Sold January 2015 Back to Archive

A recently completed 5 inch gauge GWR 15XX to LBSC's "Speedy" design - a long time in the build this one, the boiler was collected from Swindon Boilers in 1987 at the start of the project, after which steady progress was made in between other projects. Well into retirement, the builder decided he needed a hand to finish it, engaging a commercial model making business who completed it in November 2014 - after, he told us, several years(!) work. After delivery the owner, now in his eighties, decided it was far too heavy to play with - so here, 28 years after it was first started, is a new Speedy.

Silver soldered boiler by Swindon Boilers, 100psi working pressure, feed by injector and axle pump with auxiliary hand pump. Cast iron cylinders with piston valves actuated by Walschaert's gear, pole reverser in the cab. Mechanical lubricator, steam brakes.

Although the engine was steam tested before delivery, there are a variety of jobs that need doing:

• The pole reverser has a single notch cut in it for mid gear, nothing else - the engine runs forwards and backwards in full gear, choppy when notched up

• Water gauge blowdown pipe is routed across the firebox door, which would make firing a trifle inconvenient

• Both feed pipes to the steam chests leak at their unions

• Nearside expansion link requires stripping and assembling properly - the three parts are all tapped, which prevents them tightening against each other, allowing the tail of the link to waggle back and forth losing valve motion

On the plus side it's got brand new paintwork and the beautifully made boiler is in as-new condition. It really needs a light overhaul rather than strip down.