Steamers

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gbb

gbb

Squire
Location
Peterborough
My former engineering manager was a part share owner of a traction engine and I remember getting him a quantity of 5/8 Whitworth full nuts for it from nut and bolt suppliers, thats a fair old size and that was 40 years ago.
I wonder if they have to have stuff like that made to order nowadays...sometimes just the simple stuff, so old now, might become either very hard to find...or be quite expensive. The joys of owning something 100 years old ..and more ?
 
Jenkins

Jenkins

Legendary Member
Location
Felixstowe
A Stanley Steamer which took part in the Classic Car Run in Felixstowe back in May. I think the owner said that the boiler was fired by a petrol/diesel mix. Fully working as it arrived under its own steam ^_^
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tyred

tyred

Squire
Location
Ireland
Jenkins said:
A Stanley Steamer which took part in the Classic Car Run in Felixstowe back in May. I think the owner said that the boiler was fired by a petrol/diesel mix. Fully working as it arrived under its own steam ^_^
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I'd love to have a drive in a Stanley. They were pretty impressive for their time, far ahead of petrol cars. I believe some models could hit 80 MPH.

They were just high maintenance and the introduction of starter motors made petrol more attractive.
 
tyred

tyred

Squire
Location
Ireland
gbb said:
My former engineering manager was a part share owner of a traction engine and I remember getting him a quantity of 5/8 Whitworth full nuts for it from nut and bolt suppliers, thats a fair old size and that was 40 years ago.
I wonder if they have to have stuff like that made to order nowadays...sometimes just the simple stuff, so old now, might become either very hard to find...or be quite expensive. The joys of owning something 100 years old ..and more ?
Click to expand...

I was chatting to a guy who had built a 6" model of a traction engine. Reckoned it probably cost him in the region of 14 big ones about 12 years ago. He got the drawings somewhere but everything has to be made and it's harder to find foundries, etc who will take on that sort of work on a one off basis.

He also said you can save a lot of money if you look out for suitable scrap iron and are creative with an arc welder, but the purists and snobs will look down their nose at you.
 
gbb

gbb

Squire
Location
Peterborough
tyred said:
I was chatting to a guy who had built a 6" model of a traction engine. Reckoned it probably cost him in the region of 14 big ones about 12 years ago. He got the drawings somewhere but everything has to be made and it's harder to find foundries, etc who will take on that sort of work on a one off basis.

He also said you can save a lot of money if you look out for suitable scrap iron and are creative with an arc welder, but the purists and snobs will look down their nose at you.
Click to expand...

My dad, oof, around the 1980s took me to see his next door neighbour and they showed me his hand built model traction engines. The only thing he didnt make or assemble by hand was the wheels, they came from India apparently, you just couldn't build them as well for the money. He had two sat there (big shed) with a lathe, pillar drill, everything he needed.
Ex railways, long since retired (now long since deceased) he was a seriously clever fella.
 
tyred

tyred

Squire
Location
Ireland
gbb said:
My dad, oof, around the 1980s took me to see his next door neighbour and they showed me his hand built model traction engines. The only thing he didnt make or assemble by hand was the wheels, they came from India apparently, you just couldn't build them as well for the money. He had two sat there (big shed) with a lathe, pillar drill, everything he needed.
Ex railways, long since retired (now long since deceased) he was a seriously clever fella.
Click to expand...

I would love to be able to do that.

Making and repairing things was what I did for most of my life. I never had anything to do with steam engines but worked on tractors, cars, lorries, wood work and anything else too my fancy. It was my escape from mental health issues and family problems. I was lucky to grow up on a small farm and my dad had lorries too, and did most of his own repairs so I had space to work and tools and dad always encouraged me to learn and experiment.

Sadly I don't really have access to that now as my brother doesn't want me there and I'll never be able to afford a property with enough room to play with bug things.

I'll buy a Mamod steam model some day and make do with that!
 
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