Giants

You might be surprised how many large old engines are still around, though most I know of are steam.

For an excellent example of surviving gas engines, there is a link on this thread to show newly taken photos of the BIG gas blowing engines at Bethlehem. They last ran in 1995.

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A few steam examples: (why use the offensive hot fog term?)

In the UK there is a 12,000 hp (from memory) rolling mill engine at Kelham Island, still run on steam, albeit just playing nowadays!

In Australia a 16,000 hp Galloway rolling mill engine has survived.

In the late 1980's there was still a steam driven Mesta rolling mill engine at Republic Steel in the USA rated at around 35,000 hp, not sure if it has survived. There are a few other big US (steam) rolling mill and blowing engine survivors.

In Germany, I believe there are big engines in a steel mill under preservation at Volklingen. I hope there are some gas engine survivors there, they certainly have many steam engines.

Kempton is a must see, one engine running under steam. Now those are very impressive engines! Unfortunately they ran a main bearing and couldn't steam when I was there...but OK again now I believe.

I don't know much about the Cockerill Works Museum at Seraing, Belgium, they had an 1826 beam engine there, they may have info about any surviving gas monsters. (If the museum is still there).

Reply to
Peter Short
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Thanks for the link, it's really good to know that at least one of these mighty installations has survived for long enough for preservation to at least be considered an option, but I do take the point made elsewhere in this thread that these sites do not have the same charisma as many hot fog 'Cathedrals of Power' that appeal to the architectural as well as the engineering senses.

BTW. I don't think 'hot fog' is intended to be offensive (I certainly never mean it so). Apparently it was used in the RN, particularly on the diesel powered Cat and Cathedral class frigates where the word s***m was forbidden!

Reply to
Nick H

Nick,

I too love that old engine house architecture, however if we could go back in time and stand beside the Bethlehem engines or the 17 Allis-Chalmers twin tandem gas engines at Indiana Steel while they were working, I don't think either of us could care less for the buildings! :)

Reply to
Peter Short

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