looking for steam

The mechanic

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Hello everyone,

I am relatively new to garden railways (G45) but have modelled in oo for years.
I am looking for a reasonably priced Accucraft Carradoc, Edrig or similar UK outline engine on which to learn the art of operating this form of power.

I am not too fussed about the cosmetic condition but need a machine that is mechanically sound in both boiler and motion.
I cannot afford a second mortgage to fund this loco (as some of the offerings on Ebay dictate) I merely want something to get involved in the hobby with and progress from there.

I hope that someone out there will be able to assist me

Please reply via GSC in first instance

Kind regards

The Mechanic
 
Many of us started out with real beginers Live Steam like a Mamod. Whist many may despise them others love them for the ability to Teach about Live Steam at as realistic a price as possible. Certainly any Geared Loco will be much tamer on the line. Other Geared options may be some of the cheeper Regner Products though since the crash (yet again) of the Pound after the B Vote they may not be as good a value as they once were.

Good luck with your search, once bitten by the Miniature Dragon Puffer Bug there will be no escape!
 
I have a boxed r/c Accucraft loco in the garage which I've never used. Pretty sure it's a Caradoc. Will look it out tonight or tomorrow night if you're interested.
 
Have a look at Anything Narrow Gauge they usually havea selection of second hand puffers.

Shaun
 
Have a look at Anything Narrow Gauge they usually havea selection of second hand puffers.

Shaun
and they have a good reputation. Cheap steamers are often just that - cheap.
 
Whatever route you take, see it steaming before you part with a penny.

I second the advice about 'Anything narrow gauge', but caution you to be open-minded about the cost of things. There really is no such thing as a cheap second-hand live steamer - most I've seen were around 90% - sometimes even more - of the new price. And check, too, that they are either already set in the gauge you want, or are gauge adjustable to suit. A couple of years back I fell deeply in love with a Pearse Leek & Manifold loco - a much superior model to the more usual Roundhouse version - only to find that not only was it in the wrong gauge for me, but that it was not possible to change it without a major frame rebuild.

tac
Ottawa Valley GRS
 
Get to the 16mm 'National Garden Railway Show' at Peterborough next month if you can. loads to see and you will learn a lot.
 
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Managed to extricate the loco from it's hiding place. I bought three lightly used Accucraft live steamers when my pension paid out about 6 years ago - a Ruby, Wrekin & Caradoc. Sold the first two to other forum members - Ruby about 18 months ago and Wrekin last summer. They only came out of the boxes to photograph - I never got round to actually using any of them. This one is fully boxed, has original gas tank & boiler certificates (dated 2007), tools as supplied, syringe etc. No damage to paintwork other than signs of handling. Dual gauge 32/45mm. Complete with Futaba Attack r/c system.
 

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Managed to extricate the loco from it's hiding place. I bought three lightly used Accucraft live steamers when my pension paid out about 6 years ago - a Ruby, Wrekin & Caradoc. Sold the first two to other forum members - Ruby about 18 months ago and Wrekin last summer. They only came out of the boxes to photograph - I never got round to actually using any of them. This one is fully boxed, has original gas tank & boiler certificates (dated 2007), tools as supplied, syringe etc. No damage to paintwork other than signs of handling. Dual gauge 32/45mm. Complete with Futaba Attack r/c system.

Problem now that you have posted this for "sale" on this thread I now feel left in a dilemma - Do I break the etiquette of discussing views and opinions that might detract from what you are pitching here ? Would not a PM with a redirection to an entry in the private sales/wanted section be more suitable ? I'm all for "strike while the iron's hot" but this post has left me in a quandary. :rolleyes: Max
 
Problem now that you have posted this for "sale" on this thread I now feel left in a dilemma - Do I break the etiquette of discussing views and opinions that might detract from what you are pitching here ? Would not a PM with a redirection to an entry in the private sales/wanted section be more suitable ? I'm all for "strike while the iron's hot" but this post has left me in a quandary. :rolleyes: Max
On second thoughts Max perhaps a PM to the original poster might have been the best course of action. I was not trying to circumvent the sales section, rather be open about what I had in view of some of the advice given by other forumites. Although I've owned several live steamers in my time I've never actually used one 'in anger'. I hankered after the sight of steam and the smell of hot oil more than anything else but the right opportunity eluded me so my experience and knowledge on the subject is nil. Time is something I'm short of but this will eventually end up on the sales section I have no doubt. I have no problem with comments or personal views. If the initial request had been placed in the 'wants' section maybe that would have been better.
 
I think it is great that Max is considering others in this thread and it does pose a bit of a problem.
Nobody is right or wrong here - we're just a bit muddled.
I am moving this thread to 'Wanted'.
 
I would certainly agree with the suggestion you get along to the Association of 16 mm Narrow Gauge Modelers (NGM) at Peterborough on 7th April if you can. Check their web page https://www.16mm.org.uk/ for more information. Join up if your interest is live steam, there is probably an active group of theirs in your area with lots of member's lines to visit and learn from.

As already said certainly don't stint on cost for your first live steamer and try to avoid those with "slip eccentrics" mechanisms, they limit on-board control options.

One name that has not been mentioned yet is Roundhouse. While Accucraft are a popular choice for beginners the Roundhouse brand offer a number of advantages, for a small premium, in my experience -
1) They are a long established UK made product with a reputation for unrivaled customer service and ready spares availability, even for quite long discontinued models.
2) They offer a very wide current range of reliable and robust products to suit most tastes and pocket sizes.
3) As a long established well developed product range they are generally very easy to "light up", run and maintain, compared with some makes that can prove temperamental and frustrating in use.
4) They will probably prove the safest bet as a 2nd hand buy, because of the previously mentioned service and spares back up. And if they don't pique your interest in the long term they are probably the safest bet to retain their value for re-sale if you feel the need.

Lest you think I have a vested interest - my own "fleet" are predominantly Accucraft, down mainly to the subject matter that I am interested in - mainly the UK narrow gauge lines, the L&B and W&L and US narrow gauge lines. But Roundhouse was my introduction to this hobby and one I still try and own an example for all the above reasons. Max
 
Buying a used loco is always a gamble unless you have a grantee from a dealer but they usually have a big mark-up. There are plenty of unused pre-owned locos out there but often out of guarantee. If you are not sure buy one from someone you trust. I have bought a number of locos unseen, some have been bargains and a few duff ones. Buying Roundhouse secondhand is normal the safest as they are built to last and most parts available if they do need a fix. In a private sale you can find a used Lady Anne or Billy for between £650 and £800. If a simple fix is needed there are several repairers who charge reasonable rates.
 
Have started a conversation in answer to your post on my profile. Click on what looks like a TV screen with a downward pointing arrow at top right of your screen, just left of the 'bell'.
 
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