How big can a 7 1/4" gauge locomotive be!

Our Sweet Creek Steam Locomotive is one of the bigger miniature locomotives that run on this gauge of track.  It is scaled down to 1/3 of a full size 2 foot gauge locomotive. 

But others have built locomotives that are even larger, at least in some dimensions.  the Brighouse and Halifax Model Engineers in the U.K. wanted a robust reliable engine as backup to their smaller locomotives.  The result is shown here and is scaled down from its full size prototype. It is just over 2 feet wide, over 8 feet long and 5 feet high.

The prototype (painted blue in the picture below) was built by the famed Hunslet firm in England who mostly built small industrial locomotives although in recent years they have built locomotives weighing as much as 100 tons.   The prototype for the model was an 18" gauge locomotive used to move ammunition and other goods around an arsenal.

The model engineers decided that they would ambitiously build their model as a true diesel electric with a substantial diesel engine driving a generator to deliver the power needed by two 1 horsepower electric motors.  The result is quite impressive.

For more information, read the article at Discover Live Steam's website about the building of the locomotive by clicking here. 

Click on each image for a closer look!

7 1/4" gauge model

Inside the model

18" Gauge Prototype Hunslet