Internal Fire firing on all cylinders (long)

Hi all,

For some time I had promised the domestic authority I would take her down to South Wales on a turkey-buying errand (strange I know, but it takes all sorts). The dreary prospect of driving all the way down and back across Wales in mid-Winter didn't fill me full of excitement. Then the idea of popping in to see Paul Evans at his Internal Fire museum near Cardigan made the trip seem a lot more palatable. Jeni (the domestic authority), on the other hand, was less than keen on a trip to an engine museum, but would tolerate it as her penance for being chauffeured on her quest for rare breeding stock.

So we set off last Tuesday, driving an unfamiliar route through rain that can only be described as biblical. Arriving at Internal Fire we were warmly welcomed by Paul, plied with coffee and set off on the tour with Paul and his wife, Hazel.

On going into the first engine shed, I saw the display was organised into bays, with a 1930/40s power room, Gas Engine room, Water pumping station and Estate mill. On the other side of the shed are the compressor set and the air start engines, two massive Allens plus a very fine and similarly large Belliss & Morcom Generating set. So well made were the Belliss & Morcom engines that the makers lost money on every one! Each one a Millenium Dome in its own right.

Paul started the 7hp Hamworthy compressor set to charge the air bottle for air-starting some of the larger engines. The Hamworthy is a Petter M lookalike. Then the 16hp McLaren Petter-Fielding was hand-started in the

1930/40s power room, and donk-donked solidly while generating up to 12kva of power for the workshops. While this was going on, the blowlamp had been lit and put in place on the 1927 11hp Crossley VO to warm up the hot tube. This is an engine, the concept of which has always interested me. Rather than use the air in the crankcase (crankcase scavenging) to fill the cylinder it has a separate piston pump to put air into the cylinder. This allows this two-stroke semi-diesel to operate more efficiently and without consuming as much lubricating oil as the conventional arrangement. It did make the engine more complicated and expensive and also, to my surprise (I had never seen one running before) it sounds like a twin. Being very fond of my Petter S, I'm always fascinated to watch and hear other semi-diesels. It ran its Worthington Simpson pump very nicely and various gauges showed pressures and flow rates. A very absorbing display to watch.

Various other engines were brought to life as we went around, one of my favourites was a big National Gas P engine, needing Paul and Hazel tugging on a flywheel each to force the brute from its rest.

By this time I was thoroughly enjoying the morning. I love rallies and seeing all the engines running, but what I like better is to see them being started, because this is when engines get attitude! As Paul was starting each engine for us in turn it was just up my street. Next engine to start was a big 120hp 4 cylinder Allen. This engine, built in 1938, had given over 40 years of service on fen drainage pumping and is still in good nick. After some fiddling with sticky air-valves the Allen was blown into life from the 300psi air bottle and thumped away importantly, testing Paul's foundations with every stroke. Next to run was a 4 cylinder 120hp Belliss & Morcom generating set, which started off air flawlessly and drove a 120kva generator.

That was one shed viewed so off to the next one, past a rather nice Aveling oil-engine roller outside. The next engine shed is much bigger and the aeroplane engine means you rush past the first few engines to read the information on the Proteus turboprop driven Pocket Power Station. This is a serious generation set-up, used for dealing with demand surges on the National grid. The Proteus is a 4250 SHP (Shaft horse power) turboprop engine and drives a 3.2 MW 11kv alternator. This is not yet running yet as suitable accommodation has to be constructed to house it. I look forward to seeing this in operation. Perhaps a barbecue could be set up in the exhaust path to use up some of the lost heat!

Different interesting engines fill this large building and the biggest and most awe-inspiring is the Tangye MLD7, a twin cylinder open crank diesel from the early 1920s, weighing in at 13 tons and soon to be a runner again, once the bearings are scraped. I think any engine lover would want to be present for the start-up of this monster. Make sure to video the event, Paul.

While contemplating this and lots of other impressive pieces of iron, Paul was busy starting a Lister CS driven compressor set to air start some of the Rustons. First up was the 1936, 36hp 6XHR open-crank diesel, running beautifully after the oil thinned on the governor and allowed it to run steadily. It will run down to about 120rpm and Jeni stood watching it happily for some time. Firing at 60 beats per second is the equivalent of a relaxed heartbeat, very soothing to listen to. Jeni called it the stress-buster engine.

Another large Ruston was fired up and ran beautifully, and then, sadly we had to make our way, as time was short.

I've only mentioned some of the stuff to be seen and having looked at the

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website previously, reading reports of putting in foundations, getting engine X running etcetera, I imagined we would find a museum in its infancy with plenty of grubby bits yet to be finished. The reality is, however, that Internal Fire is up and running and firing on an awful lot of cylinders and if it keeps up its present pace, it'll soon be firing on a whole lot more!

What Paul and Hazel have achieved at Internal Fire is remarkable. I would advise all engine men (and women) to make a point of visiting.

Pictures at:

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Regards, Arthur G

Reply to
Arthur Griffin & Jeni Stanton
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Paul seems to make it hard work to see his excellent collection. First the IOM with the IOM steam packet company to fight & now a remote part of Wales. If anyone visits please post your pictures for the more restricted members of the list.

-- Dave Croft Warrington England

Reply to
Dave Croft

Dave -- that depends. As I live 10 miles from Internal Fire, I don't call it at all remote!!

Arthur's write-up is good. There really are more large engines running regularly at Internal Fire than anywhere else I visit (perhaps because other contenders are remote from here, but I don't think so :-). Coolspring have more, but run them less often.

Don't forget that Paul & Hazel are having an Easter event -- the daffodils & crocuses are already out here, so spring is getting very close ....

Colin Osborne

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Reply to
Colin Osborne

Yeah, yeah, but did the domestic authority get her turkey?

Reply to
Dave Liquorice

Arthur, what a first class piece of writing & pictures - thanks very much, I really enjoyed it.

Now, of course, I'm all fired up to drive across to Wet Wales (S deleted for reasons of veracity!) for a looksee of my own.

It occurs to me that there are a few (I can manage four others) in the Bristol area that might also relish a visit and it would be useful to arrange a joint trip on a petrol-sharing basis. I'll drive, I do a lot of miles in a year and actually enjoy it! I can go any day, as I work from home, but it could easily be a weekend - how about sometime in mid march to give us all time to get our heads together ?

Any takers??

Regards,

Kim Siddorn

Reply to
J K Siddorn

Dave, I didn't expect anyone would want to talk turkey!

We went home with not one but three turkeys from sunny Lampeter! At one point the flooding was so bad it looked like we might have to leave them for another day.

Regards, Arthur G

Reply to
Arthur Griffin & Jeni Stanton

Hi all

I really loved that engine - it could tick over at about 60 rpm and at that speed sounded like a peal of (3) bells, all the valve gear making its own distinctive noises at a subtly different pitch on each cylinder.

I can second Arthur's comments (for which much thanks). My No. 1 son and I visited about three weeks ago and enjoyed a grand day out - Paul and Hazel made us most welcome. My boy (10) really wants to go at Easter for the rally.

Regards

Pete

Reply to
Peter Scales

But that was the whole point of the trip, the engine museum was just to keep the drivers interest. B-)

Must admit it sounds like a really great place to visit, especially the bigger things. What are they going to load the "pocket power station" with though? 3.2MW is a lot of kettles...

Reply to
Dave Liquorice

Arthur:

What a great description of a fabulous day. But did you get the turkeys?

Dan

Reply to
dgates-at-keller - no - space - engineering - dot - com

Dan, thanks to you and all the others for the kind remarks concerning the Internal Fire post on and off-group.

See my previous post in this thread for a response to your query :-).

Regards, Arthur G

Reply to
Arthur Griffin

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