{"product_id":"2-inch-scale-shand-mason-fire-engine-stock-code-2892","title":"2 inch scale Shand Mason fire engine","description":"\u003cp align=\"left\"\u003eIn 1966 Edgar Westbury wrote an article about steam fire engines  for the \"Model Engineer\", covering many of the early types and  including both the Merryweather and Shand Mason which came to pre-eminence in  the field. By summer of the following year, there had been enough interest shown  by readers for him to start serialisation of a design for the Shand Mason in 2  inch scale.\u003c\/p\u003e    \u003cp align=\"left\"\u003eThe series was written up through 1967 and covered the complete  construction. Westbury was obviously being driven by some fairly dedicated  builders who didn't permit him to cut many corners. Early on in the series, he  wrote:\u003c\/p\u003e    \u003cp align=\"left\"\u003e\"My suggestion that it may be permissible to simplify the  construction of the wheels of the engine by using castings in light alloy has  not been well received by some readers... Wooden wheels, built up by traditional  wheelwrights' methods, should properly be used, but they call for a high degree  of specialised skill in shaping the multiplicity of parts...\"\u003c\/p\u003e    \u003cp align=\"left\"\u003eHe acknowledged the co-operation of the South Kensington Science  Museum in preparing his design and, with its authentic rendition of the  fast-steaming water tube boiler, twin cylinder direct-coupled pumping engine and  even indeed an option to build authentic wooden wheels, it has been acknowledged  since as an authentic rendition of the prototype. That said, the fine work  required of this scale, combined with the variety of skills needs working both  metal and wood means that very few of them were ever built.\u003c\/p\u003e    \u003cp align=\"left\"\u003eThis model has been built to a high standard (including beautifully shaped and  fitted wooden wheels!) and is unsteamed from new. The  silver soldered copper water tube boiler is fed from an auxiliary cylinder on  the main pump (very similar to the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/archive\/1906.htm\" target=\"_blank\"\u003efull  size Merryweather fire pump\u003c\/a\u003e I had a couple of years ago). The twin cylinder  engine is directly coupled to a twin cylinder pump via Scotch cranks, the slide  valves are actuated by eccentrics inboard of the flywheels. The crankshaft is of  built-up construction - neither crankpin is a tight fit, which for display is of  no consequence but would require a new dose of Loctite before setting out to  extinguish many fires.\u003c\/p\u003e    \u003cp align=\"left\"\u003eThere is much nice detailing, the paint finish is well done and  in as-new condition.\u003c\/p\u003e    \u003cp align=\"left\"\u003eLength 22 inches\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp align=\"center\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Station Road Steam","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54019637969237,"sku":"2892","price":2950.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"url":"https:\/\/stationroadsteam.com\/products\/2-inch-scale-shand-mason-fire-engine-stock-code-2892","provider":"Station Road Steam","version":"1.0","type":"link"}