Garden Railway Forum

Hello everyone,

Does anyone have any details / history on the firm "The American Steam Locomotive Co Ltd"? A company which was / is based in Powys, Wales



http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... K:MEWNX:IT

I just purchased this on ebay, and wanted to know the history behind it, as the loco itself looks more like a French Decauville than an American loco.


Here is a photo of a similar looking full size loco -

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... uville.JPG

Not quite in the beginning, there was a newsagent called Tom Cooper who got into garden railways. He put an LGB layout in his shop window and started selling a few bits, including steam locos from a German firm called Beck- which unlike traditional British steam locos ran on this strange stuff called gas.

Eventually, he started to be a bit more ambitious, modifying the Beck locos to look more British and thus was born the Merlin Locomotive Works. Eventually he outgrew the Beck-based designs and started making his own, at a factory on the banks of the Banwy in Llanfair. Unfortunately he was a better hobby visionary than businessman. Merlin fell on hard times, and the creditors had him removed and the company put in charge of its former accountant. Fortunately this worthy knew lots about numbers and money. Unfortunately she knew little about small locomotives. Fortunately she cleverly found ways to save the company money. Unfortunately one of these was getting rid of some senior engineering staff. Fortunately costs went down. Unfortunately so did sales as quality declined. Fortunately the ex-engineer went on to found his own company which went on to achieve great things as Pearse Engineering. Unfortunately Merlin went under and disappeared.

Meanwhile, undaunted, Tom Cooper set up another Garden Railway business, Steamlines Models and Publications. This offered an irregular magazine "steamlines" (later to become Garden Railway World before being swallowed by GR), and some products- most of which were made by other people like the Motor Mule (Roger Hine/Friog) and Mr Merlin's Pooter (a Roundhouse special with modified bodywork).

At heart Tom was a pioneer, and when the 16mm market got crowded he looked for another unique approach. Buying an expensive CNC machining centre, he came up with a very unusual design of live steam model that featured a chassis chewed out of a solid metal block in one piece. Some designs were for 16mm and some for 22.5mm/ft (7/8" before it took off). There were British Bagnalls, generic American machines (hence the new company name) and the European-style beastie you've acquired. I don't think many were made before poor health overtook Mr Cooper and the business faded away.

On the plus side, you've got a machine which is rare if not unique, and very solid thanks to its idiosnycratic construction. OTOH, try not to break anything as finding spares will definitely be a big problem.

I was going to say there's something very Merlin about the bottom half.

I know nothing about it but it's a very lovely, well detailed, and unusual engine. Bit of a bargain I reckon.

I reckon there is some roger marsh on that too

TommyDodd:52731 wrote:Not quite in the beginning, there was a newsagent called Tom Cooper who got into garden railways. He put an LGB layout in his shop window and started selling a few bits, including steam locos from a German firm called Beck- which unlike traditional British steam locos ran on this strange stuff called gas.

Eventually, he started to be a bit more ambitious, modifying the Beck locos to look more British and thus was born the Merlin Locomotive Works. Eventually he outgrew the Beck-based designs and started making his own, at a factory on the banks of the Banwy in Llanfair. Unfortunately he was a better hobby visionary than businessman. Merlin fell on hard times, and the creditors had him removed and the company put in charge of its former accountant. Fortunately this worthy knew lots about numbers and money. Unfortunately she knew little about small locomotives. Fortunately she cleverly found ways to save the company money. Unfortunately one of these was getting rid of some senior engineering staff. Fortunately costs went down. Unfortunately so did sales as quality declined. Fortunately the ex-engineer went on to found his own company which went on to achieve great things as Pearse Engineering. Unfortunately Merlin went under and disappeared.

Meanwhile, undaunted, Tom Cooper set up another Garden Railway business, Steamlines Models and Publications. This offered an irregular magazine "steamlines" (later to become Garden Railway World before being swallowed by GR), and some products- most of which were made by other people like the Motor Mule (Roger Hine/Friog) and Mr Merlin's Pooter (a Roundhouse special with modified bodywork).

At heart Tom was a pioneer, and when the 16mm market got crowded he looked for another unique approach. Buying an expensive CNC machining centre, he came up with a very unusual design of live steam model that featured a chassis chewed out of a solid metal block in one piece. Some designs were for 16mm and some for 22.5mm/ft (7/8" before it took off). There were British Bagnalls, generic American machines (hence the new company name) and the European-style beastie you've acquired. I don't think many were made before poor health overtook Mr Cooper and the business faded away.

On the plus side, you've got a machine which is rare if not unique, and very solid thanks to its idiosnycratic construction. OTOH, try not to break anything as finding spares will definitely be a big problem.

Many Thanks for the history, certainly makes interesting reading, and has covered pretty much everything I asked!

When it arrives I shall take some more photos to add to this thread.

I thinks it will go well with the Wightscale Kerr Stuart Wren I have!

Send photo etc to Derek WIGGINS of the Heritage team at the 16mm NGM association

heritage@16mm.org.uk

I am sure he can help as he has contacts with many who built these locos

Cracking find

Crackingjob

Crackingjob:52776 wrote:Send photo etc to Derek WIGGINS of the Heritage team at the 16mm NGM association

heritage@16mm.org.uk



I am sure he can help as he has contacts with many who built these locos

Cracking find

Crackingjob

Thanks very much I will do!

Well yesterday the loco arrived, and I must say I'm very impressed by the build quality, and detail the loco has.

I've steamed it on my rolling road and at approx 10psi the loco happily started to run. The regulator is the brake handle at the back of the cab. At 90 degrees to the cab back the regulator is off, but if you turn the handle to the right the loco goes forward, and when moved to the left the loco will move in reverse.

Here are some photos taken yesterday evening of the loco after running.

That's a really lovely model - and an unusual prototype too.
It would look perfect with a rake of small cane wagons

And I think I see my (recently sold) Ruby in the background, hope it's still doing well

Those cylinders do look awfully like 'Ogwen' ones.....I'd love to know more about this loco, the history above was fascinating, I didn;t know about this part of the Merlin story.

NHN

Nomis:52976 wrote:That's a really lovely model - and an unusual prototype too.
It would look perfect with a rake of small cane wagons  8)

And I think I see my (recently sold) Ruby in the background, hope it's still doing well  ;)

It certainly is your old Ruby, and she certainly enjoys running round the new railway

I just purchased this on ebay, and wanted to know the history behind it, as the loco itself looks more like a French Decauville than an American loco.

You are correct, it was based on a Decauville Prototype, IIRC possibly the ones sent to Australia to the sugar industry.

See http://www.zelmeroz.com/album_rail/qld/ ... uville.pdf


He also did a UK prototype with the CNC machine which he called after his wife, Eileen. This was based on a Barclay ?Class A? tank of which a number were built for civil engineering contractors, for 3 ft ga. Morrison and Mason of Glasgow had a number of these inc one which survived at the BAC plant at Foyers, later moved to the SRPS at Boness, and currently being restored for duty on an Irish line AFAIK. This loco, formerly M & M No 5 was built new for the Elan Valley Pipeline project and I have a photo of it and two other locos on this contract at Bucknell, Salop, where my Grandfather saw it as a boy.

samcevansuk:54072 wrote:

I just purchased this on ebay, and wanted to know the history behind it, as the loco itself looks more like a French Decauville than an American loco.

You are correct, it was based on a Decauville Prototype,  IIRC possibly the ones sent to Australia to the sugar industry.

See http://www.zelmeroz.com/album_rail/qld/ ... uville.pdf


He also did a UK prototype with the CNC machine which he called after his wife, Eileen.  This was based on a Barclay ?Class A? tank of which a number were built for civil engineering contractors, for 3 ft ga.  Morrison and Mason of Glasgow had a number of these inc one which survived at the BAC plant at Foyers, later moved to the SRPS at Boness, and currently being restored for duty on an Irish line AFAIK. This loco, formerly M & M No 5 was built new for the Elan Valley Pipeline project and I have a photo of it  and two other locos on this contract at Bucknell, Salop, where my Grandfather saw it as a boy.

Thanks for your replay, more interesting info!

The PDF drawing is great!

Going through a narrow gauge book recently, I also noted that a group of very similar Decauville locos were used in mineral mines in Nouvelle-Calédonie.

I would certainly be interested in seeing one of the Barclay style locos Mr Cooper produced - anyone with photos?

I have one of the barclay style locos and will post a photo shortly . would be interested in speaking with you RSB as my loco is missing some parts and im planning to make some replacement bits to get it running .
Untitled by jordan leeds photography, on Flickr


Untitled by jordan leeds photography, on Flickr

The majority of the motion is missing and the valve rods are bent so will be replaced with replacement in stainless or Silver steel the axles also require replacing with longer ones so that the cranks do not rub on the frames and also they will have proper Axle bearings made up and fitted to the frames Whilst not original to the loco it should improve running and stop the Aluminium frame wearing

I have the Instruction book if your interested in a copy?

Hello
You mentioned back in 2013 you had an instruction book for the little giant bu Stemlin4s Tom Cooper……
Do you still have it?….if so could I have some photos of the pages??

The OP hasn't been seen on the forum since 2014 so it is less than likely that you'll get a reply I'm afraid.