5 inch gauge LNER O1 2-8-0

One of Gresley's first designs having suceeded Ivatt, the O1 2-8-0 first appeared in 1914, built to haul heavy mineral trains. A total of 58 were built, none surviving into preservation. Martin Evans produced a design for the engine in 5 inch gauge as "Nigel Gresley" - it's proved a powerful design for club hauling.

Completed in 2012, this engine was entered in IMLEC of that year, coming third. It's had regular use in the intervening years, still runs well. We had it on the rolling road for steam test recently, there's some video of it here.

I've said it before in this pages, freight engines are sadly under-represented in the model world - for every ten Britannias, Kings and A3s we see, there's hardly one J39, O1 or 47XX. LBSC's "Maid of Kent" design is rightly very popular, but we rarely see her 0-6-0 freight sibling "Minx". Shame really, there are many good looking, technically interesting designs just waiting to be built.