5" Hunslet Austerity

Here we have a 5" gauge Hunslet Austerity,.... or J94 Austerity. Manufactured commercially by SilverCrest/Kingscale, this is actually a really impressive and attractive little machine and essentially brand new. Whilst the manufacturing methods employed by Kingscale, and the tolerances that they are able to achieve through them can cause all the well known issues with their larger piston valve locos, the smaller slide valve models tend to get away with it and ultimately perform extremely well. There's still a bit of manufacturing slop built into the valve gear and chassis, but the slide valves seat very nicely and the timing is superb. It's a free steamer too, with a decent sized firebox and a well designed and neatly silver soldered copper boiler,..... which will of course come freshly tested both on hydraulic and in steam.

This one has been steamed and run, albeit only a couple of times, and it ran particularly well when it did. We will try and upload the films from it's first runs, as it sounds extremely good pulling a load of wagons up a 1 in 45! There are 2 injectors currently fitted, and a hand pump in the cab. The twin ram mechanical pump has been removed. but can easily be put back on if you'd like. Lubrication is mechanical, and tucked under the front running board. There's even a steam brake and a healthy nod toward a prototypically accurate backhead. Again, this is another loco that Kingscale has got right. An attractive prototype, ideally suited to their manufacturing methods, and as a result a really lovely model that sold well, and will, we expect retain it's value well like the equally excellent GWR 1366 they made.