4 1/2 inch scale Burrell 6nhp agricultural engine

A 4 1/2 inch scale Burrell agricultural engine, built in the 1970s to the Plastow design.

It's a finely made engine - fit and finish are very good throughout, it runs quietly with square, well cut off exhausts on the move. The builder had spent several years in the 1960s working on his friend's Fowler road locomotive "Empire Pride" during its conversion to "The Iron Duke" in showman's specification.

His knowledge not just of the engineering but also of the look and feel of a full-sized engine is evident throughout this miniature. It shows both in the understated finish - the workshop have been under strict instructions not to clean and polish the engine, I think it looks superb as it is - and traditional approach to construction.

Wheels have been fitted with tyres at the front and faux rubber "strakes" fitted between the steel strakes at the rear, making for quieter passage on the road, whilst still giving a decent amount of grip on the grass.

The well made Burrell-pattern belly tanks, not usually seen on agricultural engines, were fitted by the builder to increase weight at the front end.

We've retubed the boiler in recent weeks, with cladding off ultrasonic survey and twice working pressure hydraulic test once complete. The engine runs particularly well, ticking over at low speed with next to no pressure in the boiler at the end of the day's run. There's some video of it running in the yard earlier today here.

Complete with drawings and a copy of the "Model Engineer" article from 1976 where the engine is written up at length, along with pictures of its construction.