Merlin Procession

[Elmtree Line]

For those of you not subscribed to the Elmtree Line Facebook blog here is a picture from today showing that for one moment one could be convinced that Merlin Loco Works have gone back into business

Two Mayflower and Two Major loco's basking in the sun today, all are currently operational

 

[Zerogee]

Lovely!
I'm not a live steam enthusiast at all, but these look wonderful, Keith - not knowing a great deal about that side of the hobby excuse me if I'm remembering wrong, but wasn't Merlin old Tom Cooper's firm, the chap who started Garden Rail magazine?
How long ago did he stop building locos?

Jon.

 

[mayflower]

What a wonderful line up, i still think the Mayflower is the best looking generic loco, Tom's last magazine was Garden Railway World, He left Merlin Circa 1986 and started a company called Steamlines and much of the production was powered by the 'osmotor' I think he stopped producing about 1993, cheers Rob

 

[Zerogee]

Ah, yes, didn't Garden Railway World then metamorphose into Garden Rail, if I remember correctly?
You mention that Tom "left" Merlin to start Steamlines - does that mean that Merlin carried on under someone else after Tom's departure?
As I said, I'm not really into the steamy stuff, so this is all just idle curiosity!

Jon.

 

[garrymartin]

I've always admired the Merlin Locos in terms of appearence at least. They look like purposeful narrow guage engines, whilst todays offerings often seem more standard guage scaled down ( I admit there are still some handsome locos made but the Merlins still have the edge in terms appearence )

 

[mayflower]

I am not too sure about the link between Garden Rail and Garden Railway World, possibly Rail "absorbed" World.
After Tom left Merlin the company was run by Wendy Davies, whose daughter Julie built some of the engines. cheers, Rob

 

[tagorton]

In fact Garden Railway World was incorporated into GardenRail after the first couple of issues of the latter. GardenRail was a brand new magazine published by David Joy ? and just absorbed Tom's GRW. In fact Tom was going to have a regular column but only lasted for two issues.

 

[tagorton]

I've always admired the Merlin Locos in terms of appearence at least. They look like purposeful narrow guage engines, whilst todays offerings often seem more standard guage scaled down ( I admit there are still some handsome locos made but the Merlins still have the edge in terms appearence )

Indeed. Still the best proportioned of the generic narrow gauge locomotives...