5 inch gauge LMS 8F 2-8-0

In a 5 inch gauge world full of Kings, Britannias and Duchesses, it comes as a breath of fresh air when we get a big goods engine in - and few come better looking than Stanier's 8F, introduced in 1935 as a heavy freight version of his highly successful (and equally handsome) Black 5.

Building continued until 1946, the class eventually numbering 852 locomotives in total with many seeing service overseas during the war. At nationalisation over 600 engines had survived, passing to British Railways where they ran until withdrawal started in 1960, the last scrapped in 1968. Fourteen survived into preservation, with several running in the UK.

8273 was built in 1942 by the North British Locomotive Company. Renumbered 48273 at nationalisation, it ran until 1965 when it was withdrawn and scrapped.

A finely built model, this one has come to us from a long time customer and experienced model engineer. Since arriving with us it has been through the workshop with motionwork rebushed; new, more prototypical safety valves fitted to replace the rather plain ones fitted originally, and a new offside injector fitted, replacing a truculent specimen which refused to pick up reliably.

The engine has had hydraulic and steam tests with new certification issued - the boiler is in good condition, with no signs of deflection or leaks from fittings.

On test it proved free-steaming, running with crisp, square exhaust beats and maintaining water and pressure with no need of the blower on the rolling road. Whilst fitted with steam brakes, as on many of the engines in this gauge thus fitted we found them to be more for "show" than "go" (or "stop" as we should say). A decent braked driver's truck offers a far more effective way of stopping!

The locomotive is in good condition, with paintwork in keeping with its freight engine pedigree. It presents very well, we've purposely left the motionwork and valve gears with their light patina of oil - it could be removed with Scotchbrite and thinners, but to our eyes looks very much more authentic left as-is.

We like this one - a really nicely built example of a most attractive, rarely-modelled, prototype which runs as well as it looks.