Railmotor (5 Gauge)

Overview
The Railmotor was a small 0-4-0 locomotive originally designed by Don Young in 5" gauge in two versions, 'Number 1' and 'Number 2'. It was so popular that he later redesigned it to be made in 7.25" gauge. The Cylinder bore is 1" for Number 1 version, and 1 1/4" bore for Number 2 version. Driving wheels are 3.5" diameter.

Number 1 version was designed to be as close as feasible to the original Rhymney Railway rail-motor locomotive albeit without the passenger coach but with a tender substituted. Number 2 version is an imagined rebuild design aimed at beginners so Don Young designed this version to be as simple as possible. Whilst many details can be chosen and mixed between the two versions to suit the builder's whim the valve-gear dimensions of the two versions differ so these aspects cannot be 'mixed and matched'.

A full construction series by Don Young, including drawings commenced in Model Engineer (UK) magazine Volume 134, Number 3342, April 5th 1968, page 325.

The basic design was recast as a LSWR C14 0-4-0T by Steve Titkey and Harry Lumb with the basic differences covered in a single article with an outline drawing in Locomotives Large and Small (UK) magazine. This article did not cover all the alterations required. The LSWR C14 version is sometimes known as 'Railmotor No.3'

Drawings and castings for all the above versions are available from Reeves 2000.