Collett '1366 class' No. 1369, actually earning its keep on Trerice, my P4 minimum-space china-clay branch layout. 1369 marries a scratchbuilt superstructure with a Peter K etched chasssis from the excellent 1361 kit (got one of those in the wings, too....). She has 3-point "Flexi-chas' compensation with a Mashima 1224 motor driving the fixed rear axle via Ultrascale 38:1 gears. Wheels are Sharman's, buffers are Gibson and everything else was scratchbuilt about ten years ago. A favourite prototype.

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Here are the clay dries at Trerice, with BR-built 16XX lightweight pannnier no. 1624 undertaking a little light shunting. 1624 was built in very short order as an extra engine to take to exhibitions, and uses the old (but good) Cotswold body kit on a scratchbuilt chassis. I always liked these baby panniers, which I knew well from childhood Cornish holidays; there were several at St Blazey for working the dodgier clay branches, so she's an apposite choice.

No. 1624 has frames fretted from 20thou. nickel, and is fitted with my customary 3-point Flexi-chas compensation. Power comes from a 1224 Mashima via a 60:1 High Level 'Load Hauler' gearbox; wheels are the usual Sharmans. In spite of being rather thrown together in a week of evenings, 1624 has turned out slow and powerful and completely unphased by Trerice's corkscrew trackwork. Just like the prototype, in fact.

You can see a few more scenes from Trerice in the Layouts section.