Sold October 2003 Back to Archive

A 3 1/2 inch gauge Great Northern Atlantic to LBSC's "Maisie" design. A well-made older engine whose boiler failed, it has been carefully dismantled retaining all the fittings and cladding sheets - the boiler itself is literally the only thing missing. There's even a set of firing irons!

Once replaced, the boiler is a conventional design in copper, although the ones built with a combustion chamber as per the Master's works and music do seem to have a bit of extra snap to them. Feed by axle pump and injector, with a hand pump in the tender. The original superheater element is in the box of bits, the injector and pumps are all still fitted.

Slide valve cylinders with inside Stephenson's valve gear, with pole reverser in the cab. Mechanical lubricator mounted beneath smokebox door.

The chassis runs well on air - for the age of engine, it shows remarkably little wear and is fit for further service with nothing more than a good clean. The adventurous can build a boiler from scratch, the more sensible types will buy a set of pre-formed plates and make it up from there, the wealthy will simply get one built.

When completed these are cracking little engines - I've never had one that didn't steam well and they are well able to keep up with modern (mainly 5 inch gauge) traffic at the club.

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