I'm a new reader here and I've bought a nice D-32 on ebay that was in need of some minor work. The work's completed and the engine runs well. I've read every post on this and several sites pertaining to the D-32 and wanted to add some variation observations I haven't seen mentioned elsewhere.
From what I've gathered here and on Stefan's Old Smoky and Ace Steamwork's site my engine was probably built in the mid-1960s. It's obvious that Wilesco updated components as production moved along and it often took years to deplete the stock of one part and to switch over to a new one.
My engine has an old style etched control panel with the round logo. There's no date written on the reverse side. The smokebox windows are the narrow variety. The boiler base is vibrant blue with the main base gray and cylinder covers baby blue. The weighted relief valve uses an insert that requires a spanner rather than hex wrench to disassemble. The firebox door has the newer square window in it.
The boiler drain tube is long and straight, extending in front of the ladder. Both gauges are of the oldest type, the pressure gauge having a full face and using a bourdon tube. They have chrome bezels which appear to have superseded the black ones. The heaters are old style clamp-on brass with an adjustable thermostat via a hole in the back of the smokebox. The terminal block is inside the firebox.
The sections of large-diameter tubing running from the boiler house to the soldered nickeled tubing are painted silver. The 110V 1500W identification plate has hand-stamped figures. Valve knobs are dark red Bakelite with nickel nuts. All valve bodies are constructed of the knurled whistle valve bases rather than the later valve body castings. The pump has no fitting on the bottom segment.
The gray base corners have no reinforcement and the bottom edge is clipped at the corners. The sight glass is 3mm thick.
I just thought I'd provide some of these odd details to help other owners add further dating information to their knowledge.
This is a beautiful engine and my repair efforts wouldn't have been possible without the information so generously shared over the years in this forum.
I would love to hear and would value your opinions of any dating, suggestions or comments you can offer.
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Very nice engine, looks great!
The gray base and the logo indicate a very early production date, but I am not a Wilesco expert...
One of the reference books gives 1958 as earliest production date.
That is a nice (very nice) earlier version.
Beautiful vintage D32 - congratulations!
Thank you for the kind words. These things are a challenge to work on, but well worth the effort to do the job nicely.
What I have found while dating these engines is that they generally have a great personality, but not something I would want to marry. All jokes aside a beautiful engine!
Well here's a clue from German ebay. This is an engine with exactly the same particular construction details and the letter from the dealer showing an order date of May, 1957. Maybe this thing is older than I thought:
Anyone keeping track of changes in these D-32s over the years should note two distinctive features of this known 1957 model:
1. The wiring connections are made in a Bakelite junction box mounted to the underside of the base.
2. The governor weights are single solid turned disks. Later models weights were each built up of two disks with a fiber washer separating them.
Here is a video of one that I got going today; the dud Wilesco heating elements were replaced with a Nichrome heating element.
https://youtu.be/HR99NBMMztA
A very nice engine that you brought back to life. Would love to see the heating element replacement.
A very nice engine that you brought back to life. Would love to see the heating element replacement.
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There is picture of element on fire brick
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And element under test
That is fantastic! Where'd you find a Nichrome heater shaped like that?
That is fantastic! Where'd you find a Nichrome heater shaped like that?
It came out of an engine (can’t remember which one) that I returned to meths fired burner.
I’m not sure where this element was sourced originally but the Nichrome wire and similar elements are available even today.