1 1/2 inch scale Allchin agricultural engine

An exceptionally well-built 1 1/2 inch scale Allchin agricultural engine to Bill Hughes' detailed "Royal Chester" design, first published in "Model Engineer" magazine.

This is an engine we've know for a long time, latterly in the collection of a talented and highly prolific locomotive builder whose engines have featured on these pages in the past. Whenever we went to collect a locomotive from him we'd admire the Allchin sitting in its glass case in the house until, as part of a downsizing exercise prior to an impending house-move, it arrived with us last week.

Built pretty much exactly to Hughes' drawings, with the addition of a very neatly installed hand pump in the tender. The engine is painted and lined to a high standard and is complete with display case, set of scale tools including jack, adjustable spanner, coal hammer and shovel, lamps, spuds and various accessories for boiler testing and maintenance of the engine.

The engine shows signs of having been test-steamed on perhaps a couple of occasions, but both mechanically and cosmetically shows very little sign of use - we're sure that, once initially tested, it's spent the rest of its life on display.

The boiler has had a hydraulic test with new certification issued, the engine runs nicely on air - there's some video on our YouTube channel here.