Wardlaw Museum

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

My brother is gadding-about again, and sent me this … which is a better shot than anything I could find on the museum’s web-site, so I hope it might be of interest.

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MichaelG.

[V8EngParticipant @v8eng]

That’s a good photo of an interesting object which might make a good project if I had any spare time.

I find museum items can sometimes be difficult to photograph due to unhelpful lighting and reflections with glass cases.

Digital cameras have such stuff easier with no more waiting for the film to come back although I also used to enjoy home processing.

Looks like some sort of electrostatic machine next to it as well.

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

Wow! Built in 1824 when such beam engines were state-of-the-art technology.

Unusual rotary valve mechanism on it, in its own casting separate from the cylinder which is also unusual.

So, were there home workshop model engineers in 1824? Or was it a demonstration model for the manufacturer of the full sized job? Could be worth a few bob if it was a genuine James Watt demonstration model!

[Hopper]

On Hopper Said:

Wow! Built in 1824 when such beam engines were state-of-the-art technology.

Hard to judge, because advances were being achieved rapidly in this period.  Could be a prototype, illustrating a new idea, or – made a only few years later – a model of something well established.

Unusual rotary valve mechanism on it, in its own casting separate from the cylinder which is also unusual.

Yes!  Anyone know when the eccentric was first used to drive valve gear?  Until today I assumed George Stephenson, now I think the idea could be earlier.  I can’t see any sign of eccentrics in Blücher (1814):

By Clement E. Stretton – The Railway World, Volume VI, 1897, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=73182252

So, were there home workshop model engineers in 1824?

Not many! Though a fair few professionals seem to have had home workshops.  No TV or internet distractions.

 

Or was it a demonstration model for the manufacturer of the full sized job?

My guess is this was made by a University workshop for educational purposes.  James Watt started as an Instrument Maker working for the University of Glasgow, at the time probably the most advanced technical university in the world.   Scotland was a big hitter in engineering – not a coincidence that the chief engineer in Star Trek is called ‘Scotty’.

Could be worth a few bob if it was a genuine James Watt demonstration model!

Don’t think that’s what it is.   It’s relatively crudely finished, which doesn’t impress potential customers.  They like lots of bling, and foolishly believe if it looks good, it must be good.   This despite being told by Nanny to ‘never judge a book by it’s cover’.   High finish is less necessary in education or when trying out new ideas.

Though inspired by Watt, this might not be a Watt engine.  It has a crank, which was patented by Pickard. Watt’s company famously avoided the need for a crank with the Planet and Star drive, which they dropped when the Pickard patent expired.  Not sure when that was.  Other Watt features like the condenser are missing.

The object on the left is nothing to do with the engine!   Except it too looks like an educational demonstrator, and might have been presented with the engine:

The red-boxed device looks very static electricity to me.  Likely used to demonstrate charge effects in some way, relating to electricity as it was understood before Volta and Faraday etc.

I find looking at engines in museums or exhibitions very unsatisfactory.   The crowd usually like to keep moving, making it difficult to take in details.   Tragic!  It takes hours to appreciate a model properly.  I don’t mean Inspector Meticulous either: though it’s good when the rivets and paint colour are spot on, I’m more interested in the design and build overall.

Dave

 

[Dave DanielsParticipant @davedaniels93256]

It’s a Nairne cylindrical generator. Or similar ..

 

https://www.skinnerinc.com/auctions/3035M/lots/394

 

There were quite a number of that type.

 

D.

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