with a train of 4 wheel wagons loaded with building materials.
This loco badly needed a fresh coat of paint at the time this
picture was taken, but in fact it is more authentic as an
ex. industrial machine in this condition than it would be if
it was wearing a shiny gloss coat.
operate a line day in, day out, or carry out a minor job somewhere on the line in the winter, there
is no substitute for a diesel. They can start instantly (well, that is the theory anyway) and they
don’t burn fuel when standing around waiting for the next job. There are a couple of English lines that
don’t have a diesel – the Bluebell is the only large one now – but most railway operators give in sooner
or later. We gave in a few weeks after ordering Spirit of Adventure.
Workhorse has been at Perrygrove since we started. It was built by Motor Rail of Bedford under their
Simplex brand. It is recorded as having been constructed in 1963 but in 1966 it was photographed at
Bedford by Peter Excell who reports that the makers were having trouble selling this line of very small
locos. We are indebted to Peter for letting us use his picture which is the second one below. Our loco
was eventually sold to the 2’6” gauge railway at Richardson's Moss Litter Co. Ltd. Solway Moss Works,
Longtown, near Gretna, where it hauled trains of peat for many years. We bought it from a dealer who
converted it to 15” gauge. It has to be started by winding a handle, it has no springs, it cannot pull
passenger trains because it has no air brakes, and it is geared down so much that its maximum speed is
about 4.5 miles per hour. But every morning it takes the clue wagon out so that the treasure hunt can
take place,
and every evening it brings it back, and although familiarity has bred contempt I doubt we
would
ever sell it.
Please contact us if you wish to reproduce it.
Please contact us if you wish to reproduce it.
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