O-gauge "Bat" 4-4-0

A war-time design by LBSC, the O-gauge "Bat" is something of a rarity to see these days. Based loosely on the Southern Schools, it was his first design published during the war in "Model Engineer" magazine, along with an 0-6-0 goods version "Owl" based on the LMS 4F.

In typical whimsical LBSC style, the engines were named after nocturnal animals, the ide being that the finished locomotives could be run in the dark, under wartime blackout restrictions.

The original design gave instructions for both coal and spirit-fired boilers. Coal-firing must have been pretty challenging in O-gauge - this one has a water tube boiler, for spirit-firing.

Work to date is to a good standard and includes a free-rolling slip eccentric chassis that runs well on air, a neatly made tender, platework and a quantity of parts (including, we suspect, a few "foreigners").

To our amazement, on checking with our friends at Kennions, they still list drawings and castings for the design, 85 years after it was first published!

Includes free UK shipping.