Flying Scotsman - different commercial designs

[MikeWilliams]

There is a Flying Scotsman local to me which will be coming up for sale.  The owners knows nothing about it and I know little more, but although I don't want it myself I'm going to see it with a view to finding what it is and hopefully find it a new home.  It looks nicer than many I've seen but what designs were there?

Bassett Lowke and Bonds I know of but what others were there and what's the difference between them?  I plan take pictures and try to find a buyer.

I do know that it was bought at auction blind and has not run for many years if ever.  If anyone might be interested I can put you in touch, after I've found a bit more about it.

Mike

[IanT]

The Bassett-Lowke (E.W. Twining) F/S was a 1/2" model Mike and mostly spirt-fired. I think there may be coal-fired versions around but I'm not sure if they were built that way or converted later.

The more recent F/S design was by Derek Collin and Paul Weise and was published as a series in ME, starting in Sept 1981. It was 17/32" scale and could be built was an A1 or A3 and with 2 or 3 cylinders. It was coal-fired, although a propane-burner boiler was later described in March 1983. The main drivers on the Collin/Weise engine should be 3.5" dia. (across treads, as per drawing) and the B/L ones just under 3.3" dia. (at a guess).

So if the engine is spirit-fired, it's probably a B/L, and if coal-fired it's more likely a C/W - and if it has 3 cylinders then it's a C/W as I think all B/L's were 2-cylinder but I'm not absolutely certain of that (as EW Twining did special commissions for B/L customers).

Hope this will help rather than further confuse!  :-)

Regards,

IanT