February 2009
Farmer Bros. Steam Engine? or Vaccuum Pump?

Since the report in the 'October News 2008', it has been suggested that, because of the balancing slide valve, and the lack of cylinder drains or governor, the 'engine' may in fact be a belt driven vacuum pump. Having no knowledge or experience of vacuum pumps I cannot dispute this theory.
However, it has been successfully tested and run on compressed air, so it may, some time in the future, be exhibited as a working steam engine rather than a static display. We shall see.

Cameron Pump

Yet another pump project has been started. It is a two cylinder steam pump, built by John Cameron of Manchester.
Steam cylinder bores 5ins. Pump ram diameter 3.5 ins. with 6ins. stroke and 'banjo' type connecting rod etc.
The steam cylinders are located at the top and the pump rams at the bottom with a central flywheel 36ins. diameter.
The supporting columns are hollow and connected to the pump delivery and act as air vessels, which even out the pump impulses.
The outward appearance is not very good - all exposed surfaces are badly corroded and pitted.
No history of the pump is to hand at present. It is rumoured that 'it came from the basement of a steelworks somewhere in Sheffield'.