WE HAVE been fascinated at MEWS in recent years to see the progress of Ray McMahon’s delightful model of the Darjeeling and Himalayan Class B locomotive each year at Harrogate. Our Model of the Week this week was also photographed at Harrogate, but cannot be confused with Ray’s 3 1/2 in gauge version. This one is in 7 1/4 gauge.

It was built for Brian Hollingsworth by Colby Simpkins Engineering in 1973 to a scale of 3 3/4 in to the foot. With a prototype running on 2ft gauge, this makes an impressive large locomotive.

After Brian died the loco went to Keith Humphries and Brett Rogers and underwent extensive work on the boiler and rebuilding of the driving truck by Derek Burwell. The model is now owned by Bob Whitfield and has run extensively on the new Echills Wood Railway in Kingsbury Water Park.

The Darjeeling and Himalayan Railway was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999. The Class B engines are used daily over part of the route, and for steam charters and tourist trains. In damp conditions these locos have a five-man crew: driver and fireman on the footplate; one man on the coal bunker, and two men on the front buffer beam to sand the track.

The railway was constructed by Gillanders Arbuthnot & Co over two years from 1879 and climbs from Siliguri (alt. 400 ft) to Darjeeling (alt. 6812 ft) over a length of 53 miles. Eight of the Class B locos were delivered from Sharpe Stewart in 1880, followed by more from that firm and others up to 1925. Twelve remain in use or under repair.