Leader has a sister!

After some major saving and finding another suitable engine, I'm pleased to reveal what will be Steam Engine No.2.

Photo from the SKLR website

No.2 is a second Accucraft Leader which will become 'Premier'. In real life, Premier and Leader are both sister engines of the Brazil class ordered as in 1905 for the Sittingbourne Paper Mills. Ironically, In real life the numbers were the other way round with 'Premier' being No.1 and 'Leader' being No.2. My 'Premier' has been sourced from a online forum and is arriving in Apple Green carrying the last owner's railway Livery which will be removed and repainted into a basic form of the Sittingbourne livery which the prototype engine carried before dismantling for its current overhaul began. Nameplates are now on order for both engines from Narrow Planet (who come highly recommended from myself but then I'm biased (I work for them from time to time)).

As such, the numbers for the rest of the fleet have all moved up one place to fit Premier into the sequence but I'm sure it will all be worth it in the end.

Until next time,

Jon

Running at Parbrook

After the disaster of Jessie derailing last time at Parbrook, I decided to take Leader along this time to run with the full Welshpool and Llanfair Railway Set. Its safe to say it went down very well with lots of comments on the set as a whole along with the power of Leader working the train. At one point, another of the gents that turned up was going to run his Arkangel T&D with the wagons but it didn't have the power to do it despite being a much bigger engine! Although the fact that the engine in turn was about 4-5 times older than Leader might have had something to do with it.

Cheers,

Jon

Engines Come, Engines go

After some thought, I've put Loco No.3 the MSS tender engine for sale on Ebay. I've just grown fed up of it and along with the fact it hasn't run since Late May and has never met expectations since it was brought. However, with the pending departure of No.3, there is a new engine now on order to replace it.

Now on order from the same supplier of 'Leader', is a new Accucraft Ragleth in Green. It should go well with Leader and with the Accucraft stock that I prefer to use. Also its reputed to have plenty of power which is great for the longer trains that I tend to run at steam ups with the local 16mm association area group. It is intended that the new engine will become the new No.2 on arrival with Jessie taking No.3 .

It should be a great little engine when it arrives later this year or early next year.

Cheers,

Jon