Sold June 2005 Back to Archive

Built by a retired civil engineer, a talented and productive gentleman who had already built a 4 1/2 inch Burrell agricultural, a 4 inch Burrell SCC roller and a couple of large 7 1/4 inch gauge locomotives (which ran on his rather magnificent garden railway, featuring a superb stone viaduct which you may remember seeing on the "News" page last year).

The C-type was the final form of Foden's successful overtype double crank compound wagon, introduced in the 1920s in the face of growing competition from the diesel lorry. Many were built with examples working for a living right up to the 1960s, and several now surviving in preservation.

Steel boiler by Franklin & Bell working at 150psi, original 400 psi hydraulic test certificate dated 1999 - the engine was completed the following year. Feed by mechanical pump, 2:1 chain-driven from crank and injector. There is a large water tank behind the back axle with filler cap beneath a removeable panel in the bed - there is also a steam water lifter. Twin cylinder compound engine, roller bearing crank, Stephenson's valve gear actuated by pole reverser from cab. Mechanical lubricator. Three speed transmission by chain to back axle. Hydraulic drum brakes to front wheels, screw-down band-brake fitted to rear axle.

The bed has drop sides and tailgate which can be removed if required. There is a generous-sized footwell, giving a comfortable driving position sitting in the front of the bed with a good view of the road over the cab roof, still leaving plenty of room for assorted coal, kids and spouse behind (although for those with particularly large familes, there is also a tow hitch for a trailer behind...).

This is a large, powerful engine which runs very well both on the rally field or metalled surfaces. It's road registered with a V5 document and, with pneumatic tyres all round, decent brakes and a good turn of speed in top gear, would make an ideal engine for use on the local traction engine club road runs (where it will get you to the pub twice as fast as a full-size roller on a quarter the amount of coal and your hearing unimpaired). It has a new boiler certificate, expiring May 2006.

Length 108 inches
Weight 1/2 ton