Sabre steam serial number break between early models and the later more problematic ones?

[artfull dodger]

Just picked up one here in the USA thats been gone thru and is reported to be a good steamer now. Lady Anne base. I think you can see the serial number if you blow up the pic. When was the change from the ones the dad built vs his son where quality slipped off a bunch?

 

[dunnyrail]

Just picked up one here in the USA thats been gone thru and is reported to be a good steamer now. Lady Anne base. I think you can see the serial number if you blow up the pic. When was the change from the ones the dad built vs his son where quality slipped off a bunch?

AI suggests production between 2009 and 2010 though there is some doubt about prior to that year with 2007 mentioned. Could it be that 2010 on the plate is the year of manufacture/conversion in which case it could be the younger member’s work?

 

[Rhos Helyg Loco Works]

I spent many, many stressful hours assisting the owners of these locos, and rebuilt a few so they would actually do something akin to their advertised attributes. This was in 2010-2011 and it still haunts me to this day. A lot of good people lost a lot of money on these, including a major supplier of components. I do not have a list of serial numbers but seem to remember it was around number 25 that the "switch" occurred. Over the past 15 years I have done my best to wipe memories of these monstrosities from my mind.

You have said elsewhere that your one has been rebuilt. That can only be good news and it certainly will not make it any worse than it was. Major issues were the axle "pump" (it was never a pump), smokebox, bodywork and paintwork. Later ones had boilers that incorporated so much metal they were impossible to ever get hot. One of my rebuilds failed because of this.

I have many photos from back in those dark days.

I hope that you witnessed your loco hauling a train before parting with your hard-earned. One trick used back in 2010 when customers collected their loco was to use the known-to-work "shop" loco as a training demonstrator rather than their own, for such reasons as "we wouldn't want to get it dirty, would we?".

I refer you to experienced driver, newbie fireman, Sabre Steam Annette as Overhauled and with Short Blast Pipe and Sabre Steam

 

[artfull dodger]

This one belonged to a late young lady here in the states and was a good steamer the last time she ran it. I was pleased to add it to my collection. I also picked up an alcohol fired 0-6-0 Dylan from the same dealer. They should be here to me later next week hopefully.