Bachmann Quarry Hunslet 0‑4‑0ST

◆ GAUGE ‘OO9’ ◆ MODEL Bachmann Narrow Gauge 391-052 Quarry Hunslet 0-4-0ST Nesta, Penrhyn Quarry lined black ◆ PRICE £139.95 ◆ AVAILABILITY Bachmann stockists Web www.bachmann.co.uk

It seems almost surreal to be reviewing a fully functioning 4mm:1ft scale locomotive which measures just 1¾ inches in length, or 2¼ inches over the couplers, but that’s the reality of Bachmann’s latest narrow gauge offering, the ‘Quarry’ version of the Hunslet 0‑4‑0ST. In the days before the internal combustion engine, this was the equivalent of a tractor, and it is much the same size as a 20th-century farm tractor (though a fraction the size of today’s agricultural juggernauts).

Received for review is Penrhyn Quarry’s Nesta in lined black, which was sold for preservation in the USA once its career at Penrhyn was over, eventually ending up in Puerto Rico, of all places. It was brought back to the UK in 2016 and is currently in the Bala Lake Railway’s museum in an unrestored state.

Packed in the size of box Bachmann normally uses for a wagon, this diminutive locomotive weighs just 33g, or just over one ounce. It takes advantage of a tiny coreless motor and is a truly exquisite little model. The body is cast in metal for both strength and weight, with mainly plastic details.

The only noticeable departure from prototype appearance seems to be the ‘plumbing’, the copper pipework on the model seeming to be neater than that on the prototype! My eye was drawn immediately to the open cab where the separate regulator is picked out in red with a polished silver-coloured handle and the pipework, gauges and fittings all have a gleaming ‘brass’ finish. Indeed, one fine pipe under the right-hand side of the saddle tank appears to be a piece of actual copper wire and gleams when it catches the light.

The Hunslet was designed for a crew of one, there being scarcely enough space for a single person, squeezed between the hot firebox and the cab back plate. A tiny coal box was provided to the left side of the cab, and Bachmann’s attempt at moulding small coal is about the only shortcoming in the appearance of the model.

Boiler top detail is top-notch, the chimney, whistle, smokebox-mounted lubricator, and safety valve being particularly noteworthy. The chimney appears to be turned and blackened metal and the shaping of the top is particularly sharp. Prominent on top of the saddle tank are two ‘Y’-shaped brackets intended for fire irons, with a couple of suitable tools supplied within a small bag of extra details. The single, very fine, blackened wire handrail loops round the front of the chimney just as it does on the real thing.

The quality of finish on this tiny little gem is exceptional, with copper, brass and bright red details picked out. Nesta carries the later style of Penrhyn lining, with blue and red instead of tan. The finish is satin black and the springs and outside cranks are finished in bright red. The nameplates and builder’s plates

are also neatly printed and legible. This is particularly commendable in the case of builder’s plates as a good impression of the complex design of the real thing has been created. Separate etched brass nameplates are included with the model. It would be a shame to weather it!

I had no desire to dismantle the model, so this part of the review is based on what’s visible and what can be gleaned from the enclosed instruction sheet. As you might expect, the tiny metal wheels are solid with a representation of the spoke detail. They run in an inside-framed chassis block and are almost entirely hidden by outside frames slotted to accommodate the extended axles.

The outside cranks (red) are fitted with pressed metal, blackened, coupling and connecting rods. The whole of this locomotive is what, in days past, we would have called a watchmaker’s assembly job, and when considering the price it must be viewed similarly. Would you pay this much for a piece of jewellery or a watch? If it performs as well as it looks, you’ll be getting what you paid for.

Coupling hooks of the ‘hook-and-loop’ type traditionally used on ‘OO9’ stock are fitted to both ends and they are pivoted and self-centring.

In terms of performance, a tiny lightweight locomotive with a wheelbase of just 13mm and four very small wheels is always going to require help from scrupulously clean, well laid track.

Having read some of the social media comments, I was expecting

It seems almost surreal to be reviewing a fully functioning 4mm:1ft scale locomotive which measures just 1¾ inches in length