5 inch gauge GWR 47XX 2-8-0

A finely made 5 inch gauge Great Western 47XX 2-8-0. It's come to us direct from the builder, a gifted engineer who started his working life in the aircraft industry, working both as machinist and draughtsman with a variety of companies over the years.

Over the last fifty years he has produced five locomotives - the 47XX, two Castles (one taking a Gold Medal at the Model Engineer Exhibition), a King (which featured on the front cover of "Engineering in Miniature") and a Star - taking a host of awards and trophies over the years.

Completed in 2013 and steamed for the first time on Monday, May 27th of that year. The engine has run for a total of 72 hours, the details of every outing meticulously recorded in a running diary.

Work is to an excellent standard throughout. Axles run on needle roller bearings, the CE-marked silver soldered copper boiler is by Kingswood. The tender is in literally ex-works condition - the engine has only ever run with a tender from the builder's King, he didn't see any point in getting two dirty!

Paintwork is in good condition, the platework well formed and fitted - there is one minor dent in the boiler cladding, low down behind the smokebox, otherwise it is in excellent condition.

An exceptionally well-built example of a rarely modelled prototype - we've only ever had one other of these through our doors in the last twenty years (and John and I had to drive all the way to France for that one)