Sold September 2010 Back to Archive

The work of an experienced engineer, this was the second of three locomotives built in his retirement, all in 7 1/4 inch gauge. The first, a GWR 14xx to Evans' "Dart" design took a VHC award at exhibition, the last - an LMS Black 5 to the same designer's "Highlander" design was built to a similar standard but never completed, there are some pictures in the archive of that one here.

None of the engines ever went out to the track - the man was interested in building rather than running them. Both the 14xx and this engine were test run on a rolling road in the back garden to check valve setting (and, I suspect, to amuse his grandchildren), the remainder of the time they simply decorated the workshop with the occasional outing to exhibitions.

Silver soldered copper boiler, working pressure 100psi, feed by axle pump and injector.Two spring-type safety valves with dummy Ramsbottom spring and lever fitted above. Cast iron cylinders with slide valves actuated by Stephenson's gear with pole reverser in cab. Screw-down brake to locomotive wheels, vacuum gauge, ejector and driver's brake valve for train.

The engine has been well-built and nicely-detailed with opening cab windows, a neatly-laid out backhead and dummy sanding boxes acting as oil reservoirs, piped down to the axle boxes and motionwork. Paintwork is reasonable looking from a distance, but has been done in a hurry - possibly in impatience to get on with the Black 5. The frames and wheels have a thin coat of black, the attractive brick red livery above is of variable quality, with a fair amount of overspray which could possibly be cut back to improve the gloss finish.

We've had this one running on the rolling road, it goes beautifully.
Complete with a set of drawings and the builder's construction photographs.

Here's a video of it running on air.

Length 60 inches
Driving wheels 7 3/4 inch diameter
Weight 392 pounds