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Smallest Standard Gauge Steam Locomotives?


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3 hours ago, Nearholmer said:

Yes, standard in Ireland.

 

3 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

But 7ft 1/4inches was standard gauge on the GWR - even as late as 1891 GWR Service Timetables show the Stephenson gauge as 'narrow gauge'.  So that puts 'Tiny' back in contention.

 

3 hours ago, Nearholmer said:

And, on the Isle of Man ...... 

But not in the worldwide definition of standard gauge, only in a local context.

Stephenson gauge had been accepted as "standard" gauge and all others were at variance.

 

The Luas Trams in Dublin are classed officially as Standard Gauge (having adopted 4' 8½"), so what does that make the 5' 3" lines? You can't have two standard gauges.:no:

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2 hours ago, melmerby said:

The Luas Trams in Dublin are classed officially as Standard Gauge (having adopted 4' 8½"), so what does that make the 5' 3" lines? You can't have two standard gauges.:no:

Ditto the trams in Kolkatta - or is it Calcutta ? ................... but you can always have one standard for trams and another standard for real trains.

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Cape or 3 ft 6 in gauge became standard in the former British Empire in Africa and New Zealand, parts of Australia, and was adopted as a standard in Japan and Taiwan.

 

There is a whole bunch of small steamy Kiwi critters to choose from, Peckett, Hunslet, Hudswell Clarke and homemade bush railways.

 

Dava

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On 20/10/2020 at 23:29, 2mm Andy said:

'Gazelle' from the Shropshire & Montgomeryshire Light Railway must come close with 2'3" driving wheels and 4" x 9" cylinders?

https://preservedbritishsteamlocomotives.com/1-0-4-2wt-shropshire-montgomery/

Andy

 

A friend of mine is building Gazelle in 0-gauge, and struggling to motorise it.

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On 21/10/2020 at 15:37, w124bob said:

Teddy was actual named after the previous owner one Reverend Teddy Boston, it lived on a short length of standard gauge track at the vicarage in Cadeby.

 

Meant to post earlier, but DaveF has a selection of photos taken at Cadeby (IIRC Teddy was a friend of Dave's parents):

https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidwf2009/albums/72157626574368116

 

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works photo for the West lancs 3 wjich Polly was one of them

 

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/98514-livley-polly-the-elusive-tank/

 

1129676697_Kitson2719T109-1884corditeCLRexWLR10Heskethpark(2).jpg.4a013845218c489fe02c0cfe9ad71777.jpg

 

As Dava mentioned, i have an o gauge loco loosely based on Polly

1071857277_Rebecca(142).JPG.8c98693773dd6213665366583fb3bc93.JPG

 

Back on topic, Hawthorn Leslie "Met"

https://www.therailwayhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/41/2019/04/RM-April-2019-p76a.jpg

RM-April-2019-p76a.jpg

 

Beyer Peacock 810 Minera Lime Company

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/uploads/monthly_08_2018/post-9948-0-28752600-1533408318.jpg

BP 810 - 1868 minera lime company.jpg

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Three pages in and, unless I'm mistaken, no mention of the products of Stephen Lewin and the Poole Foundry.  Although many or most of their locomotives were of various narrower gauges, they did construct some locomotives for standard gauge - and none of their production can be described as being anything other than "small".

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On 21/10/2020 at 08:12, RJS1977 said:

 

Talking of Kerr Stuart, when the 4'0" Saundersfoot Railway closed, its locomotive 'Bull Dog' was regauged to standard to work at a steelworks in Llanelli. That was even lower (having been designed to fit through the tunnel under Saundersfoot station). There was no rear pony truck, so the cab floor was as close to the track as it could be - IIRC the entire loco was only 6' tall!

 

Edit: Pictures found online:

 

hSaundersfoot-Railway-Archive-Album-002.j

 

Saundersfoot-Railway-User-Album-006.jpg

Now that's a handsome machine.

 

Douglas

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I was reading the November 2020 edition of Steam Days earlier, and there is an article on the Lostwithiel - Fowey - Par routes.  It includes a picture of a Sara & Burgess loco that was used at Par (under the low bridge).  From the photo and description, it sounds like a standard gauge version of the De Winton.  Unfortunatley Google isn't being helpful in providing a picture.

 

Could be a candidate.

 

Adrian

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The video of Sweet Pea on the Middleton brings back happy memories. The loco was owned by the Leeds University Railway Society and used as the main motive power when students were running the goods traffic in the 1970's. Getting it to start on a cold winter day could be a nightmare. It required two people: one on the starting handle (yes, it really is a hand cranked start) and one on the decompressors. Plenty of easy start in the air intake and if that didn't work a paraffin soaked rag set alight instead. When the crankman had built up enough momentum there would be a huge shout and the decompressors released. With luck it would fire without backfiring and after a couple of minutes warming up it would be ready for the off. I was a lot happier when I graduated to electric start, warm cab and air brakes! (And even happier with a hot cab and steam brakes).

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9 minutes ago, papagolfjuliet said:

Staying on IC, can I interest you in the home made locomotives of the Kojonup Tourist Railway in Western Australia? A Perth Zoo road train and a Mini Moke, both mounted on rail wheels.

Kojonup2.jpg

WATouristRailMoke.jpg

Hi There,

 

What abut the Kitson you posted on the Pugbash thread ?

 

Gibbo.

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A silly reply this but I can definitely remember a Scrapheap Challenge episode where they built one (think it was one of the specials, since it was three teams, doing steam vs diesel vs electric, although the electric suffered from having to be battery powered). That might qualify, IIRC all three teams were given a bogie off, erm, something as the basis of their build. I've not managed to find any sign of it from a bit of Googling, but I'm sure I'm not imagining it (it wasn't the rocket train or muscle-powered train one).

 

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Thanks, I didn't think I'd imagined it, but it was bizarrely hard to find mention of it online. A contender for the thread, or not one that should really count?

 

IIRC they were outright given the boiler (making one out of scrap would be a bad idea, to put it mildly) and the engine (no chance of building one out of scrap, or finding one). Won too IIRC, whereas my bets were on the diesel.

 

Edited by Reorte
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