Sold March 2025 Back to Archive

A 7 1/4 inch narrow gauge Kerr Stuart "Wren" 0-4-0ST, based on the preserved two foot gauge locomotive "Peter Pan" at the Leighton Buzzard Railway (which is well worth a visit if you find yourself in the area).

A well built locomotive, it was completed in 2024 and first ran at that time. It came to us recently in part exchange for a 5 inch Class 66, the previous owner having found the Wren too large and heavy to handle.

It has been serviced in the workshop and various minor teething problems - expected with any new locomotive - resolved. The original safety valves accumulated and had been set to open early in an attempt to "cure" the fault. That never works - if a valve accumulates it's either undersized for the boiler or got the wrong or tired spring in it, which no amount of fiddling with the adjuster will fix!

The safety valves - needless to say - have been replaced, the regulator gland has been repacked (you previously needed asbestos fingers to drive the thing).

The commercially built CE-marked boiler has had hydraulic and steam tests with new certification issued.

Those jobs done, it now steams freely and runs beautifully - as close to a brand new narrow gauge engine as you're going to get without ordering one of ours!

We like this one - it's a nicely made engine in first class condition. Well painted in prototypical livery - with hand lined and signwritten tank - it has captured the look of the full-size engine.

Offered with 12 months warranty, set of firing irons and a starter kit of coal and oil - we would be more than happy to give half a day's instruction on the steaming, running and disposal of the engine to a new owner if required.