Ace Engineering Works Mss 'Reaper'

This is the back story and subsiquent introduction of the plucky loco onto my line.

I have to thank Pauly for the exclusive use of some of his images & footage at the beginning of this video, this video wouldn’t have been possible without it.

The locomotive used to belong to Pauly and lived on his line the Woodrow Light Railway. Bought as a green Mss side tank kit and built and ran, the loco was never a great performer and was just too small to carry out the work requested. ‘Reaper’ was then placed on a siding for a while until a solution was found to the running issues. By a curious twist of fate the factory in Woodrow needed a new stationary boiler, Reaper was on hand to supply, so was laid up and fitted to the building for the foreseeable future, and that is where the story should have ended.

Reaper was in need of some attention, and a fitter was tasked to the job. Carelessly he set fire to Reaper, catching the boiler cladding and paintwork alight. The workmen were able to put out the fire quite quickly, but the damage had been done. The boiler was irreparable in the locomotive and required heavier remedial work. The factory decided to scrap Reaper.

Meanwhile at the Ridgemont Hills Light Railway, word got out of a loco ogives that was going to be scrapped. A ‘Save our steam engine’ preservation group movement started to save Reaper with the intention of buying the engine, bringing it to the workshops and overhauling all vital parts ready to use the loco on light shunt and tourist duties.

At the 11th hour the preservation movement gazumped the scrap man, bought and collected the loco just in the nick of time. Reaper was brought back to the RHLR on a low loader and stored in the engine shed at the end of the line for a good number of years and now currently awaits assessment in view of a restoration/overhaul project to start.