I was the kind of child who really did wish for coal in my stocking for Christmas. I mean, coal is fuel right? High energy density, burns hot and evenly...You can do a lot with coal. Last Christmas, I got the next best thing: my grandfather gave me an antique vertical steam engine to restore!
This has been a tradition of ours for a while now. Rather than gift cards or regular presents, he keeps an eye out for interesting old books or restoration projects at flea markets and auctions. This particular piece he found at a town-wide yard sale in the Adirondacks. There are no words or numbers on any of the castings, so we cannot identify the make or manufacturer. However, the presence of babbitt main bearings, the quality of the castings (quite a few inclusions and casting errors) and the rough dimensional tolerances, mean this is easily pre-1900 in age.
It is a double-acting single piston engine, with a "D" Slide Valve. It is largely complete, however the entire valve assembly, except for the valve itself and the cam, is missing and will have to be re-manufactured. The first step was to tear it apart and inspect the components. Luckily, the loose tolerances were also an advantage, because despite its heavily rusted appearance, I was able to easily remove every single component.
In the next installment, I will begin stripping and sandblasting the components.
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