I managed to get the side cover off of my Astle purchase during my lunch hour today and it contains a pelton wheel of about 8" diameter. I recalled seeing something similar in SEM not too long ago and a little searching turned up a query from David Edgington in Engine Torque together with a reply a couple of issues later. The device there shown appears to be somewhat smaller and cruder (a plain paddle wheel rather than properly shaped buckets) and was apparently intended to be powered from the water mains for light duties such as charging ones wireless accumulators. I wonder what you can do with an 8" pelton?
Due to the state of the fixing bolts I thought I was in for a long fight, a combination of rust and abuse meant that they barely boasted a good flat among them and certainly no longer fitted any standard spanner. A couple came out with an adjustable, but most were very reluctant to move and I gave up at the first sign of slipping not wanting to risk my knuckles or make the bolt heads any worse. Then my eyes alighted on one of those one-size-fits-all things, the sort which look like a deep socket full off spring loaded rods, lying unused in the bottom of the tool box. I don't even know why I own such a thing after all these catch-penny devices never actually work, but I tried it more in hope than expectation and blow me if it didn't get a really good grip on all but one of the bolts, again I gave up at the first sign of slipping. The last one was finally persuaded to give up by clamping it in the vice and rotating the casing. No swearing, loss of blood or broken metal, why can't all rusty iron come apart like this - or would that be too boring?