LNER D49 (Shire) class no. 234 Yorkshire. Built circa 1968, from scratch by Wally West using rim insulated wheels turned from extremely good castings, probably by Miller, Swan & Co. The driving wheel axles are telescopic and pinned to set the quartering. Power is collected by plunger pick-ups on both the driving wheels and bogie wheels. All brake blocks are made from non conductive material to eliminate shorting across the brake rigging. All loco driving and tender axles have sprung hornblocks. This model is unusual for a Wally West tender loco build as it does not rely on the tender to collect the power from the track. Superbly painted (in 1970 at a cost of £20) by Bernard Miller in fully lined LNER passenger green livery, with hand painted lettering and numbers. In the Gauge O Guild Gazette of April 1967, Wally replied to a letter, about another D49 of his “The Oakley” which had been on display at the A.G.M. of 1966, “I had hoped to have at the meeting a second D49 “Yorkshire” which is fitted with a Pittman DC91 mechanism with 12:1 gears, to compare the running. However it was not finished in time”.
