Markham Grange Steam Museum News 2006

Museum News 2003

January 2003.

Reliant Paddle Tug, Side-Lever Engine - The rebuild is now underway, the air pump and feed pump have been cleaned, painted and re-assembled on the bed. The side-levers are in place and are partly connected up. The valve and valve mechanism have been dismantled to reveal yet more missing parts. The face of the valve chest is badly eroded and will require machining flat again. Work has started on the paddle wheel, two 30ft diameter rims have been fabricated from 5/8ins thick plate. A new piston rod is required and at the moment is being machined in the lathe. There is still a lot more to be done.

All that is left of the original 'Reliant' paddle wheel. Some of the wooden paddles can be seen, bottom right.

Yarwood Compound Marine Engine (Out of the dredger 'SEIONT II) - all the protective grease and wrappings have been removed and most of the engine cleaned down. The bearings have been opened up and the crankshaft lifted clear for inspection. First indications show that the engine is in quite a good condition.

The Yarwood compound marine engine just as it was after unloading.

Sissons Triple Marine Engine - this engine has now found a permanent position, just to the right, inside the entrance and when in steam it makes an impressive sight on entering the museum.

Sissons marine engine in its permanent position.

March 2003.

Engines On Loan from Bradford Industrial Museum - on the 12th of March the museum took delivery of the following steam engines, which the Industrial Museum of Bradford have kindly loaned out to us:

A horizontal single cylinder steam engine, 6ins. bore x 10ins. stroke operated by an eccentric driven slide valve. It has 42ins diameter flywheel and a slide bar cross-head. No makers name or history.

A horizontal twin cylinder steam ram pump. Each steam cylinder, 4ins bore x 5ins. stroke, drives a 3.5ins diameter ram pump via a 'banjo' type crank (similar to Joseph Evans pumps). Each steam cylinder is controlled by a rotary valve driven by an eccentric on the crankshaft.
It looks as though it has been used as a fire water pump. No makers name or history is known.

Also on loan from Bradford Industrial Museum are two model steam engines.
One is a model beam engine with the inscription:

12HP Beam Engine c1850
Scale 1.5ins. : 12ins.
Built by Keith Compton 1997.

Flywheel is 14ins. diameter.

The other is a Model Tandem Compound Condensing Mill Engine, operated by Corliss valves.
Designed by E.G. F. Robertshaw - chief draughtsman at B. Smith & Son.
Made by W. H. Smith of 'Brookfield' Bingley in 1928.
Presented to Bingley Library in 1944 and loaned to the Bradford Industrial Museum in 1974.

Although described as a model its size is quite big.
Dimensions of engine:
Cylinders: H.P. diameter 3"; L.P. diameter 4" and Stroke 8"
Steam pressure: 90 psi; Speed: 98 r.p.m.; Vacuum: 25 ins.; Power: 2.25 Shaft.H.P.
Flywheel: 30ins. diameter.
Name: 'Henrietta'

October 2003 - Progress Report

'Reliant' Side-Lever Engine. - a lot of cleaning and painting of operating levers and rods have been carried out. Several have now been fitted. The long crosshead guides have also been fitted in place, making the overall height of the engine an impressive 18ft (5 metres).

Model Corliss Tandem Compound Engine - the Mills duplex pump has been disconnected from the steam supply and moved to a new location as a static display. The Model Corliss Engine, on loan from Bradford Industrial Museum, has been put in its place and is now running on steam.

Model Corliss, tandem compound, Mill Engine

Samuel White Marine Compound Engine - in the last 6 months, a lot of progress has been made on rebuilding this engine. Major parts such as connecting rods, HP piston valve and LP slide valve, together with their eccentrics and operating linkage, have all been fitted with very few problems or restoration work having to be done.

Samuel White compound marine engine before work started on it.

Yarwood Marine Compound Engine - The main bearings and eccentric straps have been dismantled, adjusted and re-fitted. Most of the of the other work carried out, so far, has been cosmetic i.e. cleaning and painting. It is now looking quite respectable with its new coat of grey paint etc.

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