Stolen Models - Recovered !

April 2012 - The 5" Britannia William Shakespeare 70004 stolen in Kingsbury, London on 11 March was found on 15 March.

The recovery has now been reported by the police to the local Kilburn and Wembley times in the 29th March edition.
It reports a spokesman for Brent Police said:

”On March 15th officers from the Barnet Borough executed a section 26 Theft Act warrant at an address in Milling Road Edgware. The locomotive was found in the hallway. No arrests have been made and enquiries continue.”

(Reported by Keith Spence - 10 April 2012)

May 2004 - The Winson Britannia locomotive stolen in February 2004 was spotted for sale at a local steam rally, it was checked out on this web site, police informed, seller detained and taken into custody, The locomotive was recovered and positively identified by the rightful owner, who said:

"My engine has been found, thanks to this web site.
A man has been arrested trying to sell it"

(Reported by Robert Bellis & Richard Bridgman - 03 May 2004)

April 2004 - The 3½ Gauge Hielan Lassie model stolen from Orpington in Kent in November 2003 has been recovered.

(Reported by Walter Ellis- 20 April 2004)

November 2003 - In Australia, the Orange Police have recovered the Orange Society of Model Engineers diesel outline battery electric locomotive stolen on 11 November 2003. It was found on a vacant block in Orange in a sleeping bag with the paint completely stripped off the roof so apparently the thieves were going to give it a new look. Members of the Orange Society of Model Engineers think that excellent publicity in the local newspaper made it impossible for them to sell or otherwise dispose of it.

(Reported by Peter Brown - 12 November 2003)

August 2000 - The 5" gauge Diesel Loco "Michael Cox", has been recovered and is now back in the possession of the High Wycombe Model Engineering Club Ltd. The police are pursuing enquiries.

(Reported by David Mitchell - 2 August 2000)

Ref: 20010 - 5" Gauge Bo+Bo Diesel "Michael Cox"

January 2000 - A tip-off to the police led to the discovery of all four of the models stolen from Aspley, Nottingham, U.K. being located in an an undisclosed area near the site of the original theft.

The incident received major publicity in the local newspaper that may well have made it difficult to dispose of the models. Our website even got a mention!

We are delighted that Stanley Wyatt has got his models back, and thank his grandson Paul who reported the loss to us so promptly, and sent us scanned photographs to put up on the site the same day that we received them.

(Reported by Paul Wyatt - 20 January 2000)

Late 1999 - this model was recovered after all the publicity had made it hard to shift. Being distinctive it also stuck in the memories of the local crimes unit. When it was spotted incongrously in the lounge of the local scrapyard king they thought it looked out of place - and it was!

Spotting and identifying the engine gave the police probable cause for a search warrant and they found a whole lot more than this engine - see http://archive.thisiswiltshire.co.uk/2000/6/16/243238.html for the full story.

(Reported by Steven Harris - 29 December 2006)

January 1999 - The 7¼" gauge 2-8-2 Heavy Mikado (ref 1998-006) that was stolen in Washington state has been recovered. When found it was already being cut up for disposal, but is now back with it's original club who are planning to restore it to its original condition and putting it back into service. We wish them luck.

Our thanks to Bill Hartung for providing us with the news update.

Myke Baigent lost 2 locomotives and one traction engine from a Surrey country and craft fair in June of 1995. "Jenny Lind" is a three and a half inch gauge 2-2-2 locomotive with a 6 wheeled tender. Luckily, this was recovered many months later along with "Rainhill", a bright yellow three and a half inch gauge loco with a four wheeled tender, and a green pre-war Model Engineer design, one inch scale traction engine.

At the same time, Derek Webber was reunited with his G.E.R. blue "Petrolea", a three and a half inch gauge 2-4-0 coal fired loco, number 721. This had also been stolen from the same country craft fair as Mr Baigent's.

Peter Carr, from Leeds, was delighted when his green 0-6-0 Great Western pannier tank engine was returned to him. This had been taken from his home in May of 1995 and then returned three weeks later.

Mr Peter Sturgess lost his 5 inch gauge Simplex from The Ascot Locomotive Society in Berkshire. He was, however delighted to have this returned soon after it was stolen.