Being a member of the OO Live Steam Club was bound to rub off eventually and it seems that it has, manifesting itself in a brand new “Silver Link” A4 Live Steam engine. This really is a magnificent beast and is a fine addition to my collection.

I steamed it up for the first time today and was surprised at how well it ran. The A4s give a much more pleasing pilar of steam from the chimney than the A3 line of models and the safety valves seems somehow more realistic.

Whilst the controls were a bit sticky at first they did improve once the oil had made it’s way round. The moving off was smooth from the outset which was a pleasant surprise and the top speed increased as the session progressed.

The only strange thing appears to be that it moves faster in reverse than forward but this is, I think, A timing issue and only a problem on a rolling road – on real track I could probably invert the action by pushing the engine in the direction I wish it to move off in.

Overall a great model which I encourage anyone interested in OO gauge trains or live steam to buy. Now to tidy off the oil spatter and put it back in the box until next time…