{"product_id":"7-14-inch-gauge-hercules-chassis-stock-code-2511","title":"7 1\/4 inch gauge Hercules chassis","description":"\u003cp\u003eI'm a firm believer in part-built engines as giving the potential for a good  head start on a new project. There are, as always, certain provisos, the first  of which is to pick something that has been well-made to start with - I know  from bitter experience working on a B1 some years ago that it's easy to end up  with most of the previous owner's bits in the bin and wondering if it wouldn't  have been easier to start from scratch. Having said that, there are masses of  part-built engines out there (giving some credibility to the oft-quoted  statistic that only one in one hundred engines is ever completed), many of which  have stalled due to a pathological accumulation of errors. For some reason every  part-built ever offered for sale is in \"superb condition, built by a  toolmaker\/professional machinist\/father\" (delete as appropriate).    \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e The original design was by Dick  Simmonds, it was intended as a powerful, robust engine with decent-sized  cylinders, generous bearing surfaces and sensible provision for lubrication. It  has become a popular design, which does exactly as the man intended producing a  compact-sized, powerful engine equally at home running up and down a portable  track at the local fete as running round the club track for hours on end.    \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhich brings us on to this particular Hercules. The builder was a toolmaker. A real one, who spent his days producing tooling  for Hornby as a living, whilst building steam locomotives to amuse himself of an  evening. The standard of work is exactly as you'd expect - no point me prattling  on really, the pictures tell the story. Fit and finish is excellent, motionwork  is beautiful, it runs along as smooth as silk. Whilst not a weekend job to  finish, the addition of a commercial copper boiler would only leave  platework and plumbing to produce a really super engine.    \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt currently weighs about a hundredweight and a bit, finished it will be  closer to three. In addition to the chassis, there is a large tin full of parts,  material and finished bits including the brake gear and a set of running board  blanks clipped out in steel sheet. Parts and castings to get  to this stage account for a little over £1300, along with several hundred hours  of a talented man's work. There is a complete set of drawings, Reeves still  stock the castings (although other than a dome, there are precious few to buy).    \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLength 41 inches\u003cbr\u003e  Driving wheels 6 3\/4 inch diameter\u003cbr\u003e  Cylinders 2 1\/8 inch bore\u003cbr\u003e    \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ccenter\u003e\u003c\/center\u003e","brand":"Station Road Steam","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54020063854933,"sku":"2511","price":2450.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1023\/0094\/2677\/files\/2511-1.webp?v=1779910330","url":"https:\/\/stationroadsteam.com\/products\/7-14-inch-gauge-hercules-chassis-stock-code-2511","provider":"Station Road Steam","version":"1.0","type":"link"}