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| Williamson Brothers Pedestal
Engine |
United Kingdom - Manufacture date:
1989
Bore = 1/2", Stroke 1 1/2", Flywheel diameter
= 5 1/4"
Style: Double Acting, Governed Pedestal type |
Dimensions: 4 1/2" length x 5 1/2" width
x 11 " height |
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Williamson Brothers Pedestal Engine |
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This unusual pedestal engine is a Williamson Brother, formerly
produced by Stuart. The engine is
a miniature of an 1862 engine
built by the Williamson Brothers
of Kendal in Great Britian, and displayed
at the South Kensington International
Machinery Exhibition. The detail of the castings is very clean and crisp as evidenced
by the fluting and open windows on the column. One usually thinks in terms
of massive iron construction when dealing with steam, however this engine
is a delightful exception with its almost delicate Victorian look. I have corresponded with Robert, the machinist who made
this engine, and he provided a bit of information about
this little machine. I wish I could
have watched him as he worked. His attention to detail was, and
still remains, something to be proud of. |
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The delicate feel of this steam engine extends to the
business end of things like the drive and governor mechanisms. The curve
of the brass governor, its restraints and the spire point add a nearly whimsical
appearance to the Victorian style of the engine. The Governor is driven from
inside the column below via a drive belt which transitions 90° over
a pair of small brass pulleys. Even though there is no real function for
the governor, the piece would surely look incomplete without it. Additional
detail is evident in the upper castings of the pedestal where the emblems
and the Williamson Brothers name are sharply cast in relief and polished
out for a nice visual effect. The Williamson Brothers Pedestal is a nice
contrast piece for the more heavily constructed engines in the collection. |
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Williamson Brothers Crank Shaft
and Governor Detail |
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Williamson Brothers Base
Cylinder Detail
Showing the
New Teak Lagging
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The bronze cylinder and
slide valve assemblies on this engine are located inside the pedestal column
and visible through the windows on 4 sides. The highly
polished edge bezels are
a nice touch and direct the eye to inspect the inner workings of the column.
The view shown is of the steam chest and slide valve linkage. The whole cylinder
assembly is bronze and sits compactly in the recessed space of the column,
allowing for a clean and simple look to the overall design.
The new brick tiled base, cylinder
lagging and the polished column
rings are recent additions,
which were added once I decided
it was time to spruce the little
engine up for display. It was beginning
to hide among the more polished
engines, so it was time to give
it a good cleaning and give it a
fresh new gleam.
During disassembly and cleaning,
I managed to get this little devil
way out of adjustment by taking
the slide valve apart. Normally
this is no big deal and takes all
of 5 minutes to adjust the slide
block and another 5 to find the
optimum timing for an eccentric.
All this changes when you have large
fingers and small openings to work
through. I finally got the engine
running again by making repeated
small adjustments to the slide valve
after it was fully assembled. It
now turns nicely on 3 pounds of
air.
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