Hi
The claim about the Old Mills winder may well be true if its taken in
the context of a normal horizontal duplex winding engine. This design
became the standard pattern for such machines from the 1860s onwards
until the demise of British steam winding engine construction during the
second quarter of the twentieth century. The norm became Horizontal
duplex (two cylinders of equal bore and stroke) with the drum between.
Occasionally cross compounding was employed and for larger powers twin
tandem compounds were also installed. A very large example is preserved
at Astley Green near Manchester.
There are a small number of beam engine winders surviving that are of
older vintage (Levant (1840), Glyn Pits (1845) and the old engine in the
grounds of the college at Treforest c1826 are three that come to mind)
For a period vertical winding engines were popular and four of those
survive (Glyn Pits (1856/65), National Railway Museum (1833), Beamish
(1855) and Bestwood Nottingham (1873)
There are a few horizontal single cylinder engines around that pre-date
1861 as well. (the Swannington Incline engine (c1833) (used for railway
haulage) now at the National Railway Museum. Others are preserved at The
Black Country Museum (1855) and Ironbridge (make and date unknown, but
probably pre 1860)).
But for full sized duplex winders it appears that the Old Mills engine
is by far the oldest example remaining. Equally it is probably the only
remaining engine by a local Somerset maker and is probably the last
steam survivor from the Somerset coalfield.
There is a very small example of a duplex winding engine at the
Sheffield Industrial Museum (Kelham Island) that predates to c1846. That
unit is believed to be the prototype machine to feature Stephenson's
link reversing gear (actually invented by William Howe) that became one
of the standard fittings on reversible engines, including steam
locomotives and marine engines.
Paul Stephens
Chairman, International Stationary Steam Engine Society.
http://www.isses.org
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