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The first time I saw this engine was on a visit to the owner back in 2010. The man is a prolific builder, we've had many engines from him over the years including a super 5 inch gauge rebuilt Scot, 5 inch gauge Britannia and 7 1/4 inch gauge Black 5 which we took part-built when his health precluded work on large engines (he's subsequently amassed the biggest collection of gauge 1 engines I've seen outside an exhibition). Other engines we had from his collection included a super 4 inch Burrell DCC Showmans engine, 4 inch Clayton wagon, 5 inch gauge Brighton tank, 5 inch gauge Torquay Manor... As I remember, back in 2003 when we first met, it was the first time I'd needed to hire a 7.5 ton lorry to move a collection of engines.

This engine was built after a visit to New South Wales where he saw a preserved example - most of the drawings were done while he was out there. The result in 5 inch gauge runs out at over twelve feet long, scaling around a quarter ton.

Superheated steel boiler with expanded tubes, 90psi working pressure. Feed by three injectors, twin double-ram axle pumps and steam pump with auxiliary hand pump in the rear tank. Four cast iron cylinders, simple expansion with piston valves actuated by Walschaert's gear, screw reverser in the cab, four mechanical lubricators. The engine is fitted with a pair of large chime whistles outside the frames and one huge one inside.

Fit and finish of the motion and valve gear is good, the engine runs very freely and - as expected - shows little sign of wear (I suspect you couldn't muster enough coaches at the club to give it a load that it would notice). It runs well and steams freely - we had it running outside the workshop most of this afternoon, there's some video of it here. Injectors work ok, mechanical and hand pumps are good, steam pump is more decorative than functional.

Length 148 inches