Greenly English Mechanics 1.25″ Traction Engine

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

I'm trying to help someone identify an old traction engine model and it looks a lot like Henry Greenly's 1 1/4" TR1 that was published in "English Mechanics" probably some time in the 1930s.

Just wondering if anyone has a collection of these mags that may have some additional details in them. Maidstone Engineering do a set of drawings but would rather be sure of the engines parentage before suggesting the owner buys them.

Note Maidstone list it as 1" but the drawings are actually the 1 1/4" engine as below

I did post a picture of the boiler in this thread the other day. Google seems to be returning too many results relating to Greenly's other engines.

Thanks J

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

[vic francisParticipant @vicfrancis]

Hi Jason, it's a good question, I have a greenly which is similar to the drawings, I have some of the drawings as well, which are a bit rough, the thing is they vary a fair bit, mainly the cylinder castings certainly vary in shape. On the station road steam website archive has some good pictures of ones which have passed through the business. It's a early design supposedly based on the Davy Paxman traction engine which Mr Greenly had access too.

Kind regards ,vic

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Thanks Vic. I was aware of the Davey Paxman design but there are a couple of features to this engine that set it apart.

Scale is one thing as at 1.25" it comes out 24" long though I think E J Every or Dick Simmonds may have done a larger version of the 1" Davey Paxman design.

The other items are that the weight shaft is supported on brackets fixed to the top front edge of the hornplates which I have not seen on another design. Secondly the hornplates are cut away to show most of the firebox sides and only fix to the top row of stays again something that is not often seen and the only other engine I know with this is Haining's Z7S/Superba. Both these can be seen on the GA I attached and are present on the engine that the guy has, some more images of his engine here

The other factor is that whoever built it may not have exactly followed the plans and done their own thing with some of it.

[vic francisParticipant @vicfrancis]

Hi Jason some info on the english mechanics engine in my folder… Ill see what i can find! I could not see your message in my pm!

Kind regards vic

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Vic, you are a star. That certainly seems to be the one. I'll pass on the details and suggest the guy buys a set of the drawings from Maidstone Engineering which will help with the new boiler and other work it is going to need.

I've sent the PM again.

[Paul LousickParticipant @paullousick59116]

FYI.

Copies of some of Henry Greenly's books are available for viewing/download on The Internet Archive. Articles and drawings of Model Engineering projects, rail locomotive details, boiler fittings, etc but not road locomotives (traction engines). And thousands of other publications.

https://archive.org/search?query=Henry+Greenly%27

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Thanks Paul, although I could not see anything of help there the old books were worth a look through particularly the last one "Model Engineering"

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