
On a whim I bought it, thinking that one day I might be able to convert it to something Gn15-ish. By the time I took Berger Hall to MOMING’17 I had come up with the idea of bringing the layout 100 years forward to 2000, and making the railway a miniature line, for which the Grosmont purchase might become a suitable loco. However, now that Berger Hall has been asked to more exhibitions well into 2019 it will stay firmly in 1900, as people seem to like it like that.
I had intended to make the conversion of this particular sow’s ear my Winter Project but, as mentioned in the Bit of Estate thread, the construction of two Smallbrook ‘Katie’ kits and repeated bouts of faux-flu saw off any time to spare for conversion work. Now that that’s all behind me I’ve rooted the box out and I’m ready to make a start.
The locomotive in the box is manifestly a toy; when still in the box one can remove the little tab marked ‘Pull out’ and by pressing the top of the ‘dome’ train-like noises erupt. These are the usual ‘chuff-chuff, whoo-whoo’ sounds, and a red LED shines out of the smokebox door as well. There is no motorization – it’s definitely push-along.
Out of the box this is what one sees …




The locomotive is a sort of LMS Class 2P look alike – in a darkened room, with your eyes half closed – but the tender is rather Germanic in appearance. Touchingly, the letters LMS in small Gothic script appear on the tender sides. There is a cow-catcher on the front buffer beam for some reason, as well as 'buffers'.
On the back of the box is a picture of the whole range on offer – two loco types in different colours, some with coaches. Maybe there is potential for converting the coaches into something useful in O-16.5 scale.

Time to get the tools out. Hours of fun …