Office of Steam Forum for Model & Toy Steam Gas & Hot Air Engines

The Big Stuff => Full Sized Steam Engines => Topic started by: A. E. Karnes on April 05, 2019, 01:15:15 am

Title: Re: Restoring the Waterworks Engine in Woburn Massachusetts
Post by: Jim on May 21, 2019, 08:05:35 pm
Fantastic effort to all concerned, well done!
Title: Re: Restoring the Waterworks Engine in Woburn Massachusetts
Post by: A. E. Karnes on May 21, 2019, 07:57:18 pm
Yes, this was done by myself, Phil Christopher, Philip Beard, Ben Rechel and Cody O'Leary.   Myself, Cody and the two Phils have been restoring steam engines of various types and sizes for a long time.
Title: Re: Restoring the Waterworks Engine in Woburn Massachusetts
Post by: Stoker on May 21, 2019, 06:30:12 pm
All this done by just the five young fellas shown?

Whoever has done it, and no matter how many .... well done to you all!

WELL DONE INDEED!!!
Title: Re: Restoring the Waterworks Engine in Woburn Massachusetts
Post by: txlabman on May 21, 2019, 12:48:24 am
Great news on getting them both running.

I hope to get to see this some day.

Title: Re: Restoring the Waterworks Engine in Woburn Massachusetts
Post by: A. E. Karnes on May 03, 2019, 08:47:33 pm
Scott, both are now under steam!
Title: Re: Restoring the Waterworks Engine in Woburn Massachusetts
Post by: oilfield_steam on May 03, 2019, 07:52:00 pm
Geez Louise. Now that's a project engine.

Good Luck and Thanks for Posting!
Title: Re: Restoring the Waterworks Engine in Woburn Massachusetts
Post by: Swift Fox on April 06, 2019, 07:03:22 am
My mistake as somehow i just assumed it was a triple but i can see now what with the flywheel being in the middle and the cylinders either side.

Nice to see that triple you worked on and it looks like it had a hard life, great you were able to re-manufacture parts and get it running again.
Title: Re: Restoring the Waterworks Engine in Woburn Massachusetts
Post by: A. E. Karnes on April 05, 2019, 04:13:32 pm
@ Swift Fox 

This engine is a compound only, HP/LP cylinders.  The dimensions of it are 18 inch HP bore, 36 inch LP bore, 36 inch stroke.   3.5 stories from base plate to top of cylinders, what I would call a small engine.

The same friends and I also restored a triple in Phillipsburg New Jersey from a heavily damaged state.  That one is 24 x 36 x 56 with a 36 inch stroke, and stands 6 floors tall.  What I would call a medium sized engine.  After a year of intensive and back breaking restoration we got it steaming July of last year.  We needed to make most of the valve gear new pieces due to most of it being shattered. [attachimg=1]
Title: Re: Restoring the Waterworks Engine in Woburn Massachusetts
Post by: Nick on April 05, 2019, 11:02:35 am
Awesome find! Please post future updates  ;)

Nice artwork too  8)
Title: Re: Restoring the Waterworks Engine in Woburn Massachusetts
Post by: classixs on April 05, 2019, 08:32:43 am
Impressive story, way better than a fairytale...


Very well done on bringing this beauty back to life !!!
Title: Re: Restoring the Waterworks Engine in Woburn Massachusetts
Post by: Swift Fox on April 05, 2019, 05:36:06 am
I bet it was a wonderful feeling when it turned over on steam for the first time, interesting to see another triple expansion waterworks engine and it is nice it has been restored to working order.

I visited the impressive engines at Kempton in London some years back which were Worthington Simpson Triples, there is also a pair of triple waterworks engines in Wombourne, South Staffordshire (similar name to Woburn!).
Title: Re: Restoring the Waterworks Engine in Woburn Massachusetts
Post by: A. E. Karnes on April 05, 2019, 01:32:16 am
I have produced artwork of the surviving Platt 5MGD Corliss engine, the two original engines (A Worthington and a Blake, both four-cylinder compound Corliss-valve duplex pumps rated 2MGD and 3 MGD respectively) sadly lost to time.   I am selling these as prints to try and benefit the restoration of this national treasure.  The building desperately needs a new roof and windows.[attachimg=1]
Title: Restoring the Waterworks Engine in Woburn Massachusetts
Post by: A. E. Karnes on April 05, 2019, 01:15:15 am
My pals and I discovered a completely undisturbed, secretly kept steam engine and associated apparatus in the Woburn Water Department in Woburn, Massachusetts.  From oil lamps to wall clocks.  A stone's throw from Boston.   With the permission of city officials, four months of work we brought everything in the station to life  and got the engine steaming in November 2018.   It had not run since 1933.  Simply a fairytale story.

Now looking to establish a museum there and run the engine regularly.

[attachimg=2][attachimg=3][attachimg=5][attachimg=4][attachimg=6][attachimg=7][attachimg=8]