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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
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    York, North Yorkshire UK
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    6,436

    Thumbs up Kelham Island Museum !

    Hi Guys,

    Some pictures from my visit to the "Kelham Island" Industrial Museum in Sheffield UK, yesterday.

    13-10-2021-012.jpg 13-10-2021-014.jpg 13-10-2021-015.jpg
    A rather nice "Crossley Brothers" of Manchester, Gas Engine. This machine was running at the time of these pictures. Its been completely refurbished and repainted in its original colour. It was surprising just how slow it ran ! You could hear the "Bang" about every 1.5 seconds as the gas burnt driving the piston.

    13-10-2021-013.jpg
    I didn't notice this picture of how it worked until I turned to go, it was on the rear wall of the engine house.

    All pictures taken courtesy of "Kelham Island Museum".
    Best Regards:
    Baron J.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Southern Highlands NSW
    Posts
    1,894

    Default

    I do like those side shaft engines, very neat.

    Another good museum is near Cardigan, Wales - Internal Fire Museum of Power
    The focus is on diesels, many running.

    Regarding external combustion, I visited London's Science Museum years back and was lucky that they were running a huge steam engine that day.
    Talking to an attendant in pristine white overalls (very authentic!), he said it was the earliest running example.
    I mentioned that Sydney's Powerhouse Museum laid claim to that - not just the oldest running, the oldest existing.
    He did not believe it.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    York, North Yorkshire UK
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    6,436

    Thumbs up

    Quote Originally Posted by nadroj View Post
    I do like those side shaft engines, very neat.

    Another good museum is near Cardigan, Wales - Internal Fire Museum of Power
    The focus is on diesels, many running.

    Regarding external combustion, I visited London's Science Museum years back and was lucky that they were running a huge steam engine that day.
    Talking to an attendant in pristine white overalls (very authentic!), he said it was the earliest running example.
    I mentioned that Sydney's Powerhouse Museum laid claim to that - not just the oldest running, the oldest existing.
    He did not believe it.
    Hi Jordan,

    I may have to dispute that claim !

    Kelham Island claims to have the oldest remaining working steam engine in the world, see my next post.
    Best Regards:
    Baron J.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    York, North Yorkshire UK
    Posts
    6,436

    Thumbs up River Don Engine !

    Hi Jordan, Guys,

    Kelham Island industrial museum claims to have the only still working steam engine in the world !

    13-10-2021-012.jpg 13-10-2021-013.jpg
    This is the river Don Engine. The driver stands on the platform at the extreme left middle of the picture. Seeing this very large steam engine running is a sight to behold.

    13-10-2021-014.jpg 13-10-2021-015.jpg
    Although these pictures make the engine look to be still its not, its turning over at about 30 rpm in these photographs. The engine is quite capable of 1200 rpm and believe me the noise and vibration at that speed is truly awe inspiring.

    13-10-2021-018.jpg 13-10-2021-016.jpg
    This is a picture of the enormous flywheel and pinion showing the teeth machined into them. Difficult to get an idea of the scale but those teeth are about 4" inches tip to root and 14" or 15" inches long. The whole thing is covered by a protective shield.

    13-10-2021-017.jpg 13-10-2021-021.jpg
    This is the plaque fastened to the end frame railings and a picture of the drawing for the engine. It describes the output power along with the 40" inch bore and 48" inch stroke.


    13-10-2021-020.jpg 13-10-2021-019.jpg
    This is a 3D printed plastic model of the engine not yet completed.

    Originally the engine was designed to drive a steel rolling mill. The engine driver controlled the speed and direction of the engine as the steel slab was driven back and forth through the rollers that squashed the steel billet into a 4.5" thick plate.

    The plate was used for making the armour for warships and other military armour. Later the engine was dismantled and moved to run the pumps that were used to prevent the river Don flooding Sheffield, which is why its now called the "River Don" engine. Sadly the pumps and pump house have been demolished to make way for expansion of the town. As have a lot of the factories and workshops that made the town famous for its steel making its cutlery and tools.

    All pictures taken courtesy of "Kelham Island Museum".
    Best Regards:
    Baron J.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    York, North Yorkshire UK
    Posts
    6,436

    Thumbs up Boiler !

    Hi Guys,

    Just a few pictures of the boiler used to power the "River Don" engine when it was used to drive the pumps.

    14-10-2021-028.jpg 14-10-2021-029.jpg 14-10-2021-030.jpg
    This is a picture of the rear half of the boiler showing the interior pipework, stays and fire tube. The water sight glasses are on the left hand side. The other picture is HMS Benbow, one of the ships that used the armour plate produced by the rolling mill driven by the "River Don" engine.

    All pictures taken courtesy of "Kelham Island Museum".

    The thumbnails below belong in the next post.
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Best Regards:
    Baron J.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Melbourne
    Posts
    33

    Default 4K video of the River Don engine in operation

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmuuLQRe06c

    I remember reading that these rolling mill engines were designed to be capable of quick reversing in 2 seconds
    (which is seen in the video), to pass the steel blooms from the steel mill repeatedly through the rolling mill, each pass further reducing the thickness to arrive at the intended specification.
    "
    I was little struck by the incongruity of this comment in the Wikipedia entry for the River Don engine: " The engine was last used for commercial work in the 1970s, to roll out reactor shield plates for nuclear power plants" !

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    York, North Yorkshire UK
    Posts
    6,436

    Thumbs up Big Lathe !

    Hi Guys, these two pictures are of a large lathe made in Sheffield by "Crookes Roberts & Co" in 1881.

    14-10-2021-026.jpg 14-10-2021-027.jpg
    Notice the back gear sat on the floor to the left. It would be bolted onto headstock casting at the back. That faceplate is 84" inches in diameter about 7 feet, the bed is 24 feet long. You can just see the saddle traverse gear at the back near the wall. Apart from size it is very little different from the lathes we use today.

    All pictures taken courtesy of "Kelham Island Museum".
    Best Regards:
    Baron J.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    York, North Yorkshire UK
    Posts
    6,436

    Default

    Thanks Craftsman12,

    I was little struck by the incongruity of this comment in the Wikipedia entry for the River Don engine: "The engine was last used for commercial work in the 1970s, to roll out reactor shield plates for nuclear power plants" !
    Yes that was mentioned on the plaque describing the Engine. I had overlooked that fact !
    Best Regards:
    Baron J.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Oct 2001
    Location
    ACT
    Posts
    667

    Default

    thanks for the pictures Baron.

    thats a good size lathe. It reminds me of the large one we had in the fitting shop at the old Osborne power station in Pt Adelaide. I didn't get to use the large one, but used a slightly smaller one to machine the valve seats on some large steam valves. The valves were around the 300kg mark.

    Cheers

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Oct 2001
    Location
    ACT
    Posts
    667

    Default

    here's the river don in action
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcoLiTFzXAg

    this one is good too - but not of river don. its the kempton park big triple. I like the small engine that is used to crank over the main engine.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhlJp1VZMB8

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Southern Highlands NSW
    Posts
    1,894

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by BaronJ View Post

    Kelham Island claims to have the oldest remaining working steam engine in the world
    Hi Baron J,

    By "working steam engine", do you mean it's performing a useful function, or just that it can turn over under steam?

    I think the Sydney Powerhouse unit, "Boulton & Watt No.2" must be a contender for the oldest steam engine of the rotative type, as it evidently existed in 1785.
    It runs under real steam. I have seen it do so a number of times, and it's always awe-inspiring.

    The Powerhouse is also known as the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences, hence the the website name.
    https://collection.maas.museum/object/7177

    Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9i8C6J9MgU

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    York, North Yorkshire UK
    Posts
    6,436

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by nadroj View Post
    Hi Baron J,

    By "working steam engine", do you mean it's performing a useful function, or just that it can turn over under steam?

    I think the Sydney Powerhouse unit, "Boulton & Watt No.2" must be a contender for the oldest steam engine of the rotative type, as it evidently existed in 1785.
    It runs under real steam. I have seen it do so a number of times, and it's always awe-inspiring.

    The Powerhouse is also known as the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences, hence the the website name.
    https://collection.maas.museum/object/7177

    Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9i8C6J9MgU
    Hi Jordan,

    Yes just that it can turn over under steam exactly as in the video, though the video doesn't do it Justice ! A number of children started screaming in fear at the tremendous noise and vibration. The engine is run under steam twice a day, at 12 noon and 14:00 for five minutes. I did notice that the driver was wearing ear protectors.

    Though having been for a look in the QE2 engine room I'm not surprised at the noise. I still have one full miniature jug of whisky of the two that I bought on the day !
    Best Regards:
    Baron J.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    York, North Yorkshire UK
    Posts
    6,436

    Thumbs up Display pictures !

    Hi Guys,

    Some pictures of the various tools and displays !

    14-10-2021-031.jpg 14-10-2021-032.jpg 14-10-2021-034.jpg
    Sorry about the glare from the lighting reflecting on the glass of the display cabinets.

    14-10-2021-036.jpg 14-10-2021-035.jpg
    A display of saws of different kinds.

    14-10-2021-038.jpg
    A nice display of four "Stuart Turner" models. It would have been nice to see them running if only on air.

    14-10-2021-033.JPG
    A pair of sheep shears !
    No ! they are actually carpet trimming shears. Carpets were also made in Sheffield.

    All pictures taken courtesy of "Kelham Island Museum".
    Best Regards:
    Baron J.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Mallacoota,VIC,Australia
    Age
    53
    Posts
    1,010

    Default

    Thanks for sharing Guys.
    All The Best steran50 Stewart

    The shortest way to do many things is to do only one thing at once.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    York, North Yorkshire UK
    Posts
    6,436

    Thumbs up Blacksmiths Hammers !

    Hi Guys, thanks for the feedback

    One of the things that metal workers do is to hammer red hot steel into shape ! Wielding a 2Ib hammer is hard tiring work so various types of mechanical hammer were used, from small steam driven machines to electrically driven larger hammers, right up to very large steam driven forging hammers.

    These are just a few pictures to go on with whilst I process some more !

    IMG_0857.jpg IMG_0858.jpg
    This is a small steam driven hammer dating from the 1840's. The hammer head weighs 20Lbs and is driven by the small black steam engine just behind it. The long throw 6" inch diameter piston has a diamond shaped shaft parallel to the piston rod with a sliding linkage on it, so that the link attached to the hammer drives it both up and down. A simple cam is used to activate the mechanism using the long red lever on the same pivot as the hammer.

    IMG_0921.jpg
    This machine resides in the current working blacksmiths shop and is driven by an electric motor. The 30Lb three inch square cross section hammer has a pivoting double linkage designed to keep the hammer vertical above the work. The anvil at the moment has a double die on it with one curved surface and one flat surface. You can see the clutch mechanism springs on the outside of the flywheel and the operators foot pedal used to operate the hammer via the small chain.

    I've a short video if I can get it to load of this machine along with the smithy using this hammer.15-10-2021-051.jpg
    MVI_0923.MP4 You will have to download this 8Mb video and play it using your favourite video player !

    IMG_0898.jpg
    I spotted this "Record" No:3 vice on the roof of the exit of the "River Don" engine room. Its a wood model and stands 5 feet high. Fancy that on your bench .

    All pictures taken courtesy of "Kelham Island Museum".
    Last edited by BaronJ; 15th Oct 2021 at 08:50 PM. Reason: Added Picture.
    Best Regards:
    Baron J.

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