Sold April 2010 Back to Archive

A four inch scale Fowler Showmans engine to Plastows well-known "Princess" design.

Steel boiler with expanded tubes, 110psi working pressure, feed by mechanical pump with bypass and injector. Twin Ramsbottom safety valves, water lifter mounted on offside belly tank.

Compound cylinders with slide valves actuated by Stephenson's gear, rod-operated draincocks for LP & HP cylinders, Pickering governor, mechanical lubricator.

The engine is fitted with a 12 volt dynamo, with meters and switchgear mounted on a control board under the canopy. The canopy itself has been built so that the rear third can be hinged forward for driving, allowing easy access to the regulator, reverser and steering wheel.

Three speed, four shaft with differerential, winch mounted behind nearside rear wheel with fairleads on tender and detachable crane with swingle tree.

The engine was retubed in 2002 and has been regularly rallied since. Given a sunny Sunday morning at the weekend, Sam and I pushed the engine out of the stables and fired it up - raised steam from cold before the Archers Omnibus finished, we then had a run off up the village to David's house (which caused much interest from the Sunday-paper buying folk of Metheringham) before turning round and heading home as the rain started. The engine is fitted with a pair of seats, mounted either side of the tender, which allows for both a driver and steersman on the road, making for a convivial arrangement when out driving with a friend.

Having run the lights to amuse the rest of the family when I got home, I spent the rest of the afternoon reminding myself what it's like living with a Showmans engine - two hours playing, six hours cleaning and polishing...

Length 84 inches
Weight approx 3/4 ton