Sold March 2009 Back to Archive

A 4 1/2 inch scale Wallis & Steevens "Simplicity" roller built to Plastows popular design. The full-size engine was a compact machine, only weighing three tons, of the nineteen or so built, six survived into preservation.

Copper boiler, working pressure 90psi, feed by mechanical pump with auxiliary hand pump on manstand - there is also an injector, but it's about the most contrary piece of equipment I've ever played with (which seems to be endemic with Simplicity rollers - I have my doubts about taking the steam feed from the cylinder block).
Twin safety valves, water gauge with protector and blowdown. Boiler blowdown valve beneath belly tanks. Single cylinder with slide valve actuated by Stephenson's valve gear with pole reverser in cab. Single road speed engaged by pin on the right hand hornplate, as per the prototype.

This engine came in last year, from a chap currently building a 6 inch scale Fowler. It had recently had a new piston and rings plus some fine tuning of the valve gear along with various practical detail improvements, such as making the canopy quickly detachable.

I was much impressed with its performance when it arrived so kept it to play with through the back end of last year. I've just had another come in (in addition to the three inch scale version currently in stock as well), I really need to get rid of one or two of them before Mrs P starts asking difficult questions.

Length 55 inches
Height 38 inches to top of chimney
Width 24 inches across rear rolls
Weight approx 400 pounds