A few years ago I purchased a part finished 3 1/2″ gauge Ivy Hall steam engine, the design for which was featured in the model engineer magazine in 1955 / 1956. The original builder who has now deceased appears to have modified the design slightly and fitted an air brake system complete with air cylinder and small air pump to the loco. I’m now working through the loco trying to understand it and give it a clean up and renovation. It was started back in 1956 so it’s got a few years of grime on it.

My question is has anybody seen such a design for brakes on a 3 1/2″ gauge model steam loco before? I’m concerned the brakes will not be strong enough in service. The air pump is like a miniature version of a bicycle pump driven from the engines main cylinder linkage. The seals of the pump have perished so doesn’t do a great deal of compressing of air at the moment. What sort of seals are normally used?

This is my first visit into the world of model steam trains so I’m pretty clueless at the moment.

Thanks