The Steamboating Forum

I saved this engine the other day. I will need to make some parts.

I need some help identifying the maker and approximate year of it. It stands about 4 foot tall. 5 1/2" stroke 4" bore.

That's going to be a little tricky.

From the size of the bearings, etc, I'd guess it ran on 100 psi or less. Large slide valve, but it could
be a balanced valve - look at the inside surface of the steam chest cover - if there are wear marks,
that's right.

Any idea where it was found? There were lots of local engines; single cylinder steam engines were
pretty easy for a local foundry + machine shop to crank out.

Welcome aboard!

- Bart

Tractormanmike,

Your engine doesn't look too badly pitted. It sure needs more than just a good TLC. A few missing parts (piston cover, stephenson reversing linkage, etc.) but nothing that can't be fabricated in a small home workshop. What are the bore & stroke?

I agree with Bart about the estimated working pressure: the cylinder wall seems comfortable enough to be operated at something between 100 and, say, 150 PSI. But only 4 studs means that it's safer to operate it under 100 PSI.

By the way, this is a nice find. It will be fun to get it back into working order - not to say getting it attached to a boiler and puffing quietly in a hull!

The engine is located and most likely lived its life where Lake Superior meets Lake Huron and Lake Michigan. There is one local machine shop (still in operation under a different name) that started turn of the century and had their hand in some boat building, It could be one of their engines.

It has a 4" bore and 5 1/2" stroke.