7 1/4 inch gauge Greenly Mogul "Iron Duke"

A 7 1/4 inch gauge Greenly Mogul "Iron Duke", a venerable old engine with extensive history.

Originally built by D.S.E.Gudgin FIMechE, works manager at Vulcan Foundry, Newton-le-Willows for his private miniature railway, it was bought in 1973 by Jack Lillington. Re-boilered around 1980 by John Short, it then ran at the Wellington Country Park Railway, operated by the Lillington family, until Ray Hammond took over in 1985.

Regular readers may remember we had the Royal Scot and Beeson's Great Central "Director" some years ago, both of which had remained on display at Wellington Country Park after the railway went over to diesel traction.

At around this time the Mogul moved to the Heatherdown Railway in the grounds of a private school near Ascot, being sold again in 1989 when the owner emigrated to South Africa. A major overhaul of the chassis was undertaken by Stuart Models, after which the engine was run until 2003.

Bought at that time in a rundown state by the last owner - a professional engineer - as a restoration project for his impending retirement. A highly experienced, award-winning model engineer in his own right, work started in 2004 with the addition of brake gear to the tender. Other projects intervened, with work re-commencing on the Mogul in 2015; it's first steamup following overhaul was at Coate Water Park, Swindon on the 21st July 2018.

Now in his ninth decade (and still going strong), the owner has decided to concentrate on smaller models, all four of his 7 1/4 inch gauge locomotives arriving with us last month - it was the first time I'd visited his workshop in nearly ten years, the last time to collect the magnificent Ron Martin 9F "Evening Star".

The engine is in running order, with club hydraulic certificate valid through until 2022, the steam certificate recently expired. On hydraulic test here we noted several minor leaks, all of which took up under steam - we suspect it has run like that for many years, however they will in due course require attention.

It steams freely and runs well, notching up in either direction with crisp, even beats off load but with some blow-by under load. - there's a clip of it running outside the workshop here.