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Wells
When I bought this engine from a dealer in New Zealand, he told me the original owner of this Wells Engine has passed away but he is reported to have said it was built in the New Zealand Addington (Railway) Workshops, possibly by an apprentice around the early 70s.
I would like to think that apprentice would be happy with my efforts to bring his engine somewhat back to its former glory.
My Kenneth Wells as I received
it before cleaning
I must say it has defiantly seen some action in its time, it looks like its been steamed to death…. and I will carry on steaming it whenever I can. And I think from the solid build it will out live me as well.
These Wells engines were all made from a design by Kenneth Wells who wrote 3 texts books (all published in 1972), called Step-by-Step Metalwork. Volume 2 shows you how to make things like Toast Racks and Magazine Racks (9 projects in total). Volume 3 only has 2 models, a stationary and mobile steam engine.
Kenneth Wells was a working teacher and at the time of publication he was the Master in Charge of Metalwork at Manor Court School,
Portsmouth, England.
Its been estimated the models were made from about 1973 until Health and Safety and the National Curriculum stopped these kind of things in the early to mid 1980's.