Unknown horizontal engine

steamman · Unknown horizontal engine

I thought you may like to see an engine, which has been marked 'unknown' in my collection for some time. The model is mounted on a thin tinplate base, with the corners removed to prevent injury. The boiler is brass and fitted with a fillar plug. steam dome with combined safety valve and a chimney. The steam dome is marked

U.M.C.38.S & W

After looking on the internet we discorvered that UMC stands for the Union Metallic Cartridge Co, which made gun cartridges in America from 1860 to about 1890. The boiler is also thought to be a old gun cartride.

The engine is mounted again on a thin tinplate base, which is soldered to the base. The engine is fitted with a lead cylinder, governor and combined flywheel with drive pulley. The steam pipe is painted green like the boiler, whislt the other pipe is black.

A small plaque on the front of the model reads,

H Saunders, Driver.

My question is is this a commerical model or was it made by H saunders? Parts of the engine look commerical like the boiler, steam dome and cylinder, whilst the engine frame looks very crude. It has been steamed, as the boiler is covered in soot.

Take a look at the pictures and see what you think

tmuir

The cylinder and governor looks Weeden to me.
Its possible that someone used these parts to build a new engine from scratch and I know Weeden parts were made from lead.
One of our US members should be able to verify if these are Weeden parts though.

rangerssteamtoys

that cylinder it definatly Weeden. I have an old weeden cylinder that look just like it. I'm with tmuir on this one. Probably a scratch buil.

steamman

many thanks for your help with this, would you know what sort of date the cylinder might be from it's style?

rangerssteamtoys

Manxman

I have to agree and say that a few of the bits on that engine look very Weeden. I've been through my Weeden Catalouge and can't find a match but a couple of the models dating from about 1906 (onwards) seem to have common parts with your model and so I'd make that about my best guess for a date for some of the parts.

GUTMACH · Interesting little homebuilt...

Wow, I am amazed at what you guys turn up !

I would be really amazed if that engine was built in the early part of the 20th Century and remained that way, without modification or updating made. I hate to say it, it looks like a kludge.

I am glad that did not land in my lap, because within a couple of hours, all would be left of the engine would be the boiler and the cylinder. The rest would have been tossed into the recycle bin.

All in all, an interesting little homebuilt.

Wayde

Manxman

Oh I agree, I don't tink this final model is that old. My best guess would be someone found / was given an old Weeden engine and used the parts to make this. As for when it was done or if it was all done at one time, I don't think any of us can answer that. But, I like it and my guess is that it was someones attempt to bring some old parts back to life.

Not unlike many of the projects we get involved in ourselves.

tmuir

Nothing wrong with taking parts from a dead engine and using them as a basis to make a new one.
Gives the home built engine a sort of pre-history.

steamman

Thanks for all your help everyone. I agree with you all, some parts look great, the engie frame however is very crude!!!.

The boiler however is very intresting, the way in which the safety valve and steam dome are combined is very professional, with the steam line also connected. I wonder if this also came off another steam plant?

Manxman

Unknown horizontal engine

Interesting little homebuilt...