Project wanted

Hello!

Please help me break through the Mamod/Wilesco barrier and get into 'proper' live steam models - I only have about £500 so far so I'll consider anything in any scale as long as it's a traction engine or a roller.

Cheers, Buzz.

i have a nice little Minnie 1inch traction engine if you add another 900 pounds to that, have owned it for a while and it runs like a swiss watch on air - have never steamed it and it has been on my shelf as a show piece...

Erm... See now that's neither a project nor about £500 really is it lol - but thanks anyway

ever heard of a little thing called Ebay?! else try stationroadsteam / steam-engines-for-sale.
you will struggle to find what your looking for with 500 pounds

Graeme81 wrote:ever heard of a little thing called Ebay?! else try stationroadsteam / steam-engines-for-sale.
you will struggle to find what your looking for with 500 pounds

Gosh yes eBay!

You're right though I am struggling - but the only choice I have is to struggle. Still while I'm struggling I'm saving and the more I save the less of a struggle it will become and ya never know I might just get an old engine to work on one day!

thats a whole lot of struggling...stamp collecting might be easier!!!

If you want to clean, fire and drive a full size engine for a weekend then I know the Museum of East Anglian life in Stowmarket does a weekend in August (?) for about 200 pounds. Another group near Bury St Edmunds does the same - they are both within a short drive from you, plus you can camp at MEAL.

Graeme81 wrote:thats a whole lot of struggling...stamp collecting might be easier!!!

Thanks for the encouragement you are a great ambassador for STW forums.

Dan wrote:If you want to clean, fire and drive a full size engine for a weekend then I know the Museum of East Anglian life in Stowmarket does a weekend in August (?) for about 200 pounds. Another group near Bury St Edmunds does the same - they are both within a short drive from you, plus you can camp at MEAL.

Thanks Dan much appreciated - I've been a couple of times but not yet driven their TE though I keep hinting to the missus about it! When I was a kid I used to co-drive one of Bressingham's 15" guage Krupp locos during my school holidays and have ever since been addicted to the smell of the stuff so any excuse to drive lol...

I Think what Graeme is trying to say, perhaps not in the most diplomatic way is that you will need to think at least £1200 to get something that isnt a "basket case" and might eventually turn out to be something to be proud of. You could get a project Minnie or a D R Mercer engine for that sort of cash, anything else and you might find you have wasted your precious 500 very easily.Even then you will almost certainly need access to "proper" engineering equipment and seasoned experience from other builders. Perhaps a local Model Engineerign club to you may have soemthing and will certainly have the machines and guys who know what to do. The buyers guide in this months OG gives a good oversight to the miniature scene. Good Luck with your search.

Kev.

Thanks for the encouragement you are a great ambassador for STW forums.

edited: Thank you kindly