A 3 inch scale Fowler A7, built to the MJ Engineering design and using their castings. Started in 1994, what you see is the result of eight years work - having got this far the builder, sadly, didn't live to enjoy the fruits of his labours. The engine is around 95% complete - work to finish includes boiler and cylinder cladding sheets and a small amount of plumbing. The general standard of worksmanship is reasonable. Everything fits together well, the engine turns over a little stiffly but without tight spots - it needs running in rather than sorting out if you understand the distinction. Finish on some parts is cosmetically untidy, but functionally sound - I suspect that the engine was due to come apart before final painting and assembly, at which point some judicious hand finishing of the bright parts would produce a good-looking job. The builder had a boiler professionally made by Priory boilers, it's copper, silver soldered throughout and complete with its initial twice pressure hydraulic test certificate, working pressure 100psi. He also paid to have the crankshaft, all gears and the second shaft machined professionally, costing a little under £2000. There is a complete set of drawings, a most comprehensive set of building instructions (which appears to be the draft version of the manual MJ Engineering now supply) and a pair of MJ's rather nice lamp kits. The A7 builds up into a big, powerful engine - it's getting on for a foot longer and a hundredweight heavier than the ubiquitous Plastow 6nhp Burrell in the same scale.MJ Engineering still stock all the bits for the engine - there's a page of information and a gallery of pictures of a finished engine on their rather good website. Length 52 inches Height 35 inches Bore 2 inches Stroke 3 inches Weight approx 380 pounds
