'Sir Gomer' is a six-coupled Peckett works number 1859, type OX1, built June 1932. It was acquired some years ago by the Battlefield Line with the intention of hauling the brunt of the service trains. Sadly, it's proved a rather ill-starred locomotive and, for a variety of reasons, availability has been rather poor. However, it's a strong engine, a good steamer and looks handsome in the livery applied at Shackerstone.
An excellent collection of Peckett data is available at Martyn Bane's site. This site has a number of Roger Griffiths' photographs showing the locomotive at work at Mountain Ash Colliery in the mid-1970s.
The engine has two outside cylinders, 16 inch diameter by 24 inch stroke. With coupled wheels 3 foot 10 inches in diameter and a boiler pressed to 180 p.s.i., tractive effort is 20,430 pounds.
Peckett's 1938 catalogue (available on Martyn Bane's site) states that the locomotive can develop 545 h.p. at 10 m.p.h. This allows a load of 170 tons to be hauled up a gradient of 1 in 30 and 980 tons hauled on level track. The locomotive is suitable for use on 60 pound rail and above and a minimum radius curve of 180 feet. Weight is 34.5 tons 'dry' and 43 tons fully loaded. The saddle tank has a capacity of 1100 gallons.
Peckett's Geneneral Arrangement drawing is number 5043 (available on Martyn Bane's site as a photograph of an original dyeline copy). This drawing gives a total heating surface of 789 square feet, a grate area of 15 square feet and a coal bunker capacity of 38 cwt.
