Horizontal mill engine expert needed.

Hi I hope this is the right place to ask if it isn't could anyone point me to the right place.

I have owned an old twin cylinder mill engine for the last 16 years and I haven't been able to find out much about it, I have never seen anything else like it!

It is quite large 28" long by 16". The flywheel is 12" across. The outside of the cylinders is 3.5" and the length is 5.5" It needs 2 people to lift it.

It is very old possibly Victorian? On a mahogany base with mahogany cylinder lagging.

Unfortunately the plaque is missing from the base, I can see faintly where it would of been years ago.

The only clue I have is that someone thought it was a demonstration model possibly for the company Tangye of Smethwick Birmingham, as far as I know it has always been in Birmingham which is where I am and where the previous owner kept it. They thought it would of been for the sales person selling the full size engine and he would show the customers this scaled down version.

I have never run it and think it would need the valves cleaning up, also one of the lagging strips is missing.

I believe there was originally 2 engines and one vertical boiler but the other engine and the boiler was given to a school never to be seen again.

I have put some photos online but they are quite large and may take some time to load

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It is too large for my little house and I am thinking of letting it go to someone that will be able to appreciate it and show it off. I will be sad to see it go after all these years but money it tight.

Does anyone have any clues to the history of this engine and what it may be worth? Is ebay the right place to try and sell it? Are there enough collectors of this sort of thing looking on ebay or is there a more specialist place to advertise it.

Any help would be really appreciated.

Seb

Reply to
Seb
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In message , Seb writes

[snip]

Do you have any steam preservation groups in your area?

Reply to
Mike H

I will try and find out if there is one round here hopefully there is. Thanks Seb

Reply to
Seb

This engine looks to be of similar quality and vintage to some of the models I have seen in the collection of Jonathan Minns who set up the Brighton Engineerium. Sadly the Engineerium is to close due to lack of funds and the collection of models is to be auctioned at Bonhams on 10 May. See the May isue (current issue) of Old Glory for a report and photos of some of the models.

Whilst you might do OK on e-bay, a more specialist auction house with a specialist sale like this might get the model a more fair chance of realising its true worth. In my opinion its a museum piece.

John Ambler Sussex, UK Return E-mails to snipped-for-privacy@skiprat.net

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Reply to
John Ambler

In message , John Ambler writes

Seconded!

Reply to
Mike H

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