I love how much you hate this thing and yet show an admiration for railroad preservation through and through lol *"This thing shouldn't exist but because it does I gleefully despise it and understand."*

Honestly - much better than most steam outline diesels. It looks vaaaaaaaugely like a steam loco, the chimney and dome are in the right place, the general layout makes sense, and they bothered to pay enough attention to make working motion, which is actually reasonably impressive for a shoestring budget conversion. The ORIGINAL steam outline body it carried though is beyond redemption

LOL "I have model railway locomotives that go faster than this" - Lawrie

Seeing the extended shots of Merlin slowly trundle from one end of the shot to the other is oddly comedic

the least they could do is attach the exhaust to the chimney😂

That reminds me of those lawn tractor "locomotive" builds that have a string of carts made from barrels behind them. Then again, those are much faster. lol.

Least if the driver ends up in to much pain they could walk to the end of the line and wait for the locomotive to get there.

This thing legit looks like an upscaled toy train and I kinda love it

As I watched this video, I realised why they picked that clunker for him: it may not be the best locomotive, but you can still say alot about it

Go on admit it! If you could have this even horrendous locomotive in your garden with a little bit of track it would be marvellous. Great fun even. So if anyone has a similar horrible locomotive that they want a good home for then please let me know. Because any locomotive is better than no locomotive! Answers on a post card please…..

Merlin is just doing his best and I love him!

The concept of having to have a blindfold on in order to see a "steam" loco is an instant put-off. Merlin makes the shed look so much better than it really is. Look on the bright side being made of wood it can be very rapidly converted into something less offensive - a pile of ashes.

A highly efficient machine to convert fuel into noise and smoke, without gaining excessive speed!

I get the vague impression that you possibly weren't altogether satisfied with this delightful machine! Shall we offer to make it into a streamlined A4 Pacific? 🙂

I'd love to see this hauling as much as the railway could get its hands on! I'd imagine lots of others would too!

I have to admit, this is why I love British railway preservation. It's not common you see something so... Bodgy and obscure as this, but when you do, it's a bit of a laugh and we all get a bit of entertainment out of it. Well, maybe except for Lawrie, whose worst nightmare for Lawrie Goes Loco has likely just come true. Either way, great job as always Lawrie.

I take great irony that my garden tractor goes 3 times faster than it.

i still find it fascinating there was a market at all for these tiny locomotives in the 1960s. It's (the whole scene, not just this example) charming and wonderful. In the USA we had size and power, but we could never match the charm or romance that existed in the UK (well, except during the streamliner era, we took that to the Nth degree!).

Yes, that is not exactly warp speed. "Scotty, I need more speed!" "I'm giving you all she's got, captain!" By the way: if you set teh playback speedd to 2x the results looks rather normal. Lawrie's speech, not so much.

The speed seems reasonable when you see how it seems to be decorated to be in a theme park. Then you remember it was designed originally to go that fast

Beautiful loco, I love it. Time to start a GoFundMe to buy it for Lawrie

Maybe it was all about pulling power, targeted for a very specific use. Having greater expectations other than what it was designed to do may be a shortcoming on our parts later in its life. Like expecting theater sound out of a $/£25 phonograph.

"Me thinks the man protests too much" - come on Lawrie, you loved it. You're just afraid to admit it to the big boys in the playground 😁😁😁

Merlin makes Lawrie go a little loco! Honestly, who designed it, Stevie Wonder and what on earth did you do wrong to be punished this way? It sounds about as comfortable as a stockade!

Personally used to loathe outlines myself, but I've softened a little on them as I've come to realizing not everyone has the skills or the shop tools to make/maintain an actual steam engine. That being said, I do appreciate it when the fakery is done well, bonus points for making me have to look twice or wait for the motor to start or the sound system to come on before the jig is up.

If Lawrie comes to New Zealand again, he ought to check-out the locomotive at the Taranaki Pioneer Village near Stratford (kzfaq.info/get/bejne/oJaZkshnvKvdkZc.html). Sure, she's another steam-outline diesel, but at the very least she looks an awful lot more like a real steam locomotive than Merlin ever could.

This looks like one of those amusement park locos (probably because it was one), but I actually kind of like it.

It is hideous. I also agree it's important to preserve pretend steam outline diesels. If only to chart the affection people had for real steam locomotives, and their ability to make do when none were available. Is it really any different from enthusiasts running "steam" engines on electric current in 4mm?

I really want Lawrie to drive one of those golf carts that are made to look like steam locos that ferry people around the parking lots of county fairs and whatnot lol

The ones that run at Scalby Mills in Scarborough are rather nice (and looking rather real) so a Lawrie reaction to the Scalby Mills Railway would be interesting.....😉 Edit: It's known as the North Bay Railway, I've being going up and down it for over 40 years now (I'm 48)

So you have done a sentinel, dolgoch and many other interesting locomotives and now you get given this oh how the mighty have fallen anyway great video and as a sidenote it would be nice to see a vale of rheidol tank because I think they are really interesting locos but I can imagine it's complicated to do this sort of thing but I can hope

The irony that this "monstrosity" was built for a holiday park at Pendine Sands, (the Welsh equivalent of the Bonneville Salt Flats) where speed records are meant to be broken at the top end and not the bottom is not lost on me.

The thing to love about locomotives like this is they allow a small, impoverished group to lay some track and start running trains even before they become a larger, not nearly so impoverished group and maybe get something more impressive. The fact that they can run the trains helps accelerate that growth.

Sometimes, I wonder how well a smaller (say, 15-inch, but possibly up to this scale?) steam outline locomotive could work these days using the current technology in electric motors and rechargable lithium-polymer (LiPo) batteries, like on modern electric vehicles. In theory; controllable, easy to set up, works a good while, better for the environment than the petrol/diesel outlines on top of being less expensive in the long run (fuel, etc.), and could be convincing with authentic-looking bodywork/mechanisms and some strategically-placed steam generators!

Respect Lawrie ,you risked your life going so fast! LOL

Funny how Lawrie was blindfolded before seeing the engine. Then upon seeing it he automatically knows everything about it. XD

It should really be named 'Gandalf'! "I'm not late, neither am I early.I always arrive at the precise moment I intend to do so!"

This is something you would see at a theme park 😂

We have a tiny Hudson-Hunslet at our local museum, sadly it's no longer operational but it looks really good.

Thanks for this, even if it was horrid! My brother and I, when we were kids, used to call these steam outline locos "Mock Turtles!

Thanks for the video sorry you had to go through that but it is still kind of a neat thing to see thanks again James

Haha It's so slow that you can jump out, pick up full basket of mushrooms around line in nearby forest and jump back, unless you would have to wait for its arrival :)

well Lawrie. look on bright side. you doing it now. so later you don't have to do it 🤣🤣🤣 also end of the video, he shall like it 😛

At least it isn't painted up to look like Thomas. I think that's all I can say about it. Credit to you for endurance. 😄

I mean, they are perfect for Amusement parks and (hay) farm rides. As it looks like a steam loco but it's easier to keep running all day and less dirty.

I have the distinct sensation that even if I built a wooden vaguely steam shaped shell for my riding lawnmower and put it on that I'd still beat that thing in a race, lol. Granted my single cylinder lawnmower weighs much less and has 20 horsepower, but still...and at least my rider has a padded seat, lol. I'd suggest putting a cushion in that thing, but there's little enough space in the cab as it is.

I got to agree with the steam outline statement, most of them were ugly. The only Exception to this to me would be Ravenglass and Eskdale Rly 'Perkins' in it's steam outline look, it was very handsome in that look and actually looked like someone put effort into it. And speaking about Perkins it would be interesting to see a Lawrie Goes Loco on that.

What a lovely well proportioned locomotive, I don't see any issues at all particularly as it was built to give rides to young children who may not ever see the real thing, its definitely better than its sibling. its also good to see you in your element enjoying the ride.

This is by far the funniest thing I've seen this week. The true passion of hatred is amazing

I like that it is made out of what looks like plywood. And that they stuck scraps of leftover material on the front of it just for the heck of it.

I know of one that was a close second in the ugly category. A Farmall farm tractor with the rear tires replaced with steed tires from a steam locomotive ,the fitted them to the steel center section on the tractor wheels. The front wheels were four pressed steel wheels from a track mantaintance car. of course it had the required wood and sheet metal outline steam shell over it.

For the first half of the video I wondered if matt was blowing bubbles over you off camera :-) It sounds like a ride on mower...and similar speed too lol. But that exhaust so needs to be routed up the chimney

Lovely part of the world - hope you hiked up to the top of Apedale to look out over Newcastle! Hope Sam and gang treated you lovely :)

There is another railway track in Pendine. The things that travel on that track approach supersonic speeds powered by rockets and are slowed down by water.

Only you need is chariots of fire playing in background a loco in slow motion

As far as steam outliners go (I don't like them personally) this one has to be the most expensive in my opinion. This was a glorious video. :D

So basically a Piko junior HO steam locomotive but in life size

They should make a re recording of "Jim Button" featuring Lawrie as Luke the engine driver and Merlin as Emma. Would be wonderfully cursed!

He's Merlin! **The Bird** He is Merlin! **NASA Rocket engine** HE IS MERLIN! **Rolls-Royce V12 Aero engine** He's also Merlin! **Agusta-Westland AW101** And he's Merlin too! **The Wizard** Is there any other Merlins I should know about?! "Choo Choo"

I get it is not your favorite Loco. But here it is! A full blown challenge to you! Go to a local scrap yard and see what you can bodge together that is better (cause let’s face it a garden tractor could do better). That’s it I challenge you to build the best loco you can from scraps!

There are more of these outlined locomotives,I suggest you go to the Scarborough north bay railway,they got 4 of these and they run much more quicker than old merlin here.

My eyes are burning from laughing so hard that was hilarious.

there's just something about lawrie's voice that calms me

A use for this might be in a nuclear plant as a remote control vehicle. Increased speed could be done with a gearbox, but that would add complexity.

At least Altonia had a bit of honesty as a weird failed branch of internal combustion development that was coincidentally rife for disguising as a steamer. Still made for a great video. We honor your suffering.

Somebody should let Lawrie drive a Sentinel next so he can say he's driven both steam-outline diesel and diesel-outline steam locomotives.

24:23 That was a good time for them to rev the other locomotive in the background. :)

Putting the video at 2x speed makes Merlin look like he's going 10 miles per hour (I'm an American, I don't know metric), but everyone looks and moves like they're in a film from the 1920s (moving comically fast in the video).

Shock! We've actually found a locomotive that Lawrie doesn't like.

By experiencing the horrors, you appreciate everything else more! Was it's low speed based on original function? Thanks Lawrie for letting us see this rare beast!

There hasn't been many hydraulic powered units that I haven't been able to retrofit, and fairly easy in most cases, to boost the speed. There will be a trade of pulling power for speed, but even direct geared transmissions would do the same.

Challenge: Take this thing to Wales and make the journey from Caernarfon to Blaenau Ffestiniog (about 40 miles).

It would be morning break when the tunnel crew got to Dunford Bridge. Finish morning break, start the return to Woodhead for lunch. Repeat in the afternoon. Miles travelled 12. Work done 0.

Over here "Hudson" was a class name for a 4-6-4 steam locomotive used by the New York Central. I understand your disappointment though. As a child I was always disappointed when we'd go to a zoo or an amusement park that had train rides behind what looked like American 4-4-0's but were gasoline (petrol) powered. Then the one time we went to an amusement park that had actual steam locomotives in use I never got to get close to them or even ride behind them. Grrrrr, LOL. As an adult I've seen many on static display but as yet I've only gotten to ride behind and on one (cab ride) and that was Kentucky Railway Museum's pacific class L&N (Louisville & Nashville RR) #152 and that was closing in on 30 years ago now. Not big on diesels though in the last couple years I have gotten to ride behind some rare ones including a Lima diesel on the Whitewater Valley RR and an Alco RS1 on the French Lick, West Baden & Southern RR (French Lick Scenic RR).

KZfaq recommended this video to me seeing a pretend steam engine run this slow , it's almost artistic

Hahaha what a heap of well you know. Hope to see you come to Australia mate, we have lots of stuff far better than that you could drive. Western Australia has one of the biggest 2 foot gauge loco's in the world NG123 at Bennet Brook Railway is a monster for the line. Not sure if she is still going though.

When I saw the thumbnail I thought wow a snowdon locomotive. Then 2 mins in the illusion was shattered. To me it does have a similar look to a snowdon locomotive and apart from a full mechanical rebuild go give a higher speed can only suggest that 1 improvement be a repaint into a snowdon locomotive. Then place a piece of track secured at an angle and mount the engine to give the impression of going up a mountain. Or simply use it on non operating days as a route training vehicle

On the plus side, if one actually did want to chase this engine down the line, one would not need to rush to get ahead of it.

In the U.S.A in the old POPULAR MECHANICS magazine, in August 1965 on pages 118 through the finish later on page 184, they have a home shop project called "THE BACKYARD AND BIRDBATH RR" that is a wooden 4-2-0-t freelancer made of plywood, with wheels made of pulleys cut in half to give the 2 flanges and more plywood disks as the wheel treads, that moves on true scale track of 14&1/8th" inches for quarter scales . The boiler is a 40 gallon oil drum 🛢. The electric motor is 4 home-made coils disguised as the cylinders running on 2 auto batteries and with the relays of the 1960s. And the Plywood cab is barely small enough for a 6 year old boy 👦 of the 1960s era when TV Westerns were all the rage. Many years later a man wrote a letter to the editor to say how he built the body to fit over a garden tractor 🚜 😀 😄 to pull a wagon on the sidewalk. And ever since the 2000's on KZfaq there are several new videos of new people building wooden railway tracks in their backyards. And using more modern technology and motors from wheelchairs and scooters to run this loco 😜 and the electronic displays are mounted in the cab. Sometimes they use the design of the 4 wheel leading pony truck to build some cars and a caboose for the kids. I hope you get to see this rather cute imitation electric outline steamie, ok 👍 👌!!!!! Take care!!!!! GOD BLESS EVERYBODY WITH WISDOM AND PEACE AND HAPPINESS AND LOVE ❤ FOREVER, AMEN 🙏 💖 ❤!!!!!

Are those Apedale people riding on what are Hudson 'V' skip bases? It made me think that it would be OK in an environment where the rails are likely to be very slippery. The unadorned locomotive looks rather like something that would have been located at a coal mine. They had narrow-gauge systems for shifting stuff around for maintenance & repair. Nowadays you would give this thing a motor and some massive Lithium batteries.

Here at the NATIONAL RAILROAD MUSEUM in Green Bay, Wisconsin, U.S.A, we also have a combination of a steamer and diesel-electric switcher, that was built in 1988 by some weird outside managers that had taken control after many of the original Founders had died in the 1980s, like the late and great Mr. Harold E. Fuller who worked self-lessly to bring the Eisenhower 60008 A4 Gresley Pacific here in 1964. And had used the popular Number 29 0-4-0T named the "BRILLION PIONEER" around the tiny circle of track that was called the "WISCONSIN AND YESTERDAY RAILROAD" in a public contest in 1961. But since the track is in a public park and directly next to the Northern fence of the Local neighborhood in the suburb of "ASHWAUBENON", that is the name of a Indian chief in the 1830s, but the neighbors had legitimate complaints about the excessive coal smoke, and Extremely LOUD WHISTLE AT 200 DECIBELS EVERY 30 MINUTES!!!!! But the Founders tried in 1975 to rebuild it as a propane gas burner by mounting the gas tank on the coal Bunker, but it was so small that it barely contained enough propane to get fired up in the morning. But they changed and tried to burn wood that was much more smokey.. The 29 was stopped. And a small 20 tonner Plymouth switcher gas engine was used from the local power company numbered 702 and pulling the 2 1955 experimental AEROTRAIN cars built by General Motors. But those were Extremely rough riding and banging on the rail joints, and on the sharp curves the coaches were squealing like pigs 🐖. Then they changed to the much older wooden coach from the 1890s. And they decorated 702 with a large Western style diamond smokestack and Cow-catcher and headlight with an oscillating Gyra-lite!! But unfortunately in 1987 the newest manager had fired our retired railroad man who was an excellent mechanic. And 702 broke down. Although there was donated an ALCO switcher from Michigan as the S-3 Class number 10 from both the ANN ARBOR RR., and their new shortline named "T.S.B.Y. RR." THUS....after 15 years there was a properly sized diesel pulling a properly sized coach. Yet since 1975 the Founders knew they needed a steamer. But they didn't want to have the expensive maintenance. Nor the complaints from the neighbors. However without a real steamer, the attendance dropped by Half from the average of 50,000, to only 25k. Then in 1988 the new managers decided to build their Frankenstein monstrosity hybrid of steamer and a diesel switcher to push the body of the steamer. The Steamer chosen was the SUMTER AND CHOCTAW NUMBER 102 from Bellamy, Alabama, and built by BALDWIN in 1924 in a Customized design exclusively for the S&C. RR. As a small 2-8-2 Mikado for that logging rr. And historically recognized as the Smallest standard guage 2-8-2 Mikado at only 64 tons . And the small diesel switcher is the G.E.-45 Tonner Number 3 with connecting rods that had run for many decades at the Municipality of East Troy Electric Railroad and Trolley Museum near Milwaukee. But the diesels 2 hoods and cab were chopped off, and a new steel body built disguised as the tender. Then connected with Hydraulic controls inside the cab. The work was done at the former G.B and W. Roundhouse in Norwood yard near Ashland Ave. Luckily I was able to take only a few slides from outside the fences. It was pulled to the connection with the C&NW RR, but which had recently been sold to the new shortline F.R.V.R. as the FOX RIVER VALLEY RR. BUT....when they tried to move it under its own power it completely failed. And it was a very hot and humid day. Thus FRVR sent a GP7 Diesel to push the Fake 102 back to the Museum. But the GP7 couldn't pull from the front by the cowcatcher. Because the mechanical designer had taken the front coupler pocket, and Welded it to the back of the frame of the 102!! But this error has haunted 102 for the past 35 years!!!!! Because they thought it was easier to just use the couplers to connect the steamer body with the diesel. But the diesels of the fake tender were constantly over heating and breaking down. Because they built the front and back end walls of the fake tender body Directly in Front of the 2 Radiators!!!! Thus the radiators overheated!! But even after they cut 2 large holes into the ends and covered them with grills to allow the diesels to literally breathe, the diesels were still nearly 40 years old and thus it was quite hard to find spare parts. But the fake switcher is also very weak and it barely has enough power to move the dead weight of 64 tons of 102. Nor even pull 1 coach.!! They also left in the Pistons, and Spool valves. Because they wanted to see the rods move back and forth. Unfortunately this means that there is nearly 2 Tons of Dead Weight to shift back and forth. Again Unfortunately the Pistons are acting like large air compressors that create back pressure in the boiler itself and might cause a rupture, and Explosion!!!!!!! Fortuitously those managers were replaced in 1986 with a much more reliable manager who worked tirelessly to correct the many years of damage inflicted by those other managers. But suddenly he was unexpectedly Fired without notice in 1989. And most of the staff members. Then another new manager arrived in 1990 but he immediately canceled all the previous restoration work by the loyal volunteers 🙋‍♂️, who were working on 6 different trains like the narrow guage SHAY number 5. And his rude behavior was disgusting to the members of the H.O. SCALE model railroad club, and the live steamers club. Thus over the past 32 years, the many projects to rebuild the fake 102, and the SHAY 5, and the live steamer 4-6-4 Hudson, and 3 others have just sat in Pieces and exposed to outside weather in rain and snow. And the Museum has had at least 12 different managers during the past 40 years. Each with their own ideas. And ripping out the previous ideas and plans like the Roundhouse sectional building. But sadly the fake 102 is just sitting still inside the McCormick Pavillion on track 3. I PRAY 🙏 soon that GOD will give us a Miracle and will help to rebuild the reputation of the N.RR.M. THANK YOU EVERYBODY!!!! For reading a very sad, and long letter!! GOD BLESS 🙌 . ALLELUIA!!!!! AMEN 🇮🇱 🙏!!!!!! FRI., MARCH 10, 2022A.D.

I feel like it's for stuff that's ever explosive or fragile cargo

If this thing was converted into an actual steam powered locomotive then a massive overhaul would be needed seeing as the wooden casing would likely Catch Fire

Apedale is ten minutes walk from work. How did I not know about the railway until today?

It would have been fun to see you walk alongside the engine 😀

Lawrie, man, this is the first vid of yours I've seen & I already love your content, but how DARE you insult the baby

This is the engine that would give Captain slow (James May) an Aneurism. I had to put it on X2 speed to make it more tolerable ;p

i wish I had it in my yard. How is the hydrolic drive connected to the wheels?

Has Anyone else see this? 4:31 never before have I seen a locomotive stretch as if it was waking up.

I think how your supposed to use it is start it, get off, walk to where you are going, have a cuppa and/or nap while it trundles along letting the racket from the engine wake you up.

I get the impression you're not overy enamoured of that contraltion. In it's days on a pleasure line, were lassengers provided with respirators?

So please, really, tell us how you really feel about it.....lol... Thanks for another enjoyable and hilarious video.

I've been waiting for this video since I spoke to you at Doncaster and was Peppard to agree with your friend just for a giggle but I must agree it looks terrible 😆 I like the story you told me about the work Used to set it off on its own and have a cup of tea while they waited for it 😆

Cor, Steam Outline engines, atleast its better than "Shed on wheels"!

The kids like stuff like this is why. Seeing mock steam engines (or technically, 'steam outline internal combustion engined locomotives') always makes my heart sink a bit. But no doubt locos like 'Swee Pea' of the Hastings Miniature Railway have made a lot of children very happy over the years.

4498 Sir Nigel Greeley it is to be at seven valley railway gala in April

That thing is absolutely hilarious

Can we make a parody of the parody streamroller in Austin Powers with this loco? Because that would be hilarious

The smoke from the engine went faster than tho loco 😂😂😂

Oh seeing John Alcocks works plate makes me wonder if thats a future review.