Hi Rob, Blackgates do castings etc. and drawings for a 5" Oliver Cromwell. Blackgates

Regards Nick.

I would say that it could be a Britannia. The trailing pony truck looks right and the upright closing plate on the drag box that stands under the cab is nearly right. The frames have the correct side profile.

But a really strange feature is the missing large central, horizontal stretcher. Also odd are the double openings (drain cock rods?) in the drag box.

There is always the possibility that bits do not match the drawings because the builder changed things or used what was available. Perrier/Spink wheels are 6 9/16" diameter on the treads and the driver axles are at 7 7/16 " centres.

The only drawings I know of were from Perrier and these have for many years been rebranded by N Spink and sold by Blackgates.

Norm

Brian is likely to be right about it being from a kit. Might explain the loco being built to that stage but without the cylinders and motion kits arriving.

The later kit Modelworks Britannia drag box is brass/bronze. Many parts on the earlier Winson were aluminium. Also scratch those cast stretchers to see. A Perrier has fabricated, silver soldered steel stretchers.

I do wonder if the earlier Winson did not have the big, flat top stretcher fitted, or it has not been bolted in yet by the builder?

Also, take out some of the big setscrews from the frames and see if they are metric threads, to confirm a kit.

Norm

Norm, the big flat stretcher was an after thought, added to the later batches of 5 inch Britannia kits, and offered to the 71/4 builders.

Regards

Brian B

Rob

It would be very interesting if you could tell us what your 'reliable informant' has identified that conclusively shows that this is a Perrier scratch build and not the Winson parts that Brian and I think it might be.

Norm