Ten days ago, I received a phone call asking if I would go to Southampton Docks and pick up a 2ft gauge steam loco which had just arrived from Australia. I went down on Thursday to find a very large container housing a very small engine. Built in 2001 by Tingle and Watson, it’s a little Porter replica and carries Porter plates as well as the Aussie maker’s plates. A Briggs boiler provides steam at 100psi to two very small (3 or 4”) cylinders.Weight is no more than 1.9 tonnes.
I took the loco back to my works in Buxton, where it’s being stored for its owner until its future is decided. Today, Saturday, it was checked over, lit up and run around the works yard, managing to pull a diesel and flat wagon, providing the pressure was well up! Photos to follow when I’ve had time to dry out and clean up!!
