The green engine - Golden Arrow

When the original components which went to form the LLLR were purchased in 1996 they had all been partially dismantled and sitting in a barn for 20 years, so nothing was runnable at all.

The first thing we looked at getting working was the single power bogied Golden Arrow locomotive, which we stripped down literally to the last nut and bolt and then built back up. One decision we made then and have followed over the years was not to restore to 1963 ex-factory condition but rather to use modern substitutes where it made sense. So metric stainless steel bolts replaced rusty mild steel Imperial ones - traction batteries replaced unreliable two rail pick up and so on.

But in the first instance, we wanted to get something moving, so that meant getting the Golden Arrow, with its original 48volt DC 3/4 HP motor working.

And so on the terrace at the back of the house we laid a hundred metres of track and for several weeks that was our test track for a single restored coach and the slowly being rebuilt Golden Arrow. The original GEC lawn mower motor Tri-ang used is clearly visible in the above photograph.