Here is the engine after I removed it from the sub-frame. It is very much the same as the Merlin, using the same basic parts. It is almost identical to the V12 Meteor engine. In spite of having had a specially made crankcase, it has still had to be adapted very much to take a flywheel at one end and a belt pulley at the other, due to its aero origins. It is unusual in being a 60 degree V8, but probably does not sound much like a V8 car engine, as it has a flat-plane crankshaft, so is effectively two 4-cylinder engines sharing one crank.

It has obviously been standing for a very long time, so I will not be able to run it as is. Alas, it will have to wait until I have progressed with the two current Merlin projects!

Here is the vehicle the Meteorite was built to power. Later versions were fitted with a RR Diesel. I think the "wide load" sign refers to the 10ft width of the tractor itself!

This ballast tractor has a laden weight of 35 tons, and a gross train weight of 142 tons. The fifth wheel tractor, which many of us had a Corgi model of as boys, was used to carry Centurion and Conqueror tanks with an all-up weight of just over 100 tons.

The Meteorite engine has a power rating of 285 BHP by being governed to 2000 rpm, and a peak torque figure of 730 lb ft. Fuel-injected versions of this engine gave nearer 500 HP, but never went into production.

Petrol-engined Antars were built between 1951 and 1957.