Скачать или смотреть The Collection Of Steam Engines At Crofton Pumping Station

Crofton Pumping Station near Hungerford, Berkshire has besides of its two big pumping engines a fine collection of small steam engines, all running on steam days:

1. Gardiner Overcrank Engine: Built at around 1840 by Gardiner's in Kent, it is an early rotative engine. It was used in a woolpit mill for more then 90 years until 1940. The name 'overcrank' today usually means 'slow motion for cameras'. An other meaning of 'overcrank' is 'self-starting' (used as 'overcrank alarm' for starting problems of emergency generators), but I cannot imagine, how a single-cylinder steam engine could start without external help, having the piston in dead point position. Perhaps it means 'crankshaft above cylinder' ? So I would thank anyone, who could explain the name. Bore is 7,5" (190 mm), stroke 16,5" (420 mm) and power output at the correct steam pressure around 2 hp (1.5 kW). I like the forked connecting rod -- the engine builders had a lot of good ideas in the 19th century.

2. Evans Steam Pump: Pity, they did not have any information about this engine, but it dates probably from the twenties or thirties of the last century. This model is similar to (or it is one of) the Reliable series, which were built from around 1910 until 1960 by Joseph Evans & Sons and used for water or tar pumping in gas works. I found very interesting informations about these Evans steam pumps at http://www.steampumps.net/JosephEvans... . What I like is the connection between engine and pump by a kite and the way, the flywheel is driven by the pump rod.

3. Hornes Oscillating Engine: If you like to know more about this engine, please watch my video 'Oscillating Steam Engine with Penn's Valve Gear'
(    • Oscillating Steam Engine With Penn's Valve...   ).

4. Forge Sunderland Dynamo Engine: This steam powered generating set dates from about 1924. It was made to provide electricity for lighting and power on board a trawler. It originally ran at the comparatively high speed of 300 rpm and produced 110 volts DC at 5 kW. It was rescued from a dock yard.

5. Marshal No. 2 Inverted Vertical Engine: This engine came from a hospital laundry and originally delivered about 5 hp. It's speed is controlled by the three ball device adjacent to steam pressure gauge which is known as a Pickering Governor after its inventor.
This design of this engine is said to be inverted, because the very early engines (like the Gardiner Overcrank) had the crankshaft above the cylinder, and in comparison, this one is upside down.