Allen steam engine

[Martin Field 1Participant @martinfield1]

When I had my old paddle steamer, "Vexem", it came with a non-original Allen single cylinder steam engine. not of any great age, it was clearly a high speed engine, vertical, maybe 6×8, but most remarkable was the reversing gear. Basically there wasn't any! Just a lever which moved the steam chest up and down very quickly. This led us to wonder if this engine was from perhaps a set of sheet rolls from a boiler makers' factory.

Has anyone ever heard of such an engine.?



I'd love to see one again.

Alas, I lost all the photos of the paddler. Originally she'd had a Savage's portable engine driving both paddles through a triple chain and weed cutting gears, the reason she was built. 40 feet of rivetted wrought iron built in 1898 at Ely ironworks. Also known as the 9 boat, because her number was always made of 9s.



Cheers,

Martin

[Martin Field 1Participant @martinfield1]

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