Polly locomotive details

[JonL]

I've been trying to keep the Small Live Steam Engines Wiki up to date, specifically with regards to the Polly models. Not withstanding their current state of flux regards ownership, can anyone fill in any gaps for me? It's a bit skinny on details.

Copy and pasted straight from the wiki so far:


Polly I
0-4-0 side tank locomotive (approx six person capacity). Designed by J.G.S. Clark.

Polly II
0-4-0 tender locomotive (approx six person capacity). Designed by J.G.S. Clark.

Polly III
0-6-0 side tank locomotive (approx eight person capacity). Designed by J.G.S. Clark.

Polly IV
0-6-0 tender locomotive (approx eight person capacity). The last designed by J.G.S. Clark.

Polly V
2-6-0 tank locomotive (at least eight person capacity). Designed by A. Clark.

Polly VI
2-6-0 tender locomotive (at least eight person capacity). Designed by A. Clark.

Caroline (Orenstein & Koppel)
0-4-0 well tank locomotive. Uses Orenstein & Koppel's patented valve gear.

Suzanne (Orenstein & Koppel)
0-6-0 well tank locomotive. Uses Orenstein & Koppel's patented valve gear.

Trojan
0-4-0 saddle tank locomotive. Stephensons valve gear.

Prairie
2-6-2 prairie tank locomotive. Stephensons valve gear.

Molly-Ann
0-6-0 saddle tank locomotive. Stephensons valve gear.

Atlas
0-6-0 saddle tank locomotive. Saddle tank extends over smokebox in the manner of many industrial locomotives. Stephensons valve gear.

[millman]

All looks correct to me, all the Pollys except Caroline and Suzanne have Stephensons valve gear. I have a feeling that there was a Prairie 2-6-2 with belpaire firebox and it was sold in two versions, with or without rivet detail. I have two Pollys, an un run Molly Ann, just finished and a very old Polly2 which I am just starting to strip down as it rattles like a bag of nails, I hope to have it all stripped and cleaned back to bare metal by mid November and then start rebuilding and painting over the winter. Were JGS Clarke and Andy Clarke related, father and son?

[JonL]

That's my understanding

[millman]

Polly also offered a driving trolley in two lengths roughly 3 foot and 4 foot long, it could be used for raised or ground level track. A welded frame and raw material pack and drawing were offered while in JGS Clarke time but latterly only ready made versions were available.

[JonL]

Thanks Millman. I'm not too worried about the driving trolley as the site focusses on locomotives, but the other info is gold, thank you.

[flyingfox]

Greetings Jon, Mr Clarke was involved in a number of private commissions as well as the Polly series, I know he built some standard gauge locos for the North Benfleet Railway, which was disbanded in about 1987, and moved to Barleylands Farm Museum at Billericay.
Regards

Brian B

[millman]

Carrying on from what Flyingfox says, if you look on Modelengineeringwebsite.com, sorry don’t know how to make working links, there is one of JGS Clarke’s locos featured, Gooch 4-4-0.

[flyingfox]

Yes, he also designed an American Standard 4-4-0, and was involved in other locos at the North Benfleet Railway for the owner, Mr Watson, a Britannia, A Duchess, which I know he converted from 2 to 4 cylinder, a 9F, and I think a LTSR tilbury tank.

Regards

Brian B

[JonL]

Brilliant, those are all interesting to flesh out the rest of the site.

[NickM]

Hi.
The Suzanne and Caroline locomotives were designed by Geerlig Voogd from France in conjunction with Andy Clarke.
The Prairie was similarly designed by Geerlig Voogd as a development of the Polly V. The Belpaire was a dummy, just modified cladding, the boiler being the same as fitted to the V and VI.
The Trojan, Molly-Ann and Atlas were all designed by Andy Clarke.
Rivet detail was also offered as an option on the Polly V by Polly Model Engineering, originally designed by myself and CNC machined by Polly.