Merlin Mayflower American Style

[SKGLB]

Hello,

Since I received no response to my inquiry in the thread,viewtopic.php?p=187742#p187742 I decided to buy the Merlin. It was being sold by an American seller who had several other locomotives on offer (including a Roundhouse 7/8 scale "Jack" version, partially built).

As seen in the auction photos, the engine was offered in a rather grimy condition. That is always the issue with eBay auctions: what is the overall condition of the item being sold? An inquiry to the seller yielded no response other than a price reduction; I suspect he didn't really know what he was selling.

Merlin 0-4-0 American.jpg (21.65 KiB) Viewed 650 times

After delivery from across the pond, I confirmed that the photos hadn't lied: there was a lot of dried, stubborn grime—a mixture of steam oil, dust, and other residue—on the bodywork. An initial test using compressed air resulted in no movement. The linkages, valve gear, and steam rods on the left side had apparently been secured with a contact adhesive that prevented any movement. So, I softened everything with solvent. The result, using compressed air, was lively movement in both forward and reverse directions.
Some components—such as the chimney top, the smokebox (not the typical Mayflower U-shape), and the dummy turbo-generator—appear to have been taken from the Merlin "Matterhorn" model. A solid cast-tin cowcatcher is also fitted. The windows are rectangular in shape, unlike the round ones found on the Mayflower models.

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I utilized the existing blanking screw on the boiler backhead—just as I did with the Merlin Mayflower "Hutzel" viewtopic.php?p=163647#p163647—to install a steam whistle; this time, however, I extended the banjo bolt and installed an inline Regner refill valve.
I also fitted a headlight using a Regner 6V bulb and Teflon-insulated wiring. The cable is routed through a 2mm stainless steel tube (which now serves as a handle) to the cab and power supply.

20261012_082739.jpg (78.44 KiB) Viewed 650 times

Testing on a roller test stand using steam yielded good results. However, a run on 45mm track revealed that a significant amount of steam pressure is escaping from the rear of the piston rods (at the seals).
I will be taking the Merlin to a model engineering exhibition in Tulln, Lower Austria, next week, so videos will follow.

[SKGLB]

Some more Photos

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20261012_083216.jpg (81.94 KiB) Viewed 648 times

[SKGLB]

A battery pack and a receiver for a 2.4 GHz control system still fit inside the frame.

20261012_bottom.jpg (18.09 KiB) Viewed 648 times

[philipy]

You have done an excellent job of cleaning her up. Well done. I hope that when you've finished, she runs as well as she looks

[ge_rik]

That looks like a good buy. Hopefully, you didn't have to pay an enormous price for shipping and import duty....

Rik

[SKGLB]

Thank you for your kind comments.

That looks like a good buy. Hopefully, you didn't have to pay an enormous price for shipping and import duty....

Well, it wasn't excessively expensive; of course, the shipping and customs fees from overseas contributed to the final price.
But somehow I really wanted this model. I haven't been able to find another one like it yet.
Was this an attempt/model by Merlin to make their products more appealing to American customers?
In my humble opinion, the design, casing, and boiler are all made by Merlin. But verifying that after so much time has passed is certainly difficult.

Gerald

[SKGLB]

As mentioned, the Merlin was featured on our forum’s layout at the 2026 model-building exhibition in Tulln—a setup that, including extensions, measured approximately 10 x 10 meters (32 x 32 feet).



It performed well; however, toward the end of the three-day event, the crank pin on the right side came loose. Contrary to what was stated in the previous post, it was actually the right side—which had been secured with contact adhesive—that failed. That said, fixing it shouldn't be a problem.

Greetings from Austria
Gerald

[LNR]

Appears to be a smooth runner Gerald, nice looking little loco.
Grant.

[CharlesMac]

A very nice locomotive, thanks for sharing the pictures. I have a Roundhouse " Old Colonial " locomotive from 1986, and it appears that Merlin and Roundhouse shared some parts in their builds. My "Old Colonial" has the same smokestack and cast pilot for my engine. Were the two manufactures in the habit of sharing parts or buying from a common parts supplier? Thanks for any information.

Tony (Small).JPG (38.89 KiB) Viewed 61 times

[SKGLB]

Hello, thanks for your comment.

Were the two manufactures in the habit of sharing parts or buying from a common parts supplier?

I think you’re right; some time ago, I acquired a box of Roundhouse spare parts—many of them quite old, still bearing the green labels. Among them were some cast-metal "diamond" smokestacks; they are identical to the ones used on the Merlin, though one of the rivets along the edge sits a bit lower.

20261022_045210.jpg (110.33 KiB) Viewed 17 times

My "Old Colonial"

A very beautiful "Old Colonial"—I believe this particular Roundhouse model is quite rare.

If anyone happens to need water tank lids for the Old Colonial, I have a whole bag of them.

20261022_045241.jpg (157.51 KiB) Viewed 17 times

On the Old Colonial, these parts are reportedly prone to melting, as they are exposed to intense heat from the methylated spirit burner.

https://www.sidestreet.info/locos/loco33.html

Greetings from Austria, Gerald