Garden Railway Forum

I have been trying to figure out when my Merlin Major was made.  Its a later model with the functional valve gear instead of a reversing valve.  From what I have read, that puts it after the departure of Tom Cooper and even after Ian Pearse was let go and was a change to the model ordered by Wendy Davies to complete with the upgrades to the RH Lady Anne.  Mine does have the steam line to the whistle/throttle valve thru the burner  flue and not external like I have read.  The engine has a single builders plate on the rear of the cab, but there is no number stamped on it, its blank in that space that would normaly have a works number.   She is gonna have to go into someones repair works soon the side rods are pretty worn, espically on the front axle. Not causing problems yet, but its only a matter of time. She is my primary work horse, so lots of run time on top of all the running the previous owners have put on the old engine. Mike

Your Major was made post 1986 after myself and Peter and his wife Margaret were made redundant by Wendy Davies. The twin channel valve gear was probably developed by either Mark Wigley or John Lancaster. I know production had really stopped by 1991. This is a really nice model with quite a few upgrades.
Regards, Ian

Thanks Ian! I sort of figured it was a post Wendy Davies model as I read somewhere that she had him do the valve gear change to better compete with Roundhouse's Lady Anne that had just gained the same basic motion. The Mayflower that I had, now belonging to my friend that has the Earl, is an earlier model. Since your on here. My friend has a Pearse Earl that I am overhauling the valve motion due to wear. Is the timing set basicly the same way as the old Merlins were as far as the return crank and measuring the piston valve at certain points in its travel? I think I have it close. He just got it recently, along with some fresh side rods to replace the worn ones that were very egg shaped in the journels. I also just got one of those old models myself, a GWR Green Countess. His Earl is works number 102. Do not know the Countess's work number yet, wont have it here for a few days. My friend and I are keeping the 16mm flame alive in our area of the states! Mike

Hi Mike. As far as I can remember set the crank pins to either 3 o'clock or 9 o'clock which will give you mid throw and the stainless steel bit of the piston valve should be sticking out from the valve block by 3.5 mm. You may have to remove the dummy etched brass cover from the valve chest to get an accurate measurement as the cover could put you out by at least 0.5 mm. The Earl sounds like a 1994 or 1995 vintage. Regards Ian.

Thanks Ian! I got my Countess, works number 203, and she runs flawlessly. So I can use her as a referance to make sure Earl's timing is spot on. Mike

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