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In 1935, LBSC was commissioned to built a 3 1/2 inch gauge Great Northern Atlantic by a Mr F.E.Williams, at that time an official of the LNER. Williams' robust specification for the engine led to LBSC's nickname for him of "Bill Massive"; the design was subsequently published in "Model Engineer" magazine in a series running from 1935 to 1937, named after Williams' daughter - "Maisie".

Pleased with the engine, Williams came back a couple of years later, asking LBSC to build him an inside cylinder locomotive in the same gauge.

By this time Lawrence was writing virtually full time for "Model Engineer" and "Mechanics" magazines; conducting correspondence with builders worldwide who read his articles and - in those hours he got in his workshop - overhauling customers' engines.

Unable to commit to building an engine from scratch, an agreement was made that he would overhaul an existing engine - and so the Dunalastair, purchased second hand, turned up at Grange Road sometime around 1937.

Believed to have been built before the Great War to a design by E.L.Pearce published in 1901, the engine was, by this time over twenty years old. After an intial assesment, LBSC concluded that, provided something slightly less powerful than the Atlantic was acceptable (the Dunalastair having small cylinders) then, with some "drastic reworking", he could deliver a good locomotive. The work was agreed, resulting in the chassis being overhauled, brake gear redesigned and the paraffin-fired water tube boiler replaced with a coal-fired locomotive type.

The work was written up comprehensively in two articles in "Model Engineer" magazine in 1940, detailing the work done and testing the finished locomotive on the "Polar Route" test track behind his house.

Professionally repainted in recent times, the engine has otherwise changed remarkably little in the last eighty years. Comparing it to the detailed photographs in LBSC's articles, there appears to have been little change to the chassis, arrangement of the backhead or tender since before the war.

A special model - it's rare to come across an old engine so well documented and remaining unchanged over many years, the only other one that comes to mind is George Woodcock's 6 inch gauge Great Eastern 2-4-0 which we sold back in 2017 - another engine unchanged since it left his workshop and written up by the builder in "Model Engineer".

The engine rolls freely, however given its age and history we've made no attempt to test or steam it (and wouldn't consider selling it to anybody who would - shame on you for even thinking about it!).

Not quite a holy relic, but probably as near as we've got in the last twenty years.

Further history:

The engine passed from its original owner, F.Williams to H.A.Stevens of the North London Society of Model Engineers; by 1982 it had changed hands again, this time to Geoffrey Cashmore, a close friend of LBSC's. Cashmore made some small repairs to the engine and built a new boiler before, on reflection, deciding to leave the engine in the condition it left LBSC's workshop - the boiler remained unfitted.

In March 1988 the engine was acquired by R.Down who carried out a full restoration - including the excellent paint job it carries to this day - conserving as much as possible its "ex-Purley Oaks" condition. He reported that the engine was free-steaming and ran very well, the LBSC-made injector coming in for particular praise. His article in "Model Engineer" at the time detailed work carried out, concluding with "Restoring the engine was a fascinating job and I have had a good deal of pleasure in running it. The engine is now one of my most treasured possesions.

A handful of other engines to the Pearce design are known to have been built, including one preserved in the National Railway Museum which retains its original paraffin-fired boiler; another, with coal-fired boiler, was owned by Bill Finch of Solihull, author and model engineer, best known for his award-winning LNWR locomotives.

References:

"Model Engineer" magazine, 1901, volume 4, page 57: "How to Build a Model Caledonian Railway Express Locomotive 'Dunalastair No. 3.'", E.L.Pearce

"Model Engineer" magazine, 1940, volume 83, page 150: "A New Lease of Life", LBSC

"Model Engineer" magazine, 1940, volume 83, page 185: "The old 'Caley' Goes Home", LBSC

"Model Engineer" magazine, 1990, page 486: "A Restoration Job", R.Down

"LBSC - His Life and Locomotives", page 62, Brian Hollingsworth.