Sold March 2006 Back to Archive

3 inch scale Burrell traction engine

A part-built 3 inch scale traction engine, based on the Plastows 6nhp castings and drawings. Work to date comprises:

Steel boiler with brazed in steel tubes
Hornplates machined and fitted, complete with crank boxes
Cylinder and valve chest assembly machined, complete with guide bars, loosely assembled to boiler
Crankshaft machined and fitted
Eccentric sheaves, straps, rods, expansion link and die block, valve rod all fitted
Reversing lever and quadrant
Weighshaft bracket machined
Front wheels, axle and perch bracket
Steering gear, worm and wheel, chains fitted and working
Chimney
Tender
Rear wheels and axle, complete with winch drum
Final drive gear cover

There are some gears fitted, which have obviously been salvaged from another machine. The flywheel has similarly come from another machine and could, with advantage, be reprofiled to a more authentic shape.

In addition there are parts and castings:

Pressure gauge
Water pump
Brake handwheel
Smokebox door with Burrell plate
Cast iron grate with ashpan
Brake drum casting
Safety valve spring
Governor casting with set professionally cut gears

The boiler has apparently been built by a chap who learned welding by correspondence course. In braille. There is a complete set of Plastow drawings and a copy of the Plastow Burrell Builders Picture Book, giving closeup pictures of just about every part of a finished engine.

Length 47 inches
Front wheels 12 inch diameter
Rear wheels 17 inch diameter
Flywheel 9 1/2 inch diameter
Weight approx 200 pounds