Romsey Les Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 Not sure if this is the correct place to post this so apologies if not. By brother in law bought this loco and coach in Welshpool some years ago and is now thinking of disposing of it as he has run out of space. He believes it is a Merlin monarch. It is on a display stand with glass cover. The track is 32mm. This is not really my area of interest but as he knew I was on RM Web he asked me if I could find out more.I can obtain more detail if needed. Can anyone advise what it might be worth ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Happy Hippo Posted January 10, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 10, 2017 Merlin in it's various guises pushed out a fair number of locos. I'd suggest this is a very early variant based on the Beck locos as it is slip eccentric with the steam being fed from a displacement lubricator which is probably hidden under the front dome. the more continental varieties with side tanks had the steam pipes exposed. They can just be seen in the photo coming out under the saddle tank. Merlin produced a pair of locos for radio control called the Monarch and the Mayflower. Mechanically identical, the Mayflower having side tanks and the Monarch having a squared off saddle tank. Istr the displacement lubricator sat in the rh cab doorway. All the bodies were simple 'detail free' brass shells. The loco in the picture looks like a Beck loco with a homemade body (hence all the rivets) and has some intriguing pipework from the smokeboxc onto the rh running plate. Judging by the size of the pipework and the pipe unions it is functional and not cosmetic. It's certainly not a stock loco but is either highly modified or scratch built over a chassis/boiler power pack. The coach is a Brandbright panelled PS 16 4 wheeled full brake . Hth Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romsey Les Posted January 10, 2017 Author Share Posted January 10, 2017 Thanks Happy Hippo, I`ll pass this on and ask him if he has any more detail. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevelewis Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 Yes a Monarch & Brandbright kit built coach ( and very nice they look too!) I bought several Merlin Locos from Tom Cooper who was the owner of Merlin Locomotive Works he did a lot to popularise live steam and Garden Railways back in the late 70s He originally haad a Newsagents shop in Kendal, and started a model railway sideline there (00 etc) then he discovered 16mm, he had a garden line behind the shop where he demonstrated his live steam locos, he had purchased all the remaining parts from a German firm called BECK, from which he made slightly more Anglicised looking narrow gauge Freelance locos. He moved to Llanfair Caerinion ( terminus of the W&L) where he had a small unit to continue his loco building business Happy Days your picture brings back many memories!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killian keane Posted August 11, 2017 Share Posted August 11, 2017 Have you managed to sell this yet? I MIGHT be interested if the price is right, Merlin locos get a lot of bad stick and complaints, which I think is a bit unfair, they were only made by one man (to start with), how was he supposed to keep up with demand? They were really beautiful models though, I've been on the hunt for a little wonder myself Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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