Garden Railway Forum

Hullo,

Has anyone seen one of these going - what are they like?
Has anyone got any pictures? I am struggling to find any reference apart from the essel website
Many thanks

Hi there,

I have an Essel fowler. A very good loco, powerful, runs well at slow speed, we'll made. Would thoroughly recommend one.

Hullo Graff,
Thank you for the response - the slow speed is particularly good to hear, many people seem to recommend essel.
How does the charging work and how long is the battery life? You wouldn't happen to have any pictures of it by any chance?

Here's mine, MYFANWY, though sold on a while ago when I switched back to OO gauge, temporarily! It was a very powerful little loco, which could just trundle round at a steady pace with a relatively heavy train of wooden stock, certainly far more than she is posed with here. A loco I would definately replace any time!

Hi Mr Bond,

The loco is charged through a socket in the cab via a supplied charger. Can't give you any figures on battery life but I've never had the loco run out of battery. If I can find any pictures of the loco I will send them to you or post them on the forum. I have somewhere some video footage of the loco running slowly, I'll search for that too.

Thank you all kindly! I don't, as a general rule, do IC on the DVLR. The advantages of just being able to plonk something down havn't escaped me and the fowler loco strikes me as one of the least incongruous IC locos. It might (if painted up right) just fit in and look quite at home at the front of a mixed train of four wheelers.

Mr. Bond of the DVLR:115043 wrote: It might (if painted up right) just fit in and look quite at home at the front of a mixed train of four wheelers.

Early British petrol mechanical locos tend to be disguised to resemble steam locos, so fit in fairly well on a steam railway. The Fowler has an interesting rod movement when in motion, as the jackshaft crank is different to the main cranks. Should look good in GER blue, go for it.........

I think the Essell Fowler came into the range when Essell took over Friog. In which case they are descended from the old Merlin Motor Mule and will be built like a brick outhouse, with a good low speed range.

Regards,
Graeme

It's a very powerful loco for its size, and very controllable down to a slow crawl. The chimney is the speed controller as supplied, turning it to effect movement, with a switch in the cab for direction. If you look closely at the photo of mine, you can see a grub screw at the base of the chimney which fastens it onto the speed control spindle, the chimney is removed to lift off the bonnet. Obviously it can be radio fitted too though bonnet space is tight.

Here is my Fowler.