Sold August 2008 Back to Archive

A new, unsteamed Great Western small Prairie, built to Martin Evans' "Firefly" design. Allegedly professionally built for a gentleman in Hampshire who displayed it in his house for some years, it later passed to a fellow club member who put it in his conservatory, running it on air occasionally to watch the wheels go round.

Silver-soldered copper boiler with superheaters, 90psi working pressure, feed by injector and crosshead pump with auxiliary hand pump in side tank. Gunmetal cylinders with slide valves actuated by Stephenson's valve gear with pole reverser in cab. Mechanical lubricator. Steam brake with mechanical scew-down brake in cab.

The engine is built to a high standard, fit and finish of the motionwork is excellent, platework is flat with neatly done rivetting, detailing is good right down to the split-pinned firehole door linkage.

I should probably say in advance (only because I am asked the question regularly whenever a Prairie, Pannier or 14xx comes in), no - this is not a kit-built engine!

Length 39 inches
Weight approx 140 pounds