5 inch gauge Stanier 2-6-4

Photographs and words below from 2021, it's in much the same condition now with a fresh steam certificate issued this week.

A particularly well built 5 inch gauge 2-6-4T, "inspired by" rather than a scale model of an LMS Stanier tank engine with robustly proportioned valve gear and generous bearing surfaces reminiscent of pre-war Greenly designs.

It's come to us as part of a larger collection of locomotives (which included the Royal Scot "Sherwood Forester") as its owner, now into his eighth decade, downsizes to more manageable sized models.

A large, powerful engine it runs very well, steaming freely and notching up in either direction - there's a clip of it on the rolling road outside the workshop here. Water feeds all work reliably, the water gauge is easy to read (although the shut off cocks are dummies).

Chassis is in excellent condition, with little discernible wear in the motion work and valve gear.

Paintwork is mainly good, although with some patches flaked off on the barrel and firebox, as shown in the pictures.

There are lots of nicely thought out details making maintenance easier, like remote axle box oilers mounted on the side tanks and a removeable panel giving access to lubricate the combination lever/radius rod/valve spindle joints - often inaccessible (and equally often worn) when hidden under fixed running boards.

Complete with club boiler test history.