Sold June 2021 Back to Archive

3 1/2 inch gauge Britannia "Solway Firth" - stock code 9115

A 3 1/2 inch gauge "Britannia", built to the LSBC design and unsteamed from new.

Built very much as a club runner rather than exhibition winner, the chassis turns over freely without tight spots.

The silver soldered copper combustion chamber boiler is beautifully made, with neat flanging and good solder penetration - we suspect it was commercially built, however the builder has clad the backhead entirely in brass sheet, obscuring any view of where we'd expect to find a maker's mark.

On hydraulic test, whilst the boiler itself appeared dry, just about every fitting and the regulator leaked preventing any meaningful assessment of its condition. As it is, the boiler needs lifting from the frames, the backhead exposing and all fittings sealed before attempting an initial shell test.

gauge 3 1/2 inch
length/inches 35 + 19
width/inches 7
height/inches 10 1/2
cylinder material gunmetal
valve type piston
valve gear Walschaerts
reverser type screw
lubricator type mechanical
injector(s) 1
working pressure/psi 80
boiler type locomotive with combustion chamber
boiler material copper
boiler construction silver soldered
superheater(s) 4
superheater type flue tube
safety valve(s) 2
safety valve type spring
mechanical pump axle
whistle yes