[Rob Kuhlman]

Pete -- If I were you I'd buy it anyway. It's a gorgeous loco. And if you decide to later sell it on, surely there's someone in the Aikenback group who would jump at the chance to own it. Finally -- there's a lot to be said about alcohol firing. The loco is alive in a way that a gas-fired loco isn't. I really enjoy listening to the beat of the exhaust and the challenge of matching the throttle setting, the blower setting, and the load.

 

[Rob Kuhlman]

Pete -- If those wick burners are what I think they are, they're not all that terribly unusual. Air reaches the wicks the traditional way -- from the outside of the wick holder -- but in addition, air is delivered up through a hollow central cylinder. That way you get two surfaces of wick burning -- the inside and outside of the wick assembly so, if constructed properly, you get that much more heat output. Eddie Cooke, of 7mm live steam fame, designed a lot of locos with this inside/outside combustion model, and his locos steamed like witches. This loco is very enticing: clean as a whistle, sprung suspension, Eddie Cooke-style burners, gorgeous paint. I'm salivating...