Fearnley using the shaft-drive gearbox from a later WJ model before being purchased by Tom Varley. The original gearbox and drive was then used for WG 2118. Now owned by M.G. Wines of Somerset as 'Yorkshire Lad'

Sold in 1996 to J. G. Atkinson of the Scarborough Fair Collection.

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