“Must they be scrapped ?”

[Rik ShawParticipant @rikshaw]

Fate of old beam engines

[Rik ShawParticipant @rikshaw]

Taking a weeks break in Cromer last week we took the opportunity of visiting beautiful Blickling Hall in Norfolk for the first time. Before we left I took a look in their second hand bookshop and spotted thirteen bound volumes of ME covering six and a half years of publication. They did me a deal on the lot which brought the visit to a nice end.

Yesterday afternoon I was taking a look through ME Volume 3 July – December 1954 and on page 310 I read an article entitled "Must they be scrapped?" in which appeared a letter dated 22nd July , 1954 from the Mechanical Engineer of the South Eastern Gas Board at 709 Old Kent Road, London S.E.15.

Mr. Herbert (the letter writer and Mechanical Engineer) asks through "Model Engineer" if anyone has an interest in rescuing two beam engines "ALPHA" and "BETA" at his premises before he consigns them to the scrap heap.

I am curious and love a happy ending to a story, were they rescued or were they scrapped?

Rik

Edited By Rik Shaw on 22/07/2016 10:37:36

[Martin KyteParticipant @martinkyte99762]

I don't know about this pair but when Newmarket (Suffolk) took their Steam water pump out of service they asked a scrap merchant if he would dispose of it. My friend Paul who was 17 ish at the time (he is now over 80) worked for the scrap dealer and went to take a look at the job. The upshot was that they declined as it was too big to handle. The engine is now at Kew Bridge Steam Museum having missed death by a thousand sledge hammers by a whisker.

I imagine most preserved stuff has a story to tell of lucky escapes and miraculous survival. Would make a good book really.

regards Martin

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

Could this be one of them?

**LINK**

"This is a Gas Pumping Engine. Made by Easton Amos Ltd, London. This engine powered pumps that moved gas through a gas works and off to gasholders and customers. Used by the South Metropolitan Gas Company at Old Kent Road Gas Works in London from 1864 to the mid 1950s."

It would be fascinating to find out in light of the ME article how the museum came about the engine. They must have records, surely?

It certainly is a beauty to behold. Glad it was saved from the scrappies. It looks to be of a size that a crew of model engineers with a Morris Traveller and homemade trailer could have rescued over a weekend or two. I'm sure there is a heroic story there somewhere.

Edited By Hopper on 22/07/2016 13:19:04

Edited By Hopper on 22/07/2016 13:26:08

[Nick_GParticipant @nick_g]

Posted by Hopper on 22/07/2016 13:17:26:

Could this be one of them?

**LINK**

.

Looks to be.

The location and the dates match up for a fair chance it is one of them. Thank god the engineer that scribed the letter originally had some forsight and consideration for future generations.

Nick

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Grace's also mentions the one at Thinktank so sounds like a likely contender, Easton & Amos were very local too.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

A nice family resemblance to Lady Stephanie, although all six-column engines seem to have similar proportions.

Neil

[Rik ShawParticipant @rikshaw]

Hopper – I compared your linked photo to Mr.Herberts photo in the magazine and they look identical. Given that the one in Thinktank, Birmingham is said to have been used to pump gas at the Old Kent road works I think we could well assume a match and if so "ALPHA" seems to have found a good home.

Just to confirm the aforementioned I have just contacted a friendly lady curator at Thinktank Birmingham and she confirms that Hoppers photo link

IS the one in their museum which they took possession of in 1956. ALPHA lives, what a great result and thank you Hopper.

The curator also confirmed that BETA is not part of the collection but she is willing to make further investigations which may lead to the location of it if it still exists and will contact me as and when.

I feel a trip to Brum coming on.

Rik

[Nick_GParticipant @nick_g]

.

Although this is not to do with full size steam or model engineering I have a little story of how easy it is for historic and iconic items to be scrapped when no longer considered of value. – Bit of a story but please bare with me.

A few years ago I was bringing a yacht back from Spain for someone. Before the bay of Biscay was crossed we pulled into La Coruna in northern Spain before striking out for the Scilly isles.

By chance we ended up moored next to an English chap and his wife. We got chatting over beers and it turned out he was as Ex British airways captain who had started his flying career working for 'Betty Windsor' in the 60's flying amongst other things Hawker Hunters. – I have always liked the lines of the Hunter and we started talking about aircraft of yesteryear. Obviously with me doing far more listening that talking. – Really nice guy and an interesting chap.

Anyway. He was telling me that the squadron had been overseas (think it had been south Africa) and when it came time to return they came back in hops. The last being in Germany. Here they were told that upon getting back to the U.K. they were to give a firepower demonstration upon a ground target as there would be dignitaries there to see it. They were told what the target(s) was and obviously the location, armed up and departed with much enthusiasm as there is nothing that fighter jocks love more than blowing things to pieces.

Upon arrival there were the targets where they should be and they proceeded to do as ordered and with much joy and euphoria rendered everything into tiny pieces with flames and explosions. He told me they all had a great time and upon landing there was much grinning, back slapping, beer drinking into the night and questioning why they were not allowed to do such things more often.

However.! ……… He then told me that as years have passed he has had much regret and sadness over what they did and as each year passes that regret increases. – The 'target' had been 6 parked Spitfires.

Nick

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