I really love miniature engines, there is just something so fascinating about seeing a tiny thing work just like a standard engine would. The Tinkerbell engine is one of my favourites, i mean if you don't smile when looking at this thing you haven't got a heart.
"Also Darling I can't find the cooking pot lid" "No I haven't seen it dear, just give me a few minutes and I will help you out, I am just putting the smokebox door on my loco"
miniature locomotive engineering is really about opportunistic use of whatever materials you can find. While it's all fun and games making stuff for your engine, if you have to buy everything as raw stock you'll go broke long before you finish the engine. Lots of it is about finding decent enough material in your local scrappers yard. So if you find some nice knife handles that'll work as your control lever, why not use them? (Just don't let the missus find out ;)
That giggle when Lawrie blew the first whistle 👌 He gets to do this all the time, yet he still reacts how I would if I ever got to blow a steam whistle.
@@lmm my friend owns a portable steam engine his engine fire is firewood. back in 2019 he let me blow the whistle which made a wonderful sound. by the way what kind of steam oil where you oiling up the moving parts? it wasn't universal steam oil made by Morris oils by chance
It's a very "british" style locomotive isn't it? just a bunch of random odds and ends jammed together. If you don't believe me, look at how at least half of the SOE's gear got made during WWII...
[Former MVR driver] We routinely change the water on the small engines to reduce priming. I suspect Tink was left empty as it's not routinely used. Normally, when filling the boiler, you would continue cleaning out the smokebox and other tasks, before panicking when you realise you've over filled the boiler! EDIT: Also, my regular engine used to be Hartfield (tank engine with a roof). I can confirm, on hot days, you cooked! It was a lot more spacious and comfortable day to day than Tink though. On wet days, there wasn't anything to stop a stream of water from the wheels being squirted into the cab, so you ended up with soaked feet and generally soaked through. Sad to have left the railway behind, but needs must.
Oh that makes sense! Much easier to multitask when you're not filming! It's an amazingly route. Yes, I bet! Tink was lovely on the day I had it, in the rain it must be awful!
@@lmm Yeah, I remember a few pretty awful days at MVR in the rain. I've had worse at KWVR to be fair though. But yeah, I think you've captured the heart of the line for me - it's a fully grown railway, just smaller. But it's a mainline, not a branch line like our heritage railways and as such, captures something those lines could never portray. When you've got a gala day with a train ever 3 1/2 minutes, it's genuinely capturing the spirit of somewhere like Clapham or Waterloo during the height of steam.
33:08, that point. That understanding of the appeal of a miniature engine. I feel that too, and it is rather easy to explain these days for me too. With a standard gauge, or even just a narrow gauge engine, you stand in front of it, in all its steaming glory, and you have that craving, that desire to own one yourself, but that small, nagging voice at the back of your head keeps whispering "Where do you get the money for it? Where would you store it, run it, service it?". But a miniature engine? A 7 1/4 inch loco, like little Tinkerbell here? That voice is silent. No, not silent, it is agreeing! "Yes, that would fit. You can store it, you can repair it, you can run it, and even if you don't have the space at your own home, you can put her on a trailer and drive where there is space for her!", and that appeal, that knowing, that you can actually have such an engine and use her as well, that is what drove me to order a 7 1/4 inch locomotive myself. For I have no shops to build one, but I could maintain her if I had one. And soon, I will. And that, is the beauty of such miniature steam. That even those who wish for their own engine, their own, true railway, but lack the funds/estate/other means to do so, can reach that epidome of this hobby after all, is something that everyone can reach after all. And with that, comes the beauty, joy, and happiness, of sharing the joy, when you drive around the line you are at, a train of passengers behind that enjoy it just as much as you do.
I would love to have this gauge train on a large property. I personally would want to make it practical like having tracks go around the whole property and build the tracks like giant model train tracks so changing or adding rail would be easy.
'Miniatures' really do surprise in their performance. I was born and brought up within spitting distance of the Leyland Model Engineers base at Worden Park and watched it evolve from the early 60's to today and owning a loco myself. Not the lightest 70 yr old around but my 3 1/2" 0-4-0 Large boilered 'Titch' some times performs way beyond what you'd think it should!! Keep up the good work..🚂🚃👍😀🇬🇧
If you like Tinkerbell you might be interested in a 7 1/4 gauge Thomas II (or Thomas 2). They are stronger, have more tractive effort and are properly built for hauling long heavy passenger trains! There is one at the Beer Heights Light Railway (Pecorama) which is only down the road from the Moors Valley although the Thomas II they have was built to look like a Quarry Hunslet.
Tinkerbell reminds me of 'The Bug' from the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway, only on a gauge that's just under half the size of Romney's and without a tender. Incidentally 'The Bug' is also the name of a Dire Straits song.
Fantastic video Laurie. You nearly brought a tear to my eye. By the way the handbrake wheel used to open sky lights at Rolls Royce Coventry and the knob on the smoke box door was cut from a MTB engine room telegraph that my Father was contracted to make in WW2. When first started I was a skinny nine stone six foot tall. A few months later when Tink was completed I weighed 15 stone. Keep up the good work.
I'm really glad you enjoyed it. I love where the other components came from too. It really is a great little machine, you must be so proud of it and the impact it's had!
does the into mean were getting more little loco episodes? havent seen the videos with those clips, if so im looking forward to it, minimal gauge and running miniature rail like a mainline realy interests me. it kinda feels like itd scratch the itch for those of us who cant buy narrow or standard gauge locos lol.
Brilliant Lawrie, Great video on a fantastic 7 1/4" gauge loco. I'm in the early stages of building my own variant of Tinkerbell, which I'm documenting the building of on my own RU-vid channel. I'm building mine with a normal locomotive boiler, me and marine boilers don't mix 😂. I knew you'd cook your knees, glad you enjoyed it. All the best, Matt.
This railway is my childhood. I vividly recall going on the train, going to the massive terminal hub and then getting off to go home after playing in the adventure playground. Ice cream was a very big requirement
My 18th birthday was a driver experience day with Talos, all my mates behind me on the carriages. Was the best birthday EVER - a few years late am now building my own 7 1/4" loco.
Ah, Tinkerbell, the grand dame of 7 & 1/4 inch gauge. If I ever get the machinery, I'd very much like to build an engine like her. A lot of the design philosophy to build her just makes it easier all 'round to build a locomotive using off the shelf parts instead of having to machine them, also makes for an engine that's designed to go work all day instead of being a scale model. Ball valve for a regulator, roller bearings instead of plain ones, car piston rings for the cylinders, a marine boiler and firebox to eliminate the need for staybolts, etc. I'd be sorely wishing I could take 'er or one like her home with me!
Really enjoyed this video, love that my favourite miniature railway has been featured. The locos there all have their own personalities just from looks alone.
I would say that it is probably my "local" railway. Some lovely little, and not so little locos on that line, the galas are a grand day out! Surprised you chose Tinkerbell to film given some of the others, but excellent none the less.
@@lmm I know, I can tell. I am just playing along 🙂 Edit: What would be cool, is for a loco like Tinkerbell, to have a removable top. That way you can enjoy the (summer) sun, and sit dry in a downpoor.
That sound is magic, my 5" loco is out of commission at the moment while I re-fit the injector but listening to tinkerbell chuffing around that track makes me want to go out and drive
Excellent. I once drove a Tinkerbell around Moors Valley with no train behind and I had to keep stopping to build up pressure. It was embarrassing. But no train meant no exhaust to pull the fire so it kept dying
One of the best times I've had driving was when I was part of a 7.25" gauge society. They had a Tinkerbell with "massive" cylinders and it could pull 8 loaded coaches, uphill, at a little under 50% regulator and at about 15% cut off, without breaking a sweat. I miss it loads!
What a lovely soft sound it makes, and as you say, it's great to experience it being worked hard as well. Those coaches are delightful too, if a little bit confusing when you see the size of a real human in them.
This has to be one of the most british engines I've ever seen: No, not in proportions, style, or all that. In a "Oh let's find all these spare parts and throw them together (presumably) in a garden shed somewhere," Kind of way
Weight? Looks like it would tow behind a car? I’m a big fan of narrow gauge Pixie, but you do need a small lorry. And I didn’t know you could go this big in 7 1/4”, I thought is was 10” up for carriages. You defo should get one :o)
@@lmm with a substantial braked trailer that is say 1600kg. That’s the first trailer licence class? (I’m old, so we didn’t have trailer tests. I just did car and artic)
See, trundling along in a proper little narrow-guage-style 0-4-0 or 0-4-2 that I can actually sit IN seems a lot more appealing to me than being hunched over the top of the "cab" of a scale model that you have to straddle - like what is the case with so many 7.5" and 7.25" gauge locomotives.
This is very exciting to see. I worked at MVR for several years! Would be interested to see your thoughts on some of the larger locos. Zeus was probably my favourite to drive.
Welcome to the Tinkerbell club. And a lucky bugger to play on the original. You think that’s top heavy, ask around in the miniature railway cycles or watch some of my clips. Lady Pauline another tinkerbell but quite tall. That’s top heavy.
@@lmm go to the 5 minute mark. And yes, images sitting in that o. The hottest day of the year. I did that several years ago. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-WFYceDcaNEw.html
Hey Lawrie, I was wondering in the intro of you little loco series there is a scene where you are driving a small blue engine then right after a scene of you talking about a small red engine, are there videos on when you did those things and if so where are they as they aren’t in the playlist?
Dam this brings back memories. 7 1/4 inch loco's can be really good fun if you know what you are doing with them. The only few things I had to do different was to clean the tubes after the end of the day with having the boiler warm or hot. Depending on how often the loco is driven we kept the boiler full at the end of the day.
If its going out again they'll keep it full. If it's being put away for a bit it's drained. I'm a big fan of letting it cool down before doing something like that.
I completely agree that these miniature locomotives are more difficult to run than the full size, especially with the smaller locomotives like my 1/8 scale Little Engines American because the firebox is only 4"x5" your always putting water in, chucking wood on the fire, and trying to keep it from slipping on a 2.5% grade. it's wonderful!
The railway is genuinely amazing. This was filmed before I started the Little series, so was going to fit in amongst the big engines. I think it worked well!
If you’re ever in Australia, you can come for a trip on mine. It has a roof for sun protection rather than rain and is on RU-vid. Look up Mr Smee if you want
Hopefully this means in the near future we get a LGlL on the Ravenglass or Romney railway. Also, the Bucket is a very high tech french invention by the looks of it
Not sure what it is about Miniature steam but it really is something special. not sure if its because its more achievable to own your own steam loco, or the the fact that its cheaper to run xD. You should get your self down to the Romney Hythe and Dymchurch Railway near me! One Hell of a Miniature playground! 15 inch Gauge railway spanning 21.7 KM!!!!!!! That would make a cracking vid! all the best!
*Tinkerbell is really Faaast!* It's faster than ALF, faster than your Ruston, faster than Centinel, faster than Hunslet. It is faster than many of standard guage locos that you showed in your Lawrie Goes Loco series.
It's a pity minimal railways aren't seen as anything other than "toy" tailways. Imagine having disused local railways reopened with 12" or 2 foot gauge lines from regional towns to their cities for commuter traffic with battery, petrol-electric locomotives during the week/:rush hours with steam locos at other times. These lines could probably use disused lines and diversions where old lines have been built on better than trams or other light rail systems.
I'm actually getting a lot of inspiration from this, both from the locomotive itself and from things I could improve on it. I've been thinking about building a 7.5" gauge (which is what we run in most of the US) "Forney" style locomotive, but one critical design factor is that I don't want to have to use an engineer's car. The whole thing (or at least the frame, boiler and drivetrain all in one piece) needs to be able to sit in the back of a Volkswagen Jetta, and having to carry additional rolling stock basically prohibits that.
I learned tos drive steam locos on a Tinkerbell... One owned by Dr Brian Rodgers on his Porter's Hill Railway. Many fond memories of driving these little beasts of a loco
I'm always amazed how stable something so heavy can be on such a small gauge track. It seems like the moment you lean to look past the funnel it should all topple over.
Wow! you came to my next of the wood! So many years running round moors valley! There a few other place if you wanted to visit? Swanage railway’s and littledown. Poole park. there one in Wimborne I’m yet to find? There was one in parley cross. as far as I know it no longer there? Rail map online mentions it? Great running around moors valley! Used to be in Christchurch with tucktonia. It was the compensation package given to Mvr after tucktonia closed. I’ve alway wanted to drive a miniature. Must of been aa thrill?
@@lmm I love it down Swanage. Was lucky many time down there! I once got a sneaky ride on the footplate as a kid. I must of been 11/12 at the time? as my folks signed me up for the sygnets. Never got the chance I would have love the opportunity to I been on the foot plate of one of the oldest working tank engine. They only shunted me up to the point and back. Been around the maintenance works! Many childhood trips. Even Christmas specials as a kid. It a very pretty railway. I call a the old locomotives lovely beasts? Go an odd look from the maintenance crew. On my trip around site for a job? Spent some many years make a pilgrimage to Swanage. I loved it. Even camped on corfe castle as a re-enactment show was on? With cries of dragon?! The dragon of Wessex puff the scenic line. Even dropped many a hint of steam going very quickly. 200mph! Eco fuels. Even firing the engines on cow pats? I often nicknamed it the railway of the gods? My first ride there was behind may. One of thier oldest locos. Was there from the time the line only had two stops if memory serves me? The can be contact via fb? I’ve had a love affair with Swanage for some time. I might of be the reason driver experience became a thing? I don’t recall many driver experiences before my 11th/12th birthday. I loved Swanage to be the skunk works of steam? That not down to me. But would be awesome to see? We ever have lost line of the castleman cork screw to consider? If all the lost branches where connected? 100 track miles could be in preservation hands? Would be fabulous to see? If you get the chance to film at Swanage? Do! I loved it and I got to see the flying Scotsman on the turntable! I’ve even been behind tornado! I’ve love the pacific they have there. I’ve Been to many a gala there! They inspired many a dream! Even the old Thomas come to Swanage was great fun! Swanage needs all the help it can get! I’ve been wait since I was a teen to catch a train from my home town. To ride all the way to Swanage with a change a wareham. Maybe we shall see the service running? But as it stand the fight continues? So if you even that way?don’t forget to cry dragon! As the trains roar past?
I didn't care for the look at first but as you went through the provenance of each part I realized it's exactly the sort of locomotive I would build, if I were to ever build a locomotive. I wonder if the high-tech coaling method was developed by some relative of that Bucket woman. "It's bouquet!"
@@lmm It's like a piece of art where the proportions are way off until you look at it from the right perspective, and then it falls into place perfectly. It appears this piece was meant to be viewed from inside the cab.
