Old Fashioned Steam Engines

Red Duplex Steam Pump This is a well-preserved steam pump that was the simplest mechanism for pumping water into a boiler.  Obviously the water in the boiler had to be under higher pressure that the steam coming out of the boiler.  Therefore the steam side had a larger diameter than the water side.  A connecting rod joined the two pistons—steam and water—which oscillated back and forth making the mechanism must simpler that powering a steam engine which would require a cross-head slider, wrist pin, crankshaft, big end bearing, and heavy fly wheel. The downside is that there could not be cutoff used so that the steam was expanded giving off more of its power (about twice as much) as not using the expansion of the steam as the piston moved down the cylinder.  Steam had to always be at above boiler pressure for this to work.  Because of the great expansion in volume between water and steam, less than five percent of the steam was used to pump the water, and so the efficiency loss was made up for by the simplicity of the pump.  Toledo Engine             The early automobiles used a chain drive between the engine and the rear axle.  Thus it was easier to place the drive sprocket in the middle of the two cylinder to avoid extra forces on the drive shaft.  When the sprocket was between the two cranks and their bearings, it was difficult to lubricate the bearings, crossheads, valve eccentrics, and all, as well as keeping dirt and dust out of the important moving pars of the engine. Early Locomobile and Stanley automobiles left everything out in the open the same as all steam powered locomotive trains.  Toledo made the two cast iron crankcases to enclose the rotating and sliding parts for good lubrication, while leaving the drive sprocket exposed in the middle of the crankshaft.  This was an improved design, more expensive, and distinct to the Toledo engine.  Cliff Blackstaffe Marine Engine             Blackstaffe was from Victoria, British Columbia and well-known for his marine engines that he designed and built.  This is a small, twin cylinder compound with slide valves.  The engines are in good repute and hold up their re-sale value.  There are rumors that they are not designed for rugged use, not having long enough connecting rods.  They are good enough for small steam launch power. Likamobile Engine             About 2005 a British steam model making company decided to make a full size more or less Locomobile replica, hence the name.  This was sold as a kit by Modelworks.  A number of people have purchased the kits and assembled the vehicle.  It is not clear that Modelworks carefully assembled their kits and then did engineering development work on the automobile before offering it for sale.  There were improvements over the original Locomobile.  The burner was an atomizing pressure nozzle spark fired burner, instead of the original blue flame vaporizing model that was always tricky to keep running.  The boiler was a water tube, more or less of the Derr design.  This was cheaper and safer than the pressure vessel fire tube original boiler.             The engine uses modern sealed bearings, and otherwise sticks to the original archaic design.  The frame is a very heavy rectangular tube 1 7/8” x 4” and 28” long.  It is way overkill .  This is different than the ultimate Stanley four rod frame that flexed under high torque conditions.  The crossheads are from 2 ¼” round pipe.              Modelworks went out of business—probably went broke from the expense of making these kits—and were bought out by Steam Traction World which is now offering a comparable kit. Day-Land Engine The Day-Land engine was designed by two old guys out in Southern California in the 1960’s who were good at making patterns for castings.  Casting kits were made and sold.  The original purpose was to copy as exactly as possible the old Locomobile engine with the exception of making all of the bearings modern sealed bearings.  There was a slight complication in that they offered both the conventional slide “D” valve and something called the “Donut” valve which may have had some advantages over the old slide valve design.  Most people who tried the Donut valve changed over and a good explanation was never made. The patterns were sold to Errol Cramer out of North Vancouver, British Columbia and he never did make any casting kits to sell.  When I talked to Errol on the phone he was too busy being a movie actor to worry about steam things.  After he died I was in contact with both his wife and daughter and they could never come to any decisions.  He also had the Vesuvius steam bicycle power plant casting kit.