Sold March 2024 Back to Archive

An interesting model, influenced by industrial Peckett design and built to 1 inch to the foot scale, but with outside frames and flycranks for running on 3 1/2 inch gauge track. It ends up a large engine for the gauge, weighing in at close to a hundredweight.

The work of a highly capable engineer with several good engines to his credit, known at his club for their sterling performance on the track. The whole collection bar two engines came to us earlier in the year, along with his workshop equipment (and a beautiful "Jenny Lind", which was spirited away up to the house the day it arrived!).

Unused in some years, it has been recently recommissioned, including hydraulic and steam tests with new certification issued.

A particularly well-built engine, we love the details on this one - working buckeye coupler at the front, vintage Bassett Lowke valve chest pressure gauge, the oil tank mounted on a running board disguised as a sandbox and twin whistles.

The engine steames freely and runs well in either direction, with some wear apparent in the motion consistent with its age (although the loudest thing noted on test was the clicking of the axle pump balls as they seated!).

There is a steam pump fitted which worked beautifully on air but sulks on steam - hot, we'd regard it as more ornamental than functional (and if only we had a pound for every time we've written that about a steam pump...)