WINNER of the prestigious Duke of Edinburgh Award at the 2010 Model Engineer Exhibition was Peter Fagg’s outstanding 5in. gauge model of the T3 class locomotive of the London & South Western Railway. These elegant and highly successful engines were one of a family of four 4-4-0s introduced by Adams in 1882.

The first 4-4-0s were built with 7 ft 1 in driving wheels and designated class X2. The T3 class, with longer smokeboxes, smaller bogie wheels and driving wheels reduced to 6ft 7ins diameter were designed to suit the conditions on the hilly lines west of Salisbury. Some were also sent to depots on the Bournemouth line, and the Salisbury-Exeter route. A few T3s were sent west of Exeter.

elegant stovepipe chimneys with one of his own design. The T3s all survived to be taken into Southern Railway stock in 1923.

Withdrawal began in 1933 but  No 571 stayed until 1942 having completed more than 1.7 million miles. No 563 continued in service until 1945, covering 1.5 million miles. After retirement it was chosen to represent the old London & South Western Railway at the Centenary celebrations for Waterloo station. It was partially restored and painted in the early Drummond livery of the LSWR.

Eventually, 563 was sent to the new National Railway Museum at York, and can now be seen at Shildon in Drummond's 1903 livery.

A number of Adams 4-4-0s have been the subjects of models over the years - all of them have made fine looking models. Peter’s T3 is the crème de la crème.