'COAL ENGINE' Class, No 713
This is about as simple as it gets, both the locomotive and the model!
This class first appeared in February 1873 and they were the first engines for which F.W.Webb was entirely responsible. 500 were built, 46 were taken over by British Railways in 1948 and the last was withdrawn in 1953. They were never fitted with the vacuum brake and spent their time entirely on freight duties. They were simple and cheap to build and if ever a locomotive class earned its keep this one did.
The model is built from the LRM kit just as it comes out of the box. It is powered by an LH21 motor driving the rear axle via a simple worm and wheel gearbox. The front and rear axles are rigid in the frames and the centre axle is sprung. It will pull a 20 wagon train with ease but struggles with a train of 28 PECO Wonderful Wagons. The limiting factor is the weight of the loco. It is so small that it is impossible to get much lead into it and it is the weight of a loco that determines what that loco will pull.
It is one of my favourite locos partly because it never misbehaves and partly because it never derails moving onto or off the turntable.
This loco weighs 173grms and exerts a pull of 40grms.
The 'Coal Engine'
The .Coal Engine''s works