LSL93. An Aster Gauge 1 Live Steam Southern Railway Bulleid 'Battle of Britain' 4-6-2 Loco and Tender No. 21C166 'Spitfire'. In lined Southern Railway malachite green livery. This is factory built by Aster Hobbies of Japan (number 228 of a Limited Edition of 230 as shown on the box and on a maker's plate inside the cab). As can be seen from the mint condition shown in the photographs, it has never been steamed and in fact has only been removed from its packaging for inspection and for the photographs below. The scale is 1:32 (45mm) and overall length is 64.9cm over buffers. The model is in brass and stainless steel with a copper boiler, spirit fired (Methyl Alcohol), and fitted with a host of features including - Working inside motion, modified Walschaerts valve gear, Axle Driven Pump, 3 Cylinders with a Bore: 11mm x Stroke: 22mm, 2 x Safety valves, Pressure gauge, Water gauge, Blow-down valve, Regulator valve, Blower valve, Superheater, Roscoe Displacement type lubricator, and Tender mounted hand water pump. See the full specification in the photographs below. The model comes with its original inner and outer Aster boxes, all internal packaging, manuals, spare parts, tools, touch-up paint, cab glazing sheet and display track. If the next owner plans to steam it then it is recommended that it should first be checked over by a live steam engineer as a safety precaution. Due to the box size and value insured shipping (UK and International) is by DHL only at cost price. The prototype was into service from Brighton Works in September 1947 and appears to have gone to Ramsgate where it became BR No. 34066 in March 1948. It stayed at Ramsgate until December 1949 then going to Stewarts Lane for a long spell, until February 1961 when it moved to Exmouth Junction. The next move was to Salisbury in September 1964 from where it was withdrawn in September 1966. It is thought to have been sold to Dai Woodham at Barry Docks (and would have been a candidate for preservation) but it ended up at Buttigeigs at Newport in early 1967 from where nothing survived (other than wagonloads of scrap metal). At least we still have the large Bulleid West Country/Battle of Britain legacy, the ones that did make it to Barry. £4500.
