Sold September 2012 Back to Archive

We bought this from the builder in 2012, sold it a week later. A particularly good engine, it's just come back again. Pictures and words below are from 2012, it's been steamed once since.

An excellent 3 inch scale Allchin, complete with driving/passenger truck and road trailer.

The work of an award-winning model engine - his 5 inch gauge Johnson "Spinner" took a Gold Medal at the Model Engineer Exhibition, the 7 1/4 inch gauge "Bridget" he followed up with is the best example we've had - this engine is three years old. It is exceptionally well made, painting and lining are to a high standard. The complete outfit is characterised by thoughtful, well-executed details - footplate is in stainless steel with large filling hole for the tender, there is a plastic bunker liner to stop damp coal dust attacking the tender sides, lamps are made to the builder's own drawings (the press tool that made the lids is a work of art in its own right).

Grate and ashpan are in stainless steel, retaining the peerless design which Bill Hughes schemed out for the original 1 1/2 inch scale version; a hatch in the ashpan hinges down with the grate attached - once the fire has been dropped, the whole lot simply folds back up inside and is retained by a latch, no fiddling about holding up the ashpan with one hand whilst trying to fit retaining pins with the other.

The road trailer is equipped with an electric winch with a battery stowed at the front, a remote control allows easy single-handed loading - once in, there is a wooden retaining bar which bolts down behind the back wheels to secure the engine, with ratchet wrench installed adjacent for removing the bolts.

Steel boiler by John Rex with expanded tubes, 100psi working pressure. Feed by mechanical pump and injector. Cast iron cylinder with slide valve actuated by Stephenson's gear with pole reverser. Mechanical lubricator. Two speed transmission, winch behind nearside rear wheel with fairleads on tender. Vulcanised rubber tyres.

The driving trailer and footrests which attach to the engine drawbar make for a comfortable driving position - there is a small extension "dicky seat" arrangement for the smaller driver, should you have interested grandchildren. There is an electric pump and water tank in the truck, allowing the engine tender to be filled using the attached hose. The truck has an ingenious quick detach ball-joint coupling, which makes for easy steering, whilst at the same time allowing engine and truck to ride the "humps and hollows" found on a typical rally field. There are spare wheels for both driving truck and road trailer.

The engine comes complete with fittings for hydraulic test, tools, firing irons, steam oil and a quantity of coal in the driving truck. There is a DVD made by the builder of the engine running at the Sacrewell Farm rally last year (where it took the "Best engine in steam" award), it took "Best in Show" at Whissendine 2011.

First steam test after completion was in March 2009, the engine is road-registered with a V5. We've had it in steam much of this afternoon (daren't steam it in the morning, otherwise we'd have wasted the whole day playing with it). Goes just as well as it looks - makes steam like it's going out of fashion, will pull off with 40 pounds on the clock and be blowing off by the time you get to the end of our estate, notches up forwards and backwards, injector is bulletproof. A really nice, thoroughly sorted engine - there's a clip of Ashley running around the yard with it here.

Hydraulic test 7/3/12 @150psi for 100psi working pressure - valid to 6/3/14
Steam test 20/3/12 - valid to 19/3/13

Length 52
Width 24 inches
Height 34 inches
Flywheel diameter 14 inches