{"product_id":"5-inch-gauge-american-4-6-0-2c-missing-tender-stock-code-2243","title":"5 inch gauge American 4-6-0, missing tender","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color:red\"\u003eI sold this one in 2012, since when it hasn't been  used. Before that, we last had it in 2005 - listing below is from then, the  engine remains in substantially the same condition.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e    \u003cp\u003eIt's a bit of a sad story this one.\u003c\/p\u003e    \u003cp\u003eLast year I bought a collection of engines from a gentleman who ran a large  private railway, with a comprehensive collection of rather nice engines. He had  decided, well into his retirement, to have a minor thinning out of the  collection, to which end I bought eight locomotives, which scarcely made a mark  in his engine shed. Everything he had bought over the years was bought either  for the quality of engineering or performance - often both.\u003c\/p\u003e    \u003cp\u003eThis large early \u003cspan class=\"SpellE\"\u003eAmercian\u003c\/span\u003e engine was added on  almost as an afterthought. It was an old engine when he bought it, with the  working pressure steadily being marked down each year in deference to the state  of the boiler - it finally ended up running \u003cspan class=\"GramE\"\u003eround\u003c\/span\u003e at 60  pounds, at which it was still a powerful hauler according to our man. Such was  his regard for the engine that, when the boiler finally gave up the ghost, he  had a new professional boiler built which put the WP back up to 90psi.\u003c\/p\u003e    \u003cp\u003eWhen it came home (this was last year, to our old house), after a boiler  test Ant and I pulled it out one afternoon and gave it a run on the track  there. It went exactly as advertised - loads of go and plenty of traction with  six relatively small coupled wheels on the track giving a surprising amount of  acceleration away from a stand. We chugged up and down on it until dusk - \u003cspan class=\"GramE\"\u003ereally just\u003c\/span\u003e so that we could use the headlight! I took some  pictures at the time, sadly they're fallen into a black hole on the PC  somewhere and I haven't been able to find them.\u003c\/p\u003e    \u003cp\u003eSo far, so good, until a week before the house move when, you may remember,  I was burgled one night. The only thing immediately visible in the workshop was  a \u003cspan class=\"GramE\"\u003etwo inch\u003c\/span\u003e scale traction engine due for collection  the following day - everything else was crated up ready to go in the removal  lorry. The traction engine disappeared in short order, the thieves then simply  took a first crate they could get hold of. Now, I really have lots of reasons  to be thankful - my Black 5 was in one of the crates, there was a rather fine  King in another. \u003cspan class=\"GramE\"\u003eSo\u003c\/span\u003e it could have been worse, in that  the box they picked contained one large, American bogie tender. I'm sure they  were disappointed when they opened it up, I'm just as sure it was dumped down  the local tip the same day.\u003c\/p\u003e    \u003cp\u003eSilver-soldered copper boiler, feed by axle pump, injector and steam pump on  nearside running board. Chassis is bar-frame construction, two cylinders,  cab-operated drain cocks, slide valves actuated by Stephenson's valve gear,  pole reverser in cab. It goes well and steams freely - if only it had a tender,  it would be great!\u003c\/p\u003e    \u003cp\u003eLength 38 inches\u003cbr\u003e  Driving wheels \u003cspan class=\"GramE\"\u003e5 inch\u003c\/span\u003e diameter\u003c\/p\u003e    \u003cp align=\"center\" style=\"text-align:center\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Station Road Steam","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54019898310997,"sku":"2243","price":2150.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1023\/0094\/2677\/files\/2243-01.webp?v=1779908172","url":"https:\/\/stationroadsteam.com\/products\/5-inch-gauge-american-4-6-0-2c-missing-tender-stock-code-2243","provider":"Station Road Steam","version":"1.0","type":"link"}