A piece of engineering history is now on display at our Colchester HQ!
We’re excited to showcase this stunning Paxman 12YJC model, gifted to us after spending years in long-term storage. With an incredible 1:4 scale and exceptional detail, this engine holds a special place in Bartech’s history as we’ve worked extensively with Paxman engines over the years.
This model now takes pride of place in our reception area, offering a glimpse into the heritage of engineering excellence to everyone who visits us. The plaque accompanying it was expertly machined in-house by Gary—yet another example of the craftsmanship and dedication of our team.
The engine was gifted to us (along with several others) by the Colchester Engineering Society, which was made up originally from the directors of the major engineering behemoths that resided in Colchester at the time, Paxman, Woods Air movement, Colchester lathes etc.
To celebrate the turn of the millennium they decided to make an exhibition to showcase the engineering history of Colchester, this was initially given the go ahead by the council, but 6 months before the millennium the council changed their minds, and they were gifted to Suffolk agricultural museum until 2022 when a new curator came into the museum and wanted to change the display to something more inherent to Suffolk.
The models were then placed in storage for 2 years while the society tried to find a new home for them to be displayed to the public, but in the intervening 2 years and the age of the members increasing many retired from the society and with manufacturing industry almost completely shut down within Colchester and no new members willing to come on board the society also decided to shutdown, they struggled to find a home for these artefacts until they contacted Bartech.