Internal Fire via Sodbury Sort out loaded

I was a bit miffed to say the least at not being able to attend. After digging a bloody great hole I've discovered that out main drain was built using that cheap'n'nasty pitch fibre pipe, which after 40 or so years has partially collapsed, and is not in a very good condition at all. Negotiations with the house insurers commence shortly!

It was nice to see so many NG reulars at the Sortout. Last saw Kim with a huge barrow load of of assorted ironware topped off with a pile of fire hoses.... For myself I just picked up a few odds and ends, nothing too big or expensive. I have a Petter habit to feed you know :-)

Regards

Philip T-E

A very good day, and nice to see many of the gang. There was one small (well quite large really) cockroach in the toothpaste for me. While on big Tangye duty, she had the bad grace to smear her front main bearing, without any advance warning. I shut her down as soon as I realised the bearing was hot, but alas not soon enough, and said bearing had suffered a bit. This big ignorant lump of white metal will need scraping, no small job when the crankshaft is 7" diameter, IIRC. All being well, it is being attended to as I write. Paul took it fairly well I felt, and I'm sure the third degree burns from a starting blowlamp will heal with time or plastic surgery ;-).

The display of visiting engines was of very good standard. I'm not sure whether I preferred Gary's Lister N or the Blackstone springer, they were both quite mesmerising to watch. Dan's daft Pegson was rammer was a wonderfully silly device, and I can see why Dan enjoys mucking about with them.

I was very pleased to see the Sulzer is now running it's own compressor for the air-blast injection and running so sweetly. It was quite a change to see Paul starting it with ease, from needing a team of people on different controls to start it at Easter. The newly installed 1940s straight eight Allen genset was quite a sight and looked to me like it should have a huge steel hull around it. It did sound rather like a bus engine when running at tickover as Martin remarked, quite apt as it's almost the size of one!

Nice to see a CS Start-o-Matic on display (so beautifully quiet with exhaust and intake piped outside) and I look forward to seeing the little Lister Junior genset running the power for the wireless room. That big Mercury Arc rectum frier (sorry rectifier) should look tremendous when it's wired to the Tangye generator, throwing it's blue light out. Roland's Petter 8S worked hard driving the compressor ro bring the air bottle for the Sulzer to 700psi. In a way it sums up what is so special about Internal Fire. Many of these beautiful engines are working hard as in their real life, not geriatrically plodding along at tickover as most do on a rallyfield.

Many thanks are due to Paul, Hazel, Keith, Roland and all the other workers for all their hard work and dedication and providing such an attraction.

See you there next time!

Regards, Arthur G

Sounds like a good time was had by all, I *will* get there one day!

"Arthur G" wrote (snip):-

Could be good money to made there selling sun tan treatments to the local lasses ;-)

A most enjoyable meeting of friends old and new. Sorting the Tangye's main was well under way when I left and showed every sign of a satisfactory outcome. As an aside one swiftly tires of heaving the (B heavy) main bearing halves in and out but I can reach my steering wheel with greater ease!! I'm now going to rest/sleep for a few days.... Needless to say suitable screening material will be set in the front of the MAR before it is powered!

Would the very kind soul who donated the stack of Allen literature to IF please contact the museum.

regards

Roland,

The Allen literature was donated to IF by my very good friend Hugh Stannard who used to work for them until closure. He does not look here very often but if you want it I can email you off NG his phone numbers.

Mart> A most enjoyable meeting of friends old and new. Sorting the Tangye's

Arthur,

I actually saw that cauldron running on Sunday morning didn't you.

See my pictures in the next hour.

Martin P

For the sake of any HSE rep lurking: it was NOT running but Martin got a good pic that makes it look like it was. ttfn Roland

"Roland Craven" wrote (snip):-

How dare you spoil my vision of scantily clad Welsh lasses rotating slowly, bathed in the blue glow from said MAR!

I apologise Roland, I should have put up a smiley face :-))

Mart> For the sake of any HSE rep lurking: it was NOT running but Martin

Hoping for a gotcha, Martin?? :-)

I had heard on the grapevine that you had a fake photo of it.

You'll have to get up early in the morning to catch me napping (well, before

Regards, Arthur G

And it was well before Ten, I was checking the hot water in the IF Toilet at

Mart> Hoping for a gotcha, Martin?? :-)

is that what's is known as Welsh rarebit?? ttfn Roland

"Roland Craven" wrote

Depends how long one leaves them there ;-)

Looks like you had a good time allround, only wish IF was a little closer to me (Carlisle). Will have to make a concerted effort to get to one of the working days.

(well quite large really) cockroach in the

smear her front main bearing, without any advance

alas not soon enough, and said bearing had

no small job when the crankshaft is 7"

took it fairly well I felt, and I'm sure the

whether I preferred Gary's Lister N or the

daft Pegson was rammer was a wonderfully silly

for the air-blast injection and running so

needing a team of people on different controls

genset was quite a sight and looked to me like it

engine when running at tickover as Martin

exhaust and intake piped outside) and I look

the wireless room. That big Mercury Arc rectum

Tangye generator, throwing it's blue light out.

bottle for the Sulzer to 700psi. In a way it

engines are working hard as in their real life,

workers for all their hard work and dedication and

Martin, If I can drag a trailer on a 570 mile round trip then Carlisle might not seem so far :-))

Mart> Looks like you had a good time allround, only wish IF was a little

The MAR is quite safe to look at, it won't fry your retinas! The pressure of mercury vapour in the bulb is very low, and consequently the amount of UV light given off will be miniscule. UV production only becomes an issue as the mercury vapour pressure increases. The only reason screening will be needed is to keep people away from the arcy sparky bits! For many years ther was an MAR on display in the Birmingham Science museum, coupled up to an very old electric motor, they do look very eerie when running.

Have a look at:

Regards

Philip T-E

You and me both Martin. Not that I'd be allowed to tinker with an engine even if I had the money to spend on one. Though I guess a Startomatic could be hung on the "it would be nice to have a backup power supply dear" and being autoamtic and electric start she could cope with it as well in an emergency... Hum, still no cash though. B-)

You don't have to have lots of money to own and restore Stationary Engines, all you need is to trust your abilities, be in the right place at the right time and don't set your sights to high. I started with a Lister D, of which I still have several, and slowly built on the collection from there. I would love a large open crank but all I have to do is remember that I am married and have a mortgage and settle for what I've got which I must say I'm am pleased with.

Martin P

I did wood work at school not metal work... Mind you I'm not averse to taking *anything* apart and putting it back together.

As this group frowns on plugging things that are on ebay I refrained from mentioning the two Lister Startomatics that ended just after 1900 this evening. One, 3kVA, ended at =A3391 the other a 3 cylinder jobbie, =

presumably nearer 10kVA, at =A3645.99... The only other one recently sold was bought at =A3550 by BIN, mind that was restored and on a trailer for showing.

I guess with a 2.8kVA Briggs engined manual site type generator costing =A3350 new =A3391 isn't a bad price especially with the automation, electric start and running on diesel...

Having an engine "just for fun" would not be allowed. If it preformed a useful and reliable service that would be another matter.

That is the key. Hum I wonder if any of the farms around here have an old startomatic lurking in the back of barn covered in muck and dust...

Unfortunately to fit the "useful and reliable" criteria sights have to be a little higher than "utter junk".