Garden Railway Forum

A good friend is down sizing his collection in preparation for a possible move and was looking for a home for this odd ball(in the states that is) 5" gauge Gronk. Everything in the states is 4 3/4 inches instead of 5 inch gauge. The engine comes with a little bit of track he said. Will need two 12vt deep cycle or AGM batteries and the cost to me way the gas to go fetch when he gets home from vacation in a week or so. Since I have no ride on in my back yard, a 5" line will get built. The nearest 4 3/4 gauge railway is just over 3 hours drive from my place. I do plan to have someone look into changing its gauge. The actual brand of the model is a Blackgates Engineering Charlaton according to some others that have seen the pic. I will have to get the back story from my friend when I see him next week on how a 5" gauge UK engine got stateside. I suspect it came with him when he moved here, he is a UK native. Cant wait to get the old girl running again.

That does look like a lovely model. Well worth whatever you paid for it, no doubt

Rik

Very nice! I think I was pulled around a garden centre in Kent by one of those as a child...

Seen plenty of these but still have not found any explanation for the name GRONK.

Scrat wrote: ↑Fri Apr 30, 2021 9:08 pm Seen plenty of these but still have not found any explanation for the name GRONK.

Yes, I've been wondering about that as well.

It's an enthusiast nickname for 08 and 09 shunters - don't know what the origin is though...

I have a more or less close sibling of a class 08.
Built in the UK by someone who liked the looks of a 08 and bent the proportions to fit a Villiers F.07 motor inside.



1 cylinder four-stroke motor, worm drive, reversing gearbox seemingly from an old pillar drill, chain drive to all axles, pull-cord starter.
The ideal shunter. Slow and powerful.
Daughter likes it because it makes lots of noise.