Torquay Manor is one of the most popular 4-6-0 model engineering designs of Martin Evans. The full-size version was a favourite of his and he was able to obtain drawings of both the engine and tender from Swindon before the Beeching Era when people were “much more helpful”.

The Manors were a lighter version of the Granges allowing them wider use. Thirty were built, the first 20 incorporated  the wheels and motion from the withdrawn 43xx class Moguls which they replaced.  A new boiler design was needed, designated no 14, considerably lighter than the standard No 1 fitted to the larger two-cylinder Hall class.

Manors had  cylinders 18” dia and 30” stroke.

First engine of the class was 7800 Torquay Manor, completed in January 1938 and the last, 7829, Ramsbury Manor in December 1950. No less than nine survived into preservation, but none on main line just like tin their working lives.

This particular model by K Taylor-Nobbs started with the Martin Evans drawings, but he re-drew them to include bar frames, correct stretchers and running board support brackets, a more prototypical bogie, plus the correct number of bolts, correctly placed. All translated into metric. Loco wheels were Polly Model’s Grange wheels.

The tender tank was scaled down from measurements and photos of the 3500 gal tender in York Railway Museum. There are 3000 rivets in the tank. Tender frames were the Keith Wilson design, re-drawn in metric.

Finish is as fresh from a heavy general overhaul  in 1960. Shed plate and tender number are correct for that time.

The model was displayed at Doncaster in 2017.