5 inch gauge "Britannia"

An older 5 inch gauge "Britannia", finely made and sold back in the 1980s through "Steam Age" of Cadogan Street, London, a legendary establishment in Knightsbridge selling high quality ship and steam models.

It came to us having been in a glass case, for what looked like a long time if the dust and cobwebs in the firebox were anything to go by.

After hydraulic testing the boiler at twice working pressure (which showed up a dozen weeping stays in the firebox although no structural defects), the engine was steamed for the first time in years one day last week - there's some video of it running on the rolling road here.

It runs very nicely, notches up nearly to mid-gear in both directions and makes steam whilst running. Firebox stays were dry under steam.