{"product_id":"7-14-inch-gauge-2-6-0-david-curwen-stock-code-2981","title":"7 1\/4 inch gauge 2-6-0 \"David Curwen\"","description":"\u003cp\u003eFreelance American engine, originally built by David Curwen for Dobwalls  \"Rio Grande\" railway in Cornwall. It ran for some years there  although, with increasing traffic numbers (and they've now carried more than six  million passengers) and the purchase of larger locomotives - culminating in the  Union Pacific Big Boy \"William Jeffers\" built by Severn-Lamb - in  latter years it has seen little use.    \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe engine is engineered throughout to a heavy duty, commercial railway  standard. It has half inch plate frames with roller bearing axle boxes. The  steel boiler has expanded tubes, working pressure is 125psi with feed by a pair  of Buffalo injectors. Twin safety valves, American pattern reflex water gauge  which is a joy to use - it appear immune from bubbles and shows a clear black  column for water level. Slide valve cylinders, Walschaert's valve gear with pole  reverser in cab. Steam operated drain cocks (if you watch the video carefully,  you'll see Casey Jones close them just after leaving the station, they're  operated by a wheel valve on the left hand side of the cab). There is a  full-size mechanical twin ram lubricator on the running board, looks to hold  about half a gallon of oil at a filling.    \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe tender runs on a pair of roller bearing bogies, there is an air pump  driven from the leading bogie with brake reservoir cylinder mounted on top of  the tender - the rear buffer beam has an air fitting for train brakes.    \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt goes very well - we ran it all morning yesterday, with a variety of  drivers queueing up for a go. Sam drove it and found it most comfortable, rather  remarkably his 6' 5\" father didn't have any trouble getting his knees  behind the backhead either. Nobody resisted playing with the rather fine chime  whistle at least half a dozen times per lap, by lunchtime we were all happily  talking about Johnson bars and side rods as if to the Wild West born...    \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDavid Curwen has been one of the huge names in miniature railways for the  last half century - at 93 he is still, happily, busy in the workshop. If you  visited any commercial miniature railway since your childhood, almost certainly  you've been behind one of his creations. I grew up in Stamford and was taken  regularly to Stapleford Park where he provided not only steam and diesel  locomotives but a pair of scale ocean liners as well which carried visitors  around the lake. He has just published an autobiography, \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.davidcurwen.co.uk\/\"\u003eavailable  from his website\u003c\/a\u003e (I think Santa's bringing me a copy).    \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ccenter\u003e\u003c\/center\u003e","brand":"Station Road Steam","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54010092061013,"sku":"2981","price":13500.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1023\/0094\/2677\/files\/2981-1.webp?v=1779900391","url":"https:\/\/stationroadsteam.com\/products\/7-14-inch-gauge-2-6-0-david-curwen-stock-code-2981","provider":"Station Road Steam","version":"1.0","type":"link"}