Office of Steam Forum for Model & Toy Steam Gas & Hot Air Engines

An extract from Model Engineer November 21st 1946, page 495 LBSC (Curly Lawrence)
I will try and get a photo of the engine pictured with this description as there very alike.

A Co-operative Job

The locomotive shown in the accompanying reproduced photograph shows what can be done when a few club members show the real club spirit in giving practical help and advice to a fellow-member in need of same ; and it gives your humble servant much pleasure indeed to be able to put it on record. A member of the Grimsby and Cleethorpes S.M.E., Mr. A. Grose, was an ardent member of the power-boat section of the club, but became infected with the loco-motive microbe ; and knowing very little about locomotives, thought it would be a good plan to acquire an incomplete engine, and finish it off by aid of some of the locomotive fraternity among the members. This idea seemed O.K. and a partly-finished engine was purchased ; but then the fun began!
washout ;
The engine proved an awful washout the chassis was very poor, the valvegear being Marshall’s patent radial  ear, and far too flimsy to stand up to hard work such as passenger hauling. The boiler was a rivet-andsolder
job, with much more solder than rivets, and there were various other imperfections, so that our worthy friend began to feel down in the dumps, and to despair of carrying out his desire. However, he took the pieces along to a club meeting, and the locomotive members held a post-mortem on it, the verdict being that the job could be resurrected by co-operative action. One member took the chassis in hand, and fitted a complete new Joy valve-gear in place of the original Marshall ; another turned a new crankaxle out of the solid ; a third took the boiler inhand, dissected it, salvaged the barrel, put a new firebox wrapper on it, fitted a new inside firebox and brazed up the whole bag of tricks. Meantime our worthy friend himself was not idle. Although he only has a weeny lathe, similar to the one first acquired by young Curly of the ‘nineties, he took the smokebox in hand, and turned up a new ring and door, which was “ passed for service ” by the other members of the locomotive co-operative
society. He then turned his attention to the details making new buffers, dummy Westinghouse donkey, brake pipes, screw couplings and other oddments.

The engine was eventually completed, and the members taking part in the resurrection were so enthusiastic to try out the result of their combined efforts, that the trial run was made in a snowstorm, the rails having to be cleared in front of the engine. She responded nobly, performing truly both to the traditions of the old “ Brighton,” and the gospel of “ Live Steam ” as preached in these notes and practised by your humble servant. The engine is only 2-1/2in. gauge,and measures 23 in. over buffers ; but the boiler, which is practically “ scale ” size, with a narrow firebox, steams excellently, and the locomotive hauls a living load in the manner usually observed among good and efficient railway engines. Our friend was so pleased with her performance, and so grateful to the club members for their assistance, that he set to work with a will to finish her off with the equisite blobs and gadgets and a coat of paint ; the result you see in the picture. He apologises for the Stanier chimney and dome, but says they will be replaced by correct “ Brighton ” type adornments in the near future ;
and concludes his letter with the fervent wish that his experiences may give some encouragement to others who may be in similar circumstances. You bet they will; and followers of these notes won’t need any invitation to join old Curly in offering hearty congratulations to Mr.Grose on the success attending his endeavours, and also to the willing and able helpers who came to his assistance in time of need. A fine example indeed, of the spirit that should animate every club in existence ; and a lesson that I sincerely hope will be taken to heart by those who delight in finding fault with the work of others. Yes there are black sheep in every flock !