Meccano LNER High-Pressure Locomotive

This CAD model is my modified version of the Meccano LNER High-Pressure Locomotive “No. 10000” model that was featured in the January, February, and March 1935 issues of The Meccano Magazine. It’s based on an experimental steam locomotive built by the London and North Eastern Railway in 1929. It was known as the “Hush-Hush”, apparently on account of the secrecy surrounding its development.

It utilized a marine style water-tube boiler rather than a conventional fire-tube boiler, allowing it to operate at a higher steam pressure and therefore more efficiently. It also used a corridor-type tender which allowed crew changes while the train was in motion, providing non-stop service between London and Edinburgh, Scotland.

However, it spent more than half of its short 5-year life in the shop undergoing maintenance, repairs, and modifications. The design never caught on and the locomotive was rebuilt with a fire-tube boiler in 1937. Unfortunately, it did not survive into preservation and was scrapped in 1959. There’s an interesting article on Wikipedia describing its innovative design and history.

The model includes an electric motor for the driving wheels and linkage, and control levers located in the cab for forward/reverse operation, positioning of the Walschaerts valve gear, and operation of the brake blocks. My version of the model also includes a few parts (such as the flexible plates) that hadn’t yet been introduced by Meccano in 1935. The overall length of the actual model is about 65 inches (165 cm), or approximately 1/14th scale.