Most of us know about, and quite a few of us own one or more of the Polish educational steam engines.
I have been keeping an eye out for one of their open demonstrational engines for years, but they always seem to be listed for way more money than (i think) they´re worth.
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However, tonight Lady Luck finally gave me a break, when bidding on an incomplete but otherwise relatively nice example.
It does miss the flywheel and governor balls, and does have a damaged spot on the wooden base, but don´t think those issues should form any major hurdles.
These models are relatively large, measuring 6 x 16 x 8 inches, and weighing 8.8 pound, and they´re not made on the Poznan plant as the steam engines, but at the plant in Częstochowa...should anyone be familiar with Polish geography.
From the auction:
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Well done
Your patience has been rewarded
Cheers
Dennis
Nice score Jan .... a minor bit of envy being felt here .... ah heck, I might as well admit it ... I'm jealous!!! ;c)
Very nice Jan, I've always thought these really interesting.
Couldn't you have just cut yours in half ?
How about a video ?
It finally arrived, after a bit of issues with the shipment being "kept secret" for me by the postal services.
Fortunately an acquaintance was at work today, and noticed my name on the package, when they came to collect uncollected packages for return.
It does have a few flaws, besides the obvious missing flywheel and governor balls.
Most of which could have been spotted, had i taken the time to inspect the listing pictures a bit more intensively.
Quite a few parts have taken a blow at some point, and i now see why the flywheel is missing, as it most likely shattered when this was dropped at some point.
The damage on the side of the base, clearly tells that it has suffered a fall, the crankshaft and governor shaft is bent, as is both connecting rods on the valve mechanism.
The crankshaft fortunately is very easy to replace, being straight and just a pressfit into the crank itself, and the soft curves in the other parts can be easily straightened in the vice.
Alltogether i am very happy with it, as no castings seems to have suffered from the mishap.
Here it is, straight out of the box, as arrived:
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Quite a big model, as seen here beside a Coke can:
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I have taken it down, to evaluate the damage.
Don´t intend to start repairs before i have all parts here, but already have some solid brass balls incoming for the governor, and plan to get a flywheel 3D printed, as the weight is of no importance on a model like this.
Congrats on a fairly uncommon acquisition!
Certainly glad the basic casting units are still serviceable. You should be able to effect needed repairs fairly easily, while the visual demonstration value of the model seems mostly unaffected.
A 3D replacement flywheel sounds like a good short term solution, but meanwhile I'd definitely keep my eye out for a suitable metal replacement alternative.
I do really like those cutaway engines that serve to demonstrate the steam engines operations and functions!
Sooooooo .... your local post office keeps secrets from you too?!?!?