Sold June 2008 Back to Archive

In the 1970s, B.G.Markham wrote a series of articles detailing the building of a 3 1/2 inch gauge version of "Ella", the Heywood locomotive originally built to run at Duffield Bank - I remember reading them at the time (in the days when I had to buy the "Model Engineer" out of my paper round money).

Tony Harris read the articles as well, and became inspired to build a similar model, but in 7 1/4 inch gauge, making an engine half the size of the 15 inch gauge prototype. Using Markham's articles as a starting point, he conducted a great deal of research before sitting down to design a version which he could build. He had a beautiful set of patterns made from which were produced several sets of castings, the first of which were, in the 1980s, used for his superb model of "Muriel", the second engine Heywood built using his ingenious radiating gear axleboxes. I first saw the engine when it ended up at Oldown Miniature Railway in 2004 - Joe Nemeth had bought it and, for a while, his engine shed housed his Tinkerbell "James", my K36 Baldwin, the Lynton & Barnstaple Manning Wardle "Taw" and "Muriel" herself.

In the original article written up for the 7 1/4 inch gauge Journal, reference was made to the spare sets of castings, the builder stating his intention to complete two more engines which, in the end, weren't built.

"Fast forwarding" twenty-five years, the entire collection of patterns, castings and original builders drawings turned up in a lock-up garage. Although grubby and with light surface rust on the iron bits, the whole collection was in substantially good condition, obviously pretty much as left at the end of the 1980s.

In total there is well over a ton of castings, frames, fittings and machined bits and pieces. The patterns have been carefully stored and, apart from the smokebox door which is split top to bottom, are in excellent condition. There is a large quantity of drawings, from excellent to distressed condition, but containing the detail plans for both 7 1/4 and 10 1/4 inch gauge locomotives, along with sundry other bogies and a large diesel locomotive.

Parts include (but are not limited to):

• Wheels (in two sizes)

• Cylinder blocks, part-machined

• Box new piston rings

• Machined pistons and rods

• Petticoat pipes in gunmetal

• Bored and broached flycranks

• Smokebox doors

• Machined and part machined radiating axle sets, with bronze spherical bearings

• Brake stands machined and assembled

• Quantity takeup bearings for axleboxes

• Profiled out motion work

• Reversing levers and stands

• Spun brass dome

• Drain cocks

• Iron coupling castings

• Cast iron bogies axleboxes

• Tubes of new needle roller bearings

• Smokebox front plates

• Cast iron chimneys

• Brake shoe rings

• Locomotive and bogie frames

Rather a unique opportunity for somebody with a big shed that has a strong floor. Another engine or two could be built using these bits and the original drawings, alternatively, with some tidying up (or even CAD-ifying for the dedicated amongst you) the drawings could be used, along with the patterns, to supply already-proven plans and castings to other prospective builders of these large and technically interesting engines.