Todays post is another look at bits of beam engine. It isn’t for those that are not interested in big pieces of finely manufactured, practical and decorative metal.
Two views from the mezzanine floor giving access to the tops of the steam cylinders. The rectangular piece is the top of the steam chest or valve chest.
Parallel motion linkage, on the left for the piston rods, condenser rods and a bit of valve linkage. There are several versions of parallel motion gear and you’ll be pleased to know that I’ve forgotten how to tell one from another. I’ll go with current terminology and call them Watt’s linkages.
Part of the crank, behind it is the River Pump and directly underneath it is the Town Pump.
The big end bearing and the crank.
The River Pump.
Almost ready to go. The steam is coming from the condenser pump.
The starters. It seems a complicated business.
It is. She did a quarter of a revolution and stopped bang on bottom dead centre. Steam everywhere. They have to shut it all off and then with a monster of a crowbar lever the engine over by hand. It appears much grunting and profanity is also part of this procedure.
Pressure gauges, vacuum gauges and a few oily finger marks.
That’s all for today, I’m out to lunch later……looking at this I’m out to lunch now. I love these things. Tomorrow I’ll treat you to some snaps of a wonderful and unique gas engine. I bet you can’t wait.
Have a good week.
Two great posts Adrian. Lots of examples there of how early engineers solved the problems and the needs of the day. It shows how far engineering has progressed over the last one hundred years now that we're into the age of CNC machining, CAD design and now the embryo stages of 3D component printing. It would be interesting to see the machines that were used to finish machine all those large components shown in your images.
ReplyDeleteDo you know how long the timescale was for the beam engine, from design to commission?...[;o)
Trevor, about three years I think. You have to remember that though a rarity now these engines were commonplace then. The engine and boilers cost £10.5k so a lot of money. I seem to recall a heavy machine shop is preserved at Kelham Island in Sheffield. They obviously had milling machines, shapers, borers and lathes. The bearings were all white metal and hand scraped as would any steel or cast iron slides.
ReplyDeleteI find it very fascinating Adrian, it's part of our history and the engineering involved was something we excelled at as a country, more please sir.
ReplyDeleteDouglas, I can spend hours just gazing in wonder at the skill and labour involved.
DeleteHi Adrian. I am not sure whose blog roll I clicked on, I found you. Loving your pictures. I will be back to look at more later.
ReplyDeleteSol, glad you enjoyed them and good to see you here.
Deletegeweldig wat een maschienes dat konden ze vroeger toch maar.
ReplyDeleteZe zijn een kunstwerk. Jammer dat ze niet meer te bouwen.
DeleteAdrian, I'm finding all this plenty interesting. I'm clueless about all the things you have to do to get the pictures but they are really good.
ReplyDeleteDavid, I press the button and pray. Seriously i'm still learning about strobes. I want them to overpower the anbient light. The light in these sheds is a nightmare, a mix of daylight, sodium and flourescent. So it's camera on manual, shutter speed to 1/250s which is the fastest that the strobe will sinc at and aperture to the lenses sweet spot which is f8 to f11. If they come out too dark then I have to use f5.6 or f4 but then i lose Depth of Field. It is a matter of playing around. There is no perfect solution. What I should have done is tried second curtain flash that would give movement in the flywheels....I forgot....I'm a Muppet.
DeleteI don't know a thing about photography but that kind of made sense to me. The lighting situation sounds awful. I think forgetting something or wishing you had done something different is always the case when doing something complex.
DeleteDavid, I did write down a list of stuff to take with me and a list of things to snap but then I forgot the list.
DeleteI got a laugh out of that.
DeleteIf I forget my list when going to the grocery store, I might as well turn around and go back and get it.
You should get a nice tea from there.
ReplyDeleteBob, the water from the River Tees looks like tea, They certainly produce enough boiling water for a cuppa.
Deletealthough machinery is not at the top of my interests, I find these quite beautiful.
ReplyDeleteNorma, they are beautiful. They would be better still if the money could be found to restore the paintwork and gilding to original.
DeleteSo this is a very antique engine. One wonders why it's still in use.
ReplyDeleteRed, it's in use for the same reason that 1950's cars are still driven around in Cuba. We are really poor here.
DeleteSeriously poor but seriously the water plant here is preserved for posterity and they run so folk like me can go and drool over it.
They sure keep them running nicely.
ReplyDeleteMaria, they do and there seem to be enough of the younger generations interested enough to acquire the knowledge to continue running them into the future.
DeleteThats when machines were machines - not just strange little grey and black boxes!
ReplyDeleteCheers - Stewart M - Melbourne.
PS; I almost feel well today - thankfully!
Stewart, this and a formula 1 power train are equally wonderful. It is a pity they can't make the latter with a see through case.
DeleteGlad you are on the mend.
Literally sitting on the edge of my seat Adrian :)
ReplyDeleteCarol, there are two more posts from here. the next one isn't very interesting but Tuesdays should be very nice. There is a bit of video which I hope I will have cured the choppiness from.
DeleteThought I'd commented on this when I read it yesterday. Food for my soul are these giants.
ReplyDeleteGraham, I could live among these buildings and engines. What I could do with a few million pounds worth of lottery money!
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