Hi all,
I thought some might find the following of interest.
An auction in New York is offering this 1 Gauge model made by Maerklin.
My guess is that the model was made around the turn of the 20th century.
The estimated price for this is USD$8,000.
My investigation of Bird's book on GNR locomotives is that a GNR #1007 built in 1895 (page 140) was a 4-2-2, so the model while interesting and collectable is not particularly accurate.
GNR #1007 was a Stirling class G3 which had outside cylinders and no steam dome.
Maerklin went to some trouble to replicate the cab shape which was particularly unlike anything German of the time.
Actually it is a more accurate model than first glance in that it is shown as if rebuilt by Ivatt, which it was, and had dome and Ramsbottom cover.
The cab certainly is not correct and obviously the Stirling single was just that, a single, however, to give traction maybe it needed 4 wheels.
What fascinates me is the tender which bears no relation even to the one behind No 1 for so many years.
This one is plainly too small, and has inside springs which are definitely not right.
It is however a fascinating look into the early path of clockwork models. Mind you either the boiler is sloping or the footplate
has been bent slightly too much.
Thank you Paul for those observations.
Very interesting.
The sloping footplate made me wonder if a different mechanism has been placed under the body.
Note the difference in the height of the cab footplate above the tender frame sheet, although the maker does appear to have allowed for a floor at the same height of the tender sheet.
Bird (page 214) does say that in Ivatt's time (as of July 1910), #1007 was still a single wheeler and only one of 9 remaining in service stationed at Grantham, Peterborough and Lincoln. As you suggested, they had by that time received a dome and a larger firebox.
Perusing the GNR History.org site, they do mention #1007 with a boiler rebuild by Ivatt in 1907.
But the other single wheel engine diagrams make me think the Maerklin model is more likely a 266 or 267 (class A4 and A5), built 1898-1901 during Ivatt's regime.
In which case the engine number is clearly not relevant.
And as Paul suggests, the mechanism has coupled wheels purely to achieve model traction, and with no subservience to accuracy.
