BBC2 Flogit 11 May 2020

[Speedy Builder5Participant @speedybuilder5]

Antique “Air Compressor”

[Speedy Builder5Participant @speedybuilder5]

On BBC Flogit ( repeat ?) there was an antique mechanical item described as an air compressor or was it really a compound steam engine? It looked like it had a reversing arm, and the "Drive Pulley" looked large enough to be a flywheel.

If it was a stem engine, it fooled the expert, the auction house and the BBC – What did the team think?

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

Series 17 episode 13 30minutes in.

yes this was a twin cylinder steam engine with slide valve reversing gear, perhaps made by an engineroom fitter in the style of engines he was familiar with but the valve chests are rather short and the reversing gear control wheel way out of scale so perhaps something he found.

Value way out too. Pity that a decent modeller didn't find it at the boot sale.

photo may be considered copyright BBC so removed by moderators after a while…..

 

Edited By Bazyle on 11/05/2020 19:10:22

[Dave HalfordParticipant @davehalford22513]

The BBC is never wrong !

It's a steam engine

[John Paton 1Participant @johnpaton1]

I saw the original programme a little while back and think I saw the same or similar engine subsequently for sale on fleabay. (the oversize handwheel and oversquare cylinders stuck in my memory)

[not done it yetParticipant @notdoneityet]

I took one of my circular sock knitting machines (a rare example, but of normal operation for these machines) to a club night where a Bonham’s expert was offering approx. valuations of old items. Unfortunately he did not even know what it was. Hadn’t even a clue. A lot of them (not all, of course) need to do research on items which turn up before they can give advice. Specialists, not generalists – a bit like engineers and salesmen.

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Two cylinders the same size, not compounded, where reversing is a major function. Mill engines and pumping engines only run one way. Although ship engines reverse they need to be energy efficient, hence small HP and big LP cylinders, which this model doesn't have.

My guess it's a model rolling mill engine, the sort where hot metal is passed to and fro through a pair of rollers to make sheet, strip, angle girders and rails. Rolling engines need to be powerful rather than efficient, and the operator continually starts, stops and reverses them, which might explain the giant control wheel.

Dave

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by Bazyle on 11/05/2020 19:07:09:

photo may be considered copyright BBC so removed by moderators after a while…..

Proper way to do it is to link to the external image using the icon that looks like a little landscape painting, left of the camera icon.

Neil

[Mike PooleParticipant @mikepoole82104]

The downside of linking to an image hosted off site is that they are not permanent as many old threads on here will show. Of course it does keep to the legal side of copyright though.

Mike

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

It as a screen capture off the video.

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