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1 1/2 inch scale Allchin traction engine - stock code 7180

An exhibition quality 1 1/2 inch scale Allchin agricultural engine to W.J.Hughes highly detailed design published in “Model Engineer” magazine. The work of an experienced engineer, the engine was built for his son, winning a Very Highly Commended award at the Model Engineer Exhibition in 1997. He followed it up with a 2 inch scale Clayton steam wagon which won a Silver Medal, then the magnificent 3 inch scale Atkinson steam wagon which took a Gold Medal and the Hughes Trophy for best road vehicle at the Model Engineer exhibition in 2000 - I was lucky enough to buy this engine from the builder back in 2002, there are pictures and a write up of it in the archive here.

Copper silver-soldered boiler with injector and mechanical feed pump with bypass. Twin safety valves. Water gauge with blowdown and shut-off cocks, blowdown valve mounted above the foundation ring on the right hand side. Cylinder drain cocks operated from footplate, mechanical cylinder lubricator.

Single cylinder engine with Stephenson's reversing gear, four shaft transmission with two road speeds, brake and winch behind left hand rear wheel with tender-mounted fairleads for winch cable.

As with all his engines, the Allchin was built, test steamed to check everything worked, then stripped and painted. Housed in a finely proportioned glass case, the Allchin has never been steamed since. The engine abounds in nice details, from the beautifully planked and rivetted footboard on the manstand to the intricately assembled toolbox padlock in polished brass.

Complete with the set of drawings it was built from and the VHC certificate awarded at the Model Engineer Exhibition in 1997.

There's some video of it running on air in the workshop here.

Length 26 inches
Height 17 inches
Weight approx 80 pounds

Case
31 x 15 x 21 inches L x W x H

scale 1 1/2 inch & smaller