Garden Railway Forum

Some time ago I came across a very interesting class of engine built in the 1860s-70s by Stephen Lewin of Poole


(Sorry about the picture, it was the best (actually the only) one I could find)
They were evidently intended for gauges between about 3' to 3'6", but being of considirable antiquity, they scale well as an average sized 2' to 2'6" gauge loco
What I want to know is, do people here think (as a hypothetical persuit) one could proove possible, or sane, in live steam 16mm scale 32/45mm gauge?
Note that even for a loco of 3'6" gauge, the bufferbeam is a lot higher than standard and that the valve gear is very prominently exposed, being driven forward from the front axle
Thoughts welcome

Interesting loco. When you blow the pic. up, it appears to have most of the working valve gear between the front of the cylinder and the buffer beam, with an outside coupling rod like Blanche and Linda. If it was built in full size, there's no reason it can't be imitated in 16mm scale. Working out the valve gear would be interesting though, with only that pic. to work from. Pushing Gamma and contrast on the pic. can I see a weigh shaft across the front down low?, so assume the gear involves an expansion link.
Grant.

Yes, there is an expansion link, with a VERY short valve spindle actuating rod after it (the valve spindle and piston rod are of course at different ends of the cylinder), you are quite correct in saying the connecting rods are outboard of the cranks a la Penrhyn hunslets, to accomodate for the width of the eccentrics, I do have an ok scale drawing of a side on view (from chronicles of boultons siding by A.R. Bennett) I just hope there is more information in 'Stephen Lewin and the Poole foundry', cylinders 9"bore x 18" stroke, works out at a little under 1/2" bore x 1" stroke in 16mm scale  8)

Here is how the valve gear worked

It appears fairly straight forward Stephenson's gear apart from being 180deg. out of phase.
I think it would be an attractive machine when moving, with all that gear right forward and seeming to drag the engine behind.
Grant.

A similar setup to the valve gear on Dolgoch , but the other way around