1. (SOLD) --- ROBEY No.49105, Enclosed Inverted Vertical - Green. In presentable condition. --- (SOLD)
2. (SOLD) --- DRYSDALE No F30037, Enclosed Inverted Vertical - Green.--- (SOLD) Has driven an air compressor here but didn't give enough output. In reasonably presentable condition.
3 & 4. (SOLD) --- READER, a pair of Enclosed Inverted Vertical, presumably ex-college test engines, No's 28656 (HP), 28657 (LP). Not restored. Gauges have been smashed at some time past. --- (SOLD)
5. ASHWORTH & PARKER, Enclosed Inverted Vertical, two-cylinder compound. No external nameplate found, but has "1 (space) 49 B" on HP gland. On removing HP rear crankcase cover, both halves of HP big-end are stamped 1849. Also each half and the spacer between them has a stamped B. This indicates that the engine has not been pulled to pieces and then thrown back together at some time. Each cylinder is separate with its own trunk between crankcase and cylinder block, and the outer cladding is the same size on each.
Each cylinder has a separate valve, located at the outboard end and outside the main cylinder trunk, indicating 90 degree cranks. There is a 3 inch approx receiver pipe between the two valve chests. LP top cover has what looks like a pressure-relief plate with three vertical springs. Each cylinder has two drain valves on the side. There is a (broken) pressure gauge for each cyl. Crankcase doors are in place. There is a shaft governor at the HP end
working the main steam inlet valve.
There is no oil in the crankcase sump. There is quite a lot of surface rusting internally, especially the conn rods, but it looks fairly easily removeable once the parts are accessible, ie dismantled. The engine definitely needs a complete strip, a good clean, a bearing check and general overhaul, but there was nothing seen to suggest that it is not basically in good condition internally. Exterior shabby blue.
Dimensions, all in inches:
Bedplate - 43 x 24
Overall length - 71.1/2
Engine stands on two 6" high I-beams
Overall height, incl beams - 62, plus 4.1/2 for relief valve springs.
Flywheel - diam 30, width 4, with six one inch barring holes.
6. DAWSON & DOWNIE of Clydebank, two-cylinder horizontal duplex non-rotative steam-driven high-pressure hydraulic pump, with "crossed" valve drive similar in style to those made by Worthington-Simpson and Hayward-Tyler.
Nameplate: Pump No 25573. Size 10.1/2 2.3/8 10, assumed to be steam bore 10.1/2", pump bore 2.3/8" and common stroke 10". Pump pressure therefore approx twenty times steam pressure.
The steam slide valve cover is angled (to give access to the seats and, presumably, to allow valves to be withdrawn endways off the rod). This cover has been put on backwards at some time past (before coming here).
Each double-acting pump has a hefty cross-head at each end joined by tie bars running in plain guides. Each pump has paired suction and delivery non-return valves; suctions are on opposite sides, but delivery connections are on top, joined via a common output pipe having a pressure-relief valve on top. Most metalwork is protected by shabby paint, but there is some rusting of piston rods and in patches on the guide bars.
7. MARKHAM & CO of Chesterfield winch Type C, No 3970. It has two cylinders, quartered, with the valves inboard. Valve gear is Howe-Stephenson link motion, hand-lever actuated. The drum is fitted with a brake. It has been in store for many years, and we were intending to set it up so that visitors (especially children) could operate it by means of extended levers from the public area, ie safely. We assumed this winch to be steam operated until we removed a cylinder and got proper access to and were able to dismantle a valve chest, whereupon we found that there was no exhaust chest. It has inside-admission piston valves, but the top and bottom of each valve chest exhausts direct to the open air, so we could not steam it inside the Museum. It would be difficult to make and fit satisfactory exhaust chambers, especially at the bottom. It was apparently designed to work by compressed air, possibly / probably down in a coal mine, where the exhausted air would not cause a problem.
We have only a modest air supply capacity (and in any case we are a "steam museum"), so we are looking for a museum with a more potent air supply that might be interested in taking over this winch, perhaps to use it as we had in mind, namely to allow visitors to be able to "work an engine".
email:- markhamgrange@btinternet.com