Sold November 2024 Back to Archive

A venerable example of a 3 1/2 inch gauge LMS "Princess Royal" Pacific, built as a two cylinder engine and apparently - given the layers of dust and dried oil covering it from front to back when it first arrived - not run in years .

The combustion chamber boiler has had hydraulic and steam tests with new certification issued, advisories were minor beads of water showing on stays which took up under steam. Safety valves work reliably and don't accumulate, although sometimes need a gentle reminder from the shovel to shut.

The engine runs in forwards gear, attempts to run in reverse although it appears the reverser doesn't allow for full gear which needs investigating. Other jobs:

• replacement of injector - this will require new pipe unions, the current ones 40tpi.
• steam brakes require either servicing to eliminate leaks or blanking off if not required (we'd probably go for the latter, for the use that locomotives brakes are on an engine of this size!)
• some rebushing of the valve gear and motionwork will be required

A large, handsome engine - one of the rarer models we see in this gauge - it would be a worthwhile project, the workshop notes recording "The basis of a very good engine that wants some TLC to really bring it back up to scratch".