Sold February 2011 Back to Archive

A 2 ½ inch gauge Great Western 4-6-0 to LBSC’s “Purley Grange” design, first published in 1937 and serialised in the “Model Engineer”.

This is an old engine which appears to be in the throes of a “strip and repaint” job which has stalled (a not uncommon occurrence, as regular readers here will know – I think more engines end their lives during a well-intentioned overhaul than ever they wear out on the track). The tender has been stripped and repainted into what I imagine is an undercoat for Brunswick Green, the locomotive has been stripped but only the cab repainted.

It pushes along freely, main steam feed from boiler to cylinders needs reconnecting in the smokebox. Motionwork is well worn and could use at least some serious cleaning up. Boiler is silver-soldered copper with soft solder calking to stays, standard construction when the design came out – feed is by an axle pump, with a hand pump in the tender. Cylinders are in gunmetal, slide valves actuated by Stephenson’s gear.

It looks a bit sorry for itself at the moment but, with the repaint finished, wheels into black and rods polished, it would make an attractive model.

Length
Locomotive 20 inches
Tender 13 inches