Maxitrak Aveling steam tractor

I've had this engine in a couple of times now - this time it's come back in part exchange from a man responsible for the rather good 3 1/2 inch gauge Britannia I've got in at the moment. Something of an Inspector Meticulous, he done a variety of small jobs, including retouching the paintwork and adding a mechanical pump - the engine is in fine order cosmetically and mechanically, it would make an ideal beginner's engine for the coming season.

We don't get many of these Aveling tractors in - they go very well and their owners, obviously a satisfied group of individuals, rarely seem to sell them.

Built from a fully-machined kit supplied by Maxitrak in 2002, this engine is in fine fettle, pretty much the ideal beginner's rally outfit with a well thought out driving/passenger trolley containing a stainless steel water tank, coal box and set of batteries for powering the electric steam-raising blower.

Overall dimensions are similar to a 6nhp Burrell in the same scale. It has a copper silver-soldered boiler fed by mechanical pump and injector, working pressure 90psi. Single cylinder with slide valve actuated by Stephenson's valve gear with pole reverser on footplate. Mechanical lubricator and rod-operated drain cocks.

One of the freeest-steaming traction engines I've driven and without doubt the fastest - it has a very long high gear which, once under way, gives very leggy performance on the road. Combined with the rubber-tyred wheels it gives a quick, quiet ride - you can see Ashley terrorising the estate in the clip here.