So what do you get - A Purple Cardboard Box with polystyrene inner with the loco, a 50ml bottle of steam oil, a plastic funnel, a safety sheet containing basic 'Does and Do Nots' for Mamod models, operating instructions for the loco on 2 sides of A4 plus attached notice about Gas Control, and an A3 leaflet of the latest models available.
So here's the box lid: -
However when you remove the lid you find that what you see is not what you get, and here is my William instead: -
So what's are the differences. On the lid it shows the traditional green with trim lining and transfer on side tanks, however mine is a darker green, no trim lining and a badge which has been poorly placed on the sidetanks. And the wheels are not brass colour but black - lid also does not show gas burner, but I do not see how this model could have been fired by any other method. And finally the boiler strap does not go onto the running plate like on the lid photo. This points to the lid being a mock-up which has obviously been modified, but they cannot afford (or be bothered) to update the box lid photo - Americans would be suing over this mis-representation.
So a quick check around to make sure everything is tight and secure, remove the gas tank from the rear and fill it with Butane/Propane mix (Mamod say only use this in cold weather but I find it much better than pure butane, and there is a cutout in the cab roof to allow you to fill the tank in situ, but the hole does not line up with the filler without rotating the tank, and the provided hole rubber grommit is too small and keeps falling out when you clean up the mess on the loco, and of course you have to provide your own gas and filler! ). Displacement lubricator has 2 halves which unscrew, and you fill it with the top half removed up to the level of the steam pipe (top half is a little to close to front of boiler, so care is required when replacing). Oil the wheels, axle bearings, coupling rods, and the eccentric and connecting rods on rear axles. Boiler is filled through removal of a standard Mamod Safety Valve, and level is checked through a standard Mamod Sight Glass, although no reflector fitted so hard to see as gas tank blocks the light.
Apply flame to gas burner and turn on gas. Once lit, wait about 30secs for the burner to warm up and then turn it up between a quarter to half a turn. Knob is not marked, and I did not mark it until after my second run, which was somewhat wild as I had the gas too high at one point! Once safety valve starts to weep open and close the regulator a couple of times (to help warm up pipes, etc.) Now move wheels at least half a turn in the desired direction of travel. Open the regulator and the loco should start to move! (again no markings on regulator which I have now added).
So what happenned on my first run. I was going to try the loco on my rolling road but it appears the different wheel profile does not like my rolling road. So I ended up pushing the loco against a piece of wood and once the condensate had cleared (the instructions warn that it may jam up or behave jerkily due to this condensate) I got the wheels spinning quite fast. Putting it on my oval of track it started to run slowly with a characteristic Mamod wobble. Soon runs out of steam so turned up the burner a bit more. Water runs out well before gas does at present. On the second run I had not cleared the condensate prior to placing it on the track so it jerked forward a bit, then burst away into a runaway loco (I had not marked the regulator at this point) and derailed on the other side of the oval - fortunately not a meths burner so just replaced on the track without a towering inferno!
Decided to give it a couple of runs on blocks, and it is obvious that like the previous locos this will need proper running in.
Very easy to overdo the gas burner as you attempt to correct slow running (Probably due to not being run in yet) which leads so some spectacular flames licking around the bodywork. I also think the fact that the cylinders exhaust the steam towards the track does not help the air flow around the gas burner.
So I was actually impressed that this loco made it round my oval of track on its' very first run, and hope that it well settle down and run in properly.
Big disadvantage with this loco is that it can only currently couple up to the new Mamod Rolling Stock without some metal surgery at present (couplings just visible in above photos).
And in the instructions it states - 'BE AWARE AT ALL TIMES THAT THE LOCOMOTIVE IS HOT! It is imperative that gloves be worn or the hands are protected by rags or cloth.'
This is an understatement - it gets extremely hot and small fingers will get burnt if not monitored all of the time - wonder when the first Parent will be suing Mamod for first degree burns!
And this loco will not easily be modified like its' predecessor.
And a final thought for just now - why is there a cutout in the cab front like the old loco (was a whistle going to be fitted?), and similarly there is a slot cut on the right of the cab floor that seems to serve no purpose.
As my experience grows with this loco I'll post updates, but other projects, contract work and my next overseas steam tour are all fighting for my time as well!
Chris Cairns.
(edited to correct image links)
