Colin Edgar
Meccano LNER High-Pressure Locomotive
This steam locomotive is my modified reproduction of the model L.N.E.R High-Pressure Locomotive "No. 10000" that was featured in the January, February, and March 1935 issues of The Meccano Magazine. It's based on an experimental steam locomotive built by the London and North Eastern Railway in 1929. It utilized a marine style water-tube boiler rather than a conventional fire-tube boiler, allowing it to operate at a higher steam pressure and therefore more efficiently. It used a corridor-type tender which allowed crew changes while the train was in motion, providing non-stop service between London and Edinburgh. However, it spent more than half of its short 5-year life in the shop undergoing maintenance, repairs, and modifications. The design never caught on and the locomotive was rebuilt with a fire-tube boiler in 1937. There's an interesting article on Wikipedia describing its innovative design and history. The model includes an electric motor for the driving wheels and linkage, and control levers located in the cab for forward/reverse operation, positioning of the Walschaerts valve gear, and operation of the brake shoes. My version of the model also includes a few parts (such as the flexible plates and narrow strips) that hadn't yet been introduced by Meccano in 1935. The overall length of the model is about 65 inches (approximately 1/14th scale).