3 1/2 inch gauge Jones Goods

A 3 1/2 inch gauge Jones Goods to the Clarkson design - rather a rare model, it's the first time we've had a complete, running example.

This one has come to us from a gentleman specialising in pre-grouping locomotives - with an ever-expanding collection and limited space, the decision has been made to limit himself to English prototypes, the Jones becoming surplus to requirements.

The engine came to us with boiler certification of questionable provenance - it records the working pressure as 90psi (when 80psi is clearly stamped on the backhead), date of manufacture "unknown" (it's stamped on the backhead just above the foundation ring) and a serial number seemingly unrelated to anything stamped on the boiler itself.

More problematic was the hydraulic test, done at twice the (incorrect) working pressure, presumably as a "shell test" in the absence of previous paperwork. Whilst a shell test certainly does need to be done at twice working pressure, it also requires at least removal of the cladding and usually dismounting the boiler from the frames to enable a thorough examination to be carried out - particularly so in a case like this where the boiler has a seamed barrel.

We have given the the boiler a preliminary twice working pressure hydraulic test and it appears sound - we would warranty it as such, however it will require stripping and re-testing as detailed above before certification could be issued.

Other than that, the engine runs well on air and, despite the ghastly paintwork, has the potential to make rather a nice example of this attractive, rarely modelled prototype.