5 inch gauge M&SWJR 2-4-0 No.12

A 5 inch gauge Midland & South West Junction Railway 2-4-0, one of three locomotives built by Dubs & Company in 1894, the engines absorbed into the Great Western Railway's stock at amalgamation. Re-boilered in later years, remarkably all three passed into British Railways ownership in 1948. Withdrawn by 1954, none survived into preservation.

A finely made model, this one has come to us from a highly talented engineer, builder of one of the finest Great Western Manors we've seen, as well as the 3 1/2 inch gauge Penrhyn Hunslet "Linda" which we sold back in 2023 (he had a super full-size Dalek in the workshop too, although that's another story...)

The CE-marked boiler by Southern Boiler Works has had hydraulic and steam tests with new certification issued - we fitted a new pair of injectors, which work beautifully.

The engine steams freely and runs very well, notching up in either direction.

Paintwork was well done in the first place and remains in excellent, bright condition. The backhead is nicely detailed and well laid out - a well thought out compromise between scale looks and driveability.