6 inch scale traction engine

A 6 inch inch traction engine of freelance design, eight feet long and weighing in at around a ton. I first bought this engine twenty five years ago, impressed at the time by how well it steamed and ran.

I kept it while working on the the restoration of my 8 ton Aveling steam roller, using it for everything from rallies to sawing wood for the house (when eldest son proved, in the absence of a governor, to be a dab hand at judging the amount of regulator required).

My friend Bob used to work part time for SRS in the early days. I met him one Sunday morning thirty years ago when he'd stopped in our village to take on water with his 1913 Aveling steam roller. We chatted, one thing led to another, then I got on board and helped him take it to his next stop - and so a lifelong friendship was forged. He taught me to drive a steam roller, then helped me get my own Aveling which we recovered from a park in South Wales. Back in the day we rallied all summer, then over winter worked on our engines every Sunday down at a yard in Andover.

Bob eventually bought the half size engine from me, selling his Aveling shortly afterwards. "90% of the fun of a full size engine with 10% of the trouble" was his take on it - an engine you could steam up early in the morning, drive it onto a trailer, take it to a local rally twenty miles distant, and still be back home by nightfall. It was very different to when he and I used to road his Aveling everywhere, often taking a day to get to a rally, and another day to get home.

Now 94, time came earlier in the year for my friend to downsize his engine collection, comprising model and full-size boilers, stationary engines - and the half-size traction engine. We're none of us too sure when last it was used, although the last boiler test was back in 2015. It's fair to say that Bob's engines always went well, if not kept polished to the highest degree - ten years under a sheet in a garage has not done the the brightwork any favours.

Having got it back to the workshop and given the boiler an internal inspection and preliminary hydraulic test, we couldn't wait to put a fire in it, stopping only to replace a missing pressure gauge (we'd managed to leave the original behind - the one shown is a vintage instrument of the correct range, although the red line will need to be re-positioned).

"Did it always used to run this well?" were Ashley's first words to me, having driven it around the yard. Well, yes was the answer - it really did! It will run down to a slow tickover, sounding much like a full-size engine, and goes very well, with the lightest steering we've ever come across on an engine of this size and weight; it's a delight to drive.

Cosmetically, it's shabby - the paintwork comes up reasonably well with an oily rag, the brightwork will need some serious elbow grease to get back into nice condition.

The boiler will need a full ten year inspection, with cladding off. It's made like a full-size boiler, with integral hornplates - thicknesses mainly look pretty good, the tubes are starting to look a bit motheaten although were dry on test. Unusually there are only seven, of large diameter, which may contribute to its free steaming (and will certainly make retubing a quicker job when time comes).

Mechanically, the engine runs well, with age-related wear apparent, mainly in the big end.

Road registered, with V5 document; it was originally a single speed engine, it's been fitted with an extra pair of gears to give a higher ratio for the road, along with rubber tyres.

Obviously the work of somebody who knew what they were doing, we're still no nearer to knowing who designed and built the engine - or when - than we were twenty five years ago. If anybody has more information about its history or builder, we'd be pleased to hear from you.

Perhaps the best testament to this one came from Ashley as we were leaving the works last night - "If I had the spare cash, I'd buy it to put in the engine shed next to my Fowler...".

Now that's praise for you.