A Vintage Merlin Mayflower

[Chris Bird]

I have always thought that Tom Cooper's Mayflower is one of the prettiest 16mm locos and so jumped at the chance of getting one for the SLR. It had a DJB whistle and Chuffer fitted by the previous owner and I have sorted out the buffer beams, smoke-box, chimney top etc.

You can see it in action on the Summerlands Light Railway here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSRk...3b585b79df21d9ef5.jpg[/IMG] Cheers Chris

 

[casey jones snr]

What a lovely looking locomotive.

 

[steamtom1]

And then there is my not-so-vintage Merlin Mayflower...

 

[Chris Bird]

Can we have a closer look please SteamTom? It looks excellent!
Cheers
Chris

 

[steamtom1]

Chris,

I'm going to run it this Saturday. I'll take a few pics, and perhaps a video.

 

[Chris Bird]

Sounds good to me Tom!

In the meantime here is another photo - but are there any other Mayflowers out there? Photos please!

Cheers
Chris

 

[dunnyrail]

Here are my two of my Merlin Locomotives.
First the Mayflower, bought when I was married. Not sure why I left the name on this one!

Then my Monarch which has quite a history as it was the prototype:-

I have been thinking of selling these two as they are a bit long in the tooth but do work in a reasonable way, but could both do with some TLC.

JonD.

 

[3Valve]

Fantastic video Chris.

 

[steamtom1]

Dunny,

At least she did not get custody of the Merlins.

 

[dunnyrail]

Dunny,

At least she did not get custody of the Merlins.

Yes but she wanted half the value of my Model railway. I believe her current car registration to be B1 TCH.
JonD

 

[dunnyrail]

Here is a Vid of my Merlin Monarch, I must do one of the Mayflower for this thread.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6Lyw7t-9_4 JonD

 

[steamtom1]

One of the guys in our club has a Merlin. I'm not sure what model it is...

 

[Chris Bird]

Well Tom that looks like a Merlin Hunslet - the No, 14 ex Sierra Leone Railways now on the Welshpool and Llanfair.

Nice to see your Monarch in action Jon - and the Mayflower looks great too. A lot of these locos are pretty worn now, though I gather Mike Ousby can sort the valve chests and there may be more spare parts in the future, according to Tag.
Cheers
Chris

 

[steamtom1]

The same guy has this one...

 

[Chris Bird]

Well Tom - that one is very like the Merlin Jung Frau (circa 1989), though that was an 0-6-2 and had a bunker on the back and shorter tanks with no cut-aways. Perhaps it is an early prototype - or maybe this had a different name........
Cheers
Chris

 

[steamtom1]

Have you folks seen http://cgi.ebay.com/LIVE-STEAM-EARL...d-O-/120610471982?pt=UK_Trains_Railway_Models < Link To this? It looks like a Merlin saddle tank loco, originally mistaken as a Roundhouse.

 

[Chris Bird]

Yes indeed - it is a Merlin Monarch like Jon's further up the thread. That error in description got him a lot of publicity on the groups

There are a lot of bidders - but there is always a risk with these locos as they wear out.
Cheers
Chris

 

[steamtom1]

I thought he had them reversed, but I didn't want to say anything, being far from the Merlin expert myself.

 

[Elmtree Line]

Well Tom - that one is very like the Merlin Jung Frau (circa 1989), though that was an 0-6-2 and had a bunker on the back and shorter tanks with no cut-aways. Perhaps it is an early prototype - or maybe this had a different name........
Cheers
Chris

Chris,

I didn't think Tom actually got round to making any Jung Frau?

maybe someone somewhere has one, i know he made one as i've seen the pictures.

 

[Chris Bird]

Tom - yes the Monarch is the saddle tank and the Mayflower the side tank. I think Jon just got the photos in the wrong place.

Keith - The Jung Frau was advertised in Garden Railway World in 1989 from the Merlin Locomotive Works. There is a photo of a finished model so they made at least one! Of course Tom Cooper had moved on by then and was trading as Steamlines. I had no money for any of these locos in those days so my knowledge only comes from the old magazines.
Could this be a cue for a photo of your Midas Mk III?
Cheers
Chris