No.13 ‘Peter Lowe’
Builder/Type: ALR-built replica Kerr Stuart ‘Wren’.
Notes on the prototype: This is a fictional ‘Might have been’ loco, although there was a set of frames and some castings for a real one and Peter had a long term ambition to build a replica ‘Wren’ for the ALR. It was even mentioned in the advertising leaflet, but the parts were sold on a couple of years before the closure of the railway. I’m not sure if any of them were used in the new-build ‘Wren’ locos that have subsequently been built at other railways. I have imagined that for use on the ALR it would be fitted with air brakes and it’s own Westinghouse compressor. I based the design of this on the type used by the Talyllyn on their locos, which is smaller and more discreet than most, using drawings provided by TR volunteer Andrew Young. He informed me the TR once offered this type of Westinghouse pump for sale, so it is plausible that Peter could have bought one for this loco. I named it in honour of Peter Lowe, without whom the Abbey Light Railway and all of this wouldn’t have happened
Notes on the model: The model is a modified build of the Locos ‘n’ Stuff kit. When the kit became available I jumped at the chance to order one, to build either the fictional No.13, or a model of Peter Pan visiting. At the same time the late Rod Allcock bought a kit and got straight on with it, putting his own mark on the model by fitting a Mashima motor and narrowing down the cab (as supplied the model is slightly too wide to allow for use on 16.5mm gauge track). He loaned me his running but incomplete model to assist me with my build, as I was struggling to get the chassis to run properly due to my own lack of experience and patience. In the end I properly ruined it and frustrated, put it all back in the box and put it to one side, returning Rod’s model to him. Years later Rod was having a clear out of unfinished projects and very kindly offered me his part-built Wren. I of course gratefully accepted! I used the detailing parts from my kit, along with some 3D printed bits such as the Westinghouse pump and bits I couldn’t be bothered soldering up such as the boiler backhead and sandboxes, to create the complete model. It is finished in ALR lined green, with Fox transfers for the red lining.
