An 1950's to 1960's (corrected) Wilesco D28 has found its way into the shop , I did some cleaning on the boiler , inside and out .the boiler was actually very clean inside , after a short white vinegar bath , very little debris was captured (with a coffee filter) from the inside contents , must have been stored well. I received it from the nephew (he was 73 yrs old) who's uncle bought it all brand new. I replaced a few worn/cracked 0 rings in the throttle & drain valve, made a safety valve weight & gave her a run. the heater is listed @ 600W but was actually putting out 770W. it is in overall very good condition. These are often mistaken for the D24 which is smaller, the D28 has a larger boiler (4 holes in the base) and it has a 2 tiered platform that the engine sits on vs.. the D24 engine which sits directly on the base plate.
https://youtu.be/kaeQcpC3PLQ
Lovely engine Bruce, thanks for sharing...and congrats
It actually isnīt an early 70īs engine, but a mid-1950s to early 1960īs instead.
(Upon detailed scrutiny most likely the later, as eventhough the steamvalve handle, gauge and tag screams 1950īs, the slightly brighter and heavier "knurling" on the blowdown-valve handle would indicate the 1960īs, but that could of course be a replacement.)
Anyway, being older than expected hardly devaluates it in any way.
The "biggies" already in the 60īs started carrying the half-covered chrome pressuregauge, and an oval tag on the panel, like seen below from one of the D24s here:
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Congratulations Bruce, that is the finest D28 I ever saw, It setts well with the D32. Puts my three
to shame.
Thanks Jan , i suspected it was a bit earlier. the round "Wilesco" script on the control panel led me to believe that. But it's nice to have confirmation. Btw ,what should the drain valve handle look like ?
Congratulations Bruce, that is the finest D28 I ever saw, It setts well with the D32. Puts my three
to shame.
Not really Tommy , I've seen yours ,they look nearly perfect 😊👍
But thank you , I'm very lucky to have secured it 😊
...Btw ,what should the drain valve handle look like ?
Might be the light playing me here, but to my eye it looks like the drainvalve handle is slightly brighter, with sharper edges and a heavier "knurling"?
(Which would make it a later version.)
It should be identical to the steamvalve handle, and if it is iīm blind....and naturally lean stronger against the oldest assessment above
Beautiful Bruce!!
Not sure if you said it as the kids were yelling here in the background
but another easy way to spot a D24 from a D28 is the sight glass is in the middle on the D28 and sits lower on the D24
...Btw ,what should the drain valve handle look like ?
Might be the light playing me here, but to my eye it looks like the drainvalve handle is slightly brighter, with sharper edges and a heavier "knurling"?
(Which would make it a later version.)
It should be identical to the steamvalve handle, and if it is iīm blind....and naturally lean stronger against the oldest assessment above
Thanks again Jan
The knobs are exactly the same as far as I can tell , I've had both off to clean the acorn nuts. I had quite a bit of trepidation about giving it the white vinegar treatment, albeit a short duration, I didn't want the swiss cheese boiler that Jim experienced with his D32, but all went well (so far)🤫
Watched the video again, jeez Bruce, I screwed up!! 😂 😂
...but another easy way to spot a D24 from a D28 is the sight glass is in the middle on the D28 and sits lower on the D24
Thereīs loads of give aways, if every little detail was counted in...
Close up it is pretty obvious, with the humongous boiler and raised enginebase on the D28, but from a distance at shows/sales, it usually is the steamdome that gives it away for me.
There is after all only two Wilescos models which has had one of those, so even 50 yards away it is possible to spot if its worth altering a pre-planned route or not.
...The knobs are exactly the same as far as I can tell...
In that case, i would rate it as a 1950s engine, or at the latest a very early 1960īs.
I donīt think anyone has dated the switch from the round to the oval tag precisely, and the same goes for the early style pressure gauges and bakelite handles.
(Unfortunately the "guesstimates" iīve seen through the years, often has been suspiciously well fitted to the guesserīs own interests, in terms of making own collection/engine more intriguing...but guess that one easiest can see what one looks for.)
Thanks Jan , i suspected it was a bit earlier. the round "Wilesco" script on the control panel led me to believe that. But it's nice to have confirmation. Btw ,what should the drain valve handle look like ?
As Jan stated that both handles should be the same. Here's a picture of handles from three different engines.
On the left is from my D20, the D24 is the same so I didn't include it. The middle one is from the D16, a
little more red, and the one on the right is from a D20 European voltage. You might not see it but a little
brighter than the middle one. Those that have drains all match the steam valve handles.
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A very nice comparison there Tom, thanks for sharing!
Clearly shows how they change from dark to lighter colour during the years.
(The earliest generation had all black bakelite wheels/handles with no "knurls")