3 1/2 inch gauge "Rob Roy" 0-6-0T

Work to date comprises a rolling chassis with much of the valve gear erected, a pair of machined cylinder assemblies and a variety of loose parts including smokebox assembly with saddle, dome, motion brackets, buffers, lubricator, hand pump and boiler fittings.

There is a copper boiler, silver soldered and plumbed up for hydraulic test - when connected to the mains water pressure it looks like something out of "Singin' in the Rain", we've never seen so many leaks!

Despite the requirement for wellingtons and a stout macinstosh when testing it, our feeling is that it was essentially quite well made - the plates are neatly flanged and fitted together - but the builder ran out of therms at the soldering stage, much of the solder having failed to flow.

We suspect careful attention with a more suitable heat source would rectify many of the leaks, particularly where the foundation ring is fitted to the outer wrapper.

Complete with copies of the original construction articles published in "Model Engineer" magazine.