Sold April 2017 Back to Archive

A 5 inch gauge "Duchess", an older engine which came in recently as part of a collection, including an award-winning 9F in the same gauge, as the owner moved to 7 1/4 inch gauge.

Silver soldered copper boiler, four element radiant superheater, 90psi working pressure, four safety valves, feed by twin injectors with auxiliary hand pump in the tender. Cast iron cylinders with piston valves - the outside valves actuated by Walschaert's gear with screw reverser in the cab, the inner valves by rocking shafts. Dummy Wakefield lubricators on the running boards, the mechanical lubricator is buried between the frames (which is no mean feat on a four cylinder engine), it's filled from one of the dummy axlebox lubricators.

The engine runs well, slight blow on one piston valve although not noticeable at speed, injectors pick up cleanly. Firing requires some concentration and deft use of the shovel - as in the full size engine it's a large firebox that needs to be covered for the engine to steam well.