Horizontal Steam Engine

[Khephre]

Earlier this week Sandy posted a web address for an online auction of a steam engine. I was interested enough to click on the link, and in a moment of weakness bid for and won the engine.

So now I have a very nicely made horizontal steam engine and not a lot of knowledge about it (or steam for that matter!). But many thanks to Sandy, as it's a little cracker.

So I've posted a couple of pictures of it to the photo gallery and hope that someone might be able to give some advice.

Here's what I know about it:

It appears to be quite old, has been made in England and has no maker's marks but instead appears to be a skilled modeller's handiwork.

It's a twin cylinder engine and the crankshaft has a 90 degree set so is capable of reversing but has no reversing control (yet)

Bore - 1/2 inch
Stroke - 1/2 inch
Dimensions 6" x 4" x 4 1/2"
And two flywheels, one at each end of the crankshaft - these are two inches in diameter

The seller and I hooked it up to a compressor - it ran beautifully around 30psi and he felt that is its ideal working pressure. It was described as a marine steam engine - I'm not sure that was it's original purpose - but to me it looks to be ideal for a paddle boat. The first idea that came to mind was an open side-paddler steam launch in the Windermere style.

So any thoughts on the engine, the potential, what size boiler would suit it, the idea of using it in an open side wheeler launch???

Cheers for now
Tony
Auckland, NZ

[derekwarner_decoy]

Hi PD's - Tony - further to your question posted under DUMAS models "does anyone know detail of a model with a beam engine?? - in a post yesterday I read about the "Solano" huge railroad paddle ferry in early USA & there was also a web page for the model which appeared to have the twin beam engines on independent & different paddle axis to each other

In the [I think 3rd ot 4th snap], the total superstructure is lifted off & it would appear that the beam engines are connected & I assume oscillate with the paddle rotation

Four days off here in OZ so I hope to complete the [re] replanking of the  Decoy - I have trialed two different tints of Liming solution [Feast Watson]which is oil based & when wiped back off dries to a matt finish that doesn't require any additional sealing - I remember posting some months back that I am trying to achieve a version of 100 year old faded Austrailan hardwood deck - time will tell - Derek