Lansdowne Engine Room / Paddlewheels

[Steamchief]

Stb'd Engine  B&W shots taken in 1973. The Lansdowne was no longer owned by CNr, having been sold as a barge to the Detroit/ Windsor barge line and at that time was pushed by the tug Prescotant ( a relic in her own right - diesel electric built in 1938)

Colour Shot - taken just before scrapping in Buffalo.  The rumour was that the remaining engine  (that is the Stb'd engine) would be saved, although I have heard nothing as to where or who has it.

Chris

[steamboatmodel]

Hi Chris,
This is a very interesting engine, you ask:
"I have one question I do hope someone on the group can answer.  The engines on the Lansdowne date from 1872, and were second hand from the ferry Michigan.  They were horizontal, low pressure (65 psi)  50inch diameter by 108 inch stroke condensing engines built by E.E. Gilbert & Sons in Montreal.  Of interest, and to my confusion, her valve gear was essentially what we in North America would call "Western River" valve gear.  What I have yet to grasp from what pictures I have is what provided the feedback to the valve gear from the crank.  There is no cam, nor eccentric that I can see,(or remember) although there is a  crank that drives the air pump"
In the photos there is a rod coming from the top of the valve gear, do you know what it is connected too?
In one photo it looks like it is connected to a leaver, but I don't see what elese the leaver is connected to?
You have "plans obtained from the Dossin Great Lakes Museum in Detroit" do they show anything?
This is very intriguing you would probably have to work out a model of the engine to figure out where everything goes.
Could you post some shots of your model and give more details on it.
Regards,
Gerald

[Steamchief]

Hi Gerald

Methinks "where' the lever connects is the key. Unfortunately as far as I can see, It simply connects to a quadrant at the lower forward end of the engine - you can see the quadrant on the colour shot. It appears to have a fairly large circular counterweight attached - which I assume would help keep the connecting rod ( and thus the wiper) in an"up" position.  So far I haven't figured out what brings it back down.  There doesn't seem to be any visible connection to the cross head.
Alas the plans are exterior only.  I have quiried the Smithsonian who so far have not gotten back to me.  I am still learning the rope as to postings - most have been rejected as being too large.

I will try again re model - the model itself is built to 1/87" scale

Thanks

Chris

[Bierjunge]

Hi,

It's pretty late (more than 1 1/2 years, to be precise...), but I think I can solve the riddle:

Here is a drawing of the Lansdowne's engine.

And this drawing shows what you've been asking, and what none of the prototype photographs shows:
There IS an eccentric on the paddleshaft indeed, a fairly large one, and a big, wrought-iron braced eccentric rod.

So why doesn't it show on the pictures?
If you look at the drawing precisely, the engine is shown from the backside. Look at the order of pitman and airpump lever, for example. And there is some kind of wall on the drawing, partially cut away to expose the crosshead.
And the eccentric rod is in front of that wall, which means that on the photographs it is hidden behind the wall. That's all.

Or might, what I've marked on the second picture, even be a glimpse of the upper parts of the eccentric rod?

Moritz