The Perfect Baldwin 50hp 'gas Mechanical' 0-4-0 I/c Tractor Holiday Edition [u6CVzPM1]

About the kit..

This kit is complete, which comprises of brass & nickel silver etches, lost wax brass & white metal detail parts, motor, gears, wheels, fixings, injection moulded plastic fly cranks, US army rub down transfers. Detailed instructions & drawings in PDF format, on a CD. 

This kit was originally designed & developed by Roger Chivers (Chivers Finelines) and subsequently produced by Meridian Models, to which this kit has been taken over by Small Run Batch when they ceased trading.

Prototype Info..

The Baldwin Locomotive Works of Philadelphia, USA constructed well over a 1’000 locomotives, both steam and I/C engined, for the British, French, Russian and American Governments. Of these where a 126 50HP Gas-mechanical in 1917 for the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) for use in France, in addition a number of dimensional smaller 35HP versions were also built. The French Army had around 600! 50HP locos built to the same design for use on its Artillery railways in mainland France and its colonies. Also the Imperial Russian Government had 350 76cm gauge locos built to a very similar design. The locos were fitted with 4 cylinder petrol engines driving the 4-coupled wheels via a two-speed gearbox and rod coupling. Speed was a stately 4 mph (6.4 kmph) in bottom gear and 8 mph (12.9 kmph) in top gear. The locos weighed in at 14,000 lb (6350 kg). Fuel carried in the 30-gallon (113.6 litre) tank was used up at 3 miles per gallon (12 km per litre) Quite thirsty!!