Sold December 2001 Back to Archive

A rare, finely-engineered model in super condition of a Fowler K5 ploughing engine.

Introduced by Fowler in the late nineteenth century, the K5 was designed as a dual purpose engine for ploughing and general farm duties. A large, powerful machine it was capable of belt-driving implements from the flywheel or ploughing using the two-speed winch slung beneath the boiler.

This engine is in excellent running order. It has been road registered (taxed until March 2003) and is complete with passenger trolley, set of firing irons and steam-raising blower. The winch drum engagement and high/low speed selection is controlled by a pair of levers on the nearside hornplate - useful for getting your car out of muddy rally fields at the end of an English summer afternoon! The paintwork is good in lined-out Fowler black.

The steel boiler has just been tested, with a new certificate expiring June 2003. It is fed by a mechanical feed pump driven from the second shaft and injector. Working pressure is 100 psi, controlled by two highly efficient pop safety valves fitted beneath the dummy Salter valves on the cylinder block. A stainless steel ashpan is fitted with side-mounted damper controlled from the footplate.

In 3 inch scale, the K5 comes out larger than many 4 inch models - over 6 feet long and weighing around 700 pounds. The large firebox and boiler makes for easy driving and, with the distinctive single-cylinder exhaust bark and ringing from the large winch and drive gears the overall sight and sound is highly evocative of the full-size original.