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Trevithick's Pen-y-darren locomotive - stock code 9416

A display model of Trevithick's Pen-y-Darren locomotive of 1802, with flywheel geared to wheels it rotates as the engine is pushed along.

An important early engine, the original was concocted from a stationary steam engine mounted on wheels. In 1804 it famously won a wager for its sponsor, pulling a ten ton load of iron from Merthyr Tydfil to Penydarren along the horse tramway.

It took just over four hours to complete the trip - the weight of the engine breaking the rails along the way - but the wager was won, it proved that a steam engine could do a useful job of work pulling a train.

The model features prototypically correct flangeless wheels, around 3 1/2 inch gauge to centre of the treads - you'll need to knock up a length of plateway to run it along!

The National Waterfront Museum of Wales built a super full-sized working replica in 1981 which is run occasionally - it's well worth watching their video to see 200 year old technology in motion!

length/inches 12
width/inches 5 1/2
height/inches 9 1/2