About the Brunel
The Brunel vertical boiler engine is now Mark III of our most popular steam locomotives. It is the first geared engine to be manufactured by Mamod and this, combined with a slide valve piston and cylinder arrangement, makes it one of the most powerful locomotives Mamod has to offer. It has internally framed wheels which can be adjusted to suit either a 1 gauge or 0 gauge track, allowing for flexibility for any steam enthusiast.
Add flair to your Brunel with this boiler cladding kit. The cladding kit must be fitted at home by you. reach out to the team at Mamod for more information.
Check out “Mamod Brunel Vertical Boiler Locomotive” in action!
History of the vertical boiler
The design of this great locomotive was based on the original De Winton type engine which had a vertical boiler and a narrow gauge. They were manufactured during the late 18th century and could be commonly found working the Welsh slate mines.
Experience the power and precision engineering of this fantastic steam locomotive.
Specifications:
- Silver soldered boiler
- Re-heating coil
- Slide valve piston/cylinder
- Our first geared drive
- Glass water level
- Pressure gauge
- Ceramic burner
- Butane/propane gas tank
- Safety valve rated to 40psi
- Internally framed wheels – re-gaugeable to either “O” or “1” gauge
- Improved piston and lubricator system
- Optional extras; Canopy and Boiler Cladding
- Now with spring-loaded buffers.
Want to see the full range of Mamod locomotives and rolling stock? Click here to see the range.
Terry Rowsell (verified owner) –
I would have given it 4.5 stars but there isn’t the option. I would have given it 5 stars except it leaked some steam from the gland in the cylinder., which affected running a bit. I made a super quick fix by wrapping four small wraps of stringed teflon tape around the piston rod and tightening the gland back up. Now it does’t leak the merest whiff and pulls like mad!
I love this engine. I love the action and movement. I love the hint of gear whine as it moves along. I think it is a touch above a beginner loco. Not really by much however.
I highly recommend it. It is versatile and I run it on both my 32 mm and 45 mm gauge track. I have even figured out how to mount Kadee couplers for pulling my North American G scale stock.
My YouTube videos show how I packed the gland for better performance and how I mounted the Kadees:
https://youtu.be/X2_ZE5xSMcs
https://youtu.be/DcblbCHmfRI
Both vids show its great running qualities and a little advice on running it and running it in. All new steamers improve as the parts wear in.
Others have YouTube vids of Brunels as well. Check around. But I think you’ll love this solid engine – especially if you like geared locos.
Cheers,
Terry from Vancouver Island on Canada’s Pacific coast
4xtraemails (verified owner) –
I first saw the Brunel at the Summer Steam-up in Sacramento California and was impressed with the running characteristics and the price is reasonable for an entry level steamer. I have been getting 35+ minute runs on fairly level track, it seems to handle grades without issue and I like geared locomotives.
I would be giving this unit 5 stars except for the pop rivet construction and the lack of a condensate pipe to keep water/oil from blowing all over. I solved this problem by making a condensate tank to collect it all.
In summary. It is a fun entry level for those who may want to test the steam side of the hobby without breaking the bank.
Steve A.