Author

Webmaster

Date

18th April 2020

Reading Time

2 minutes

This was built by my Great Grandfather (H.H Groves around 1934 we believe, the design is from 1932 so is one of the earliest examples of this loco)

I inherited it from my Grandfather (Bert Groves) and in my memory I had never seen it in steam and we only used it under compressed air up an down his hallway on some lengths of widened gauge 1 track. Indeed it has never had a boiler cert to my knowledge so was only run in the family garden in north London.

The pics of it in steam were taken at the very first time we had it in steam at London Colney and was the first time she had fire in her belly for over 50 years. This was taken around 5 years ago and she easily pulled my Son and I around the small cuckoo line track they have (hard to find 2.5″ circuits so was blessed that this is just around the corner)

All I had to do to get it through it’s boiler test was oil it and replace a couple of perished rubber pipes, huge credit to the workmanship of my great grandfather. Credit has to go to the members of NLSME to help me get this loco back in steam, given I had only touched OO up until that time it would not have been possible.

I was planning to get up to London Colney this summer to run her again but think will have to wait a while for that.

Simon H