Sold March 2009 Back to Archive

A 7 1/4 inch gauge Hunslet, built to 4 inch scale resulting in a locomotive four feet long and weighing around a quarter of a ton complete with its tender.

This engine was built in 1986 and obviously did a good deal of running before being purchased for restoration - pressure of work meant that the owner didn't get round to doing anything with the engine, which has spent the last ten years in a not terribly dry cellar. It saw the light of day last week, appearing at the workshop here in a rather forlorn state.

Steel Briggs boiler with expanded tubes, working pressure 80psi, feed by twin injectors. Cast iron cylinders with slide valves actuated by Stephenson's valve gear with pole reverser in cab. Mechanical lubricator. The saddle tank has been filled with loosed ballast, water is carried in the tender.

Ever the optimist, Geoff spent a happy day on the engine earlier in the week. We'd already established that the boiler is sound, after a twice pressure hydraulic test, he removed cylinder end covers to check the bores (which are in good condition) and oiled all round before giving it a run on the test stand. It steams freely, runs backwards and forward, clanks a little from the coupling rod bushes and the injectors need a serious talking to. Any it really, really, needs painting.

There's a clip of it running outside the workshop earlier in the week here.