5 inch gauge London, Chatham & Dover "Persia" 2-4-0

Sold this one last year, it's recently come back in as part-exchange against a "Britannia". Pictures and words are from October, it's in much the same (handsome) condition now with new hydraulic and steam certificates.

A finely made London, Dover & Chatham Railway 2-4-0, based on their Europa class engine although with detailed changes to suit the builder, a retired professional engineer with several locomotives to his credit.

Built very much for "go" as well as looking handsome in the workshop, the engine has nice detailing and some practical touches - we particularly liked the security chains between locomotive and tender, well thought-out lifting handle which attaches to the locomotive drag beam and insulated drain tube/blowdown spanner which allows the boiler to be blown down at the end of the day's running without either fiddling about with small spanners underneath or getting scalded once you've undone the valve.

Silver soldered superheated copper boiler, 80psi working pressure, feed by twin injectors with auxiliary hand pump in the tender - there are quick release fittings on the tender water connections. Inside cylinders with slide valves actuated by Stephenson's gear, vertical screw reverser. Mechanical lubricator.

There's a short video of the engine running in the workshop here.