5 inch Great Western broad gauge 4-2-2 "Bulkeley"

A 5 inch GWR broad gauge 4-2-2, one of the "Rover" class of locomotives designed by Armstrong and introduced from 1870.

"Bulkeley", built in 1880, worked the last broad gauge passenger train from Paddington station in 1892. After the Great Western Railway's conversion to standard gauge later that year it was scrapped, along with every other broad gauge locomotive except "North Star", which survived until 1906 when, remarkably, it too was broken up.

Broad gauge locomotives in any gauge are very rarely modelled - "Bulkeley" is one of only two we've had in the last 25 years (the other, "Iron Duke", sold in 2024).

With eight foot diameter driving wheels, the "Rover" class were massive, handsomely proportioned machines with direct lineage back to Gooch's highly successful "Iron Duke".

A finely made model, the boiler has had a hydraulic test with new certification issued - we've made no attempt to steam the engine, given its condition, but on air the chassis runs beautifully as might be expected.