Sold July 2020 Back to Archive

The boiler still appears sound and leak-free on hydraulic test, although the washout plugs are firmly seized in. Engine attempts to run although blows by badly on air - however it's easily accessible under the bonnet, stripping the valve chests and cylinder covers a straightforward job.

We've recently sold a "Caradoc" in 3 inch scale - impressed with that one at the time. This example in 4 inch scale must be twice as much fun, we had it in steam all afternoon last week and ended up burning half a sack of coal by the time we'd all had a play with it.

There's some video here of Victoria running around the yard during her week's work experience with us (and a safe pair of hands she turned out to be, owning her own 4 1/2 inch Burrell already, a career in engineering planned).

Designed by John Haining, "Caradoc" is his take on what an agricultural tractor would look like had steam continued into modern times. A whimsical idea, but he brought his immense experience to the design - a professional steam engineer in his working life, he was responsible for a range of model designs (including Fowler ploughing engines and the Durham & North Yorkshire traction engine) - resulting in a surprisingly capable vehicle.

An easy to drive, biddable engine which we found free-steaming - and a lot of fun to boot. If considering a 3 inch scale engine as the first step into miniature steam, this 4 inch engine is worth considering - particularly for the larger driver, where its power and physical size make for a more comfortable driving experience.

Complete with driving seat (which doesn't make the front end go light even when I sit on it!)