How sad to see this photo of an engine (and museum)

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Which when I saw it looked like this:

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At least it still survives - if a trifle rusty.

Grahami

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Unfortunately the whole place is neglected, but at least this fantastic steam winder remains in-situ, for now! I've seen reports that state that it would be 'relatively' easy to restore, but would require the use of the overhead gantry crane, which would require restoration of the building first.

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The City Council has just completed a comprehensive survey of the entire site and in the process photographed inside the majority of the buildings, including the Hesketh. As of 2014 engine still in situ...... Covered over in black plastic.
Just compiling a newsletter for the Friends of Chatterley Whitfield, would you like to make a contribution.
www.chatterleywhitfieldfriends.org.uk
www.facebook.com/ChatterleyWhitfield

The City Council has just completed a comprehensive survey of the entire site and in the process photographed inside the majority of the buildings, including the Hesketh. As of 2014 engine still in situ...... Covered over in black plastic.

The plastic covering was a knee jerk reaction to the possible problem of asbestos contamination (ironic really as contractor apparently dealt with asbestos in all accessible buildings). Originally it was perceived that the problems lay within the undercroft, hence to plastic sheeting sealing the large access hole to the lower levels within the powerhouse.

Given the state of the winding engine when last seen, the condition of the building, dampness, etc, I'm sure that the covering of plastic will have helped the preservation of this important piece of heritage no end!!!!

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I know its o/t but if you are ever up Lancashire way (ironic that your featured engine was built just a few miles from where this one is sited) This is a huge beast one of the biggest ever used in Britain , its at Astley Green colliery , I believe the winding drum alone weighs 40 tons , it used to be powered by a bank of 16 Lancashire boilers , but nowadays they run it once a month on compressed air

This from their website

The winding duty for the Number 1 shaft required the installation of one of the largest steam winding engines used in Britain. It was manufactured by Yates and Thom of Blackburn and installed between 1910 and 1912. It has four cylinders in twin tandem compound arrangement which developed nearly 2.5 Mega Watts at 58 rpm. The rope speed was 26 metres per second when winding coal.

The Number 2 engine was also built by Yates and Thom but it was only half the size of the Number 1 engine with two cylinders in cross compound arrangement. The delivery of the engine was delayed by the first world war and it was not operational until 1919.



The winding duty for the Number 1 shaft required the installation of one of the largest steam winding engines used in Britain. It was manufactured by Yates and Thom of Blackburn and installed between 1910 and 1912. It has four cylinders in twin tandem compound arrangement which developed nearly 2.5 Mega Watts at 58 rpm. The rope speed was 26 metres per second when winding coal.

The Number 2 engine was also built by Yates and Thom but it was only half the size of the Number 1 engine with two cylinders in cross compound arrangement. The delivery of the engine was delayed by the first world war and it was not operational until 1919.

Cheers Aditaddict, I've had a visit to Astley Green to see this monster. Unfortunately not seen it 'running', maybe another trip is in order!

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I had a little to do with the restoration work on the Astley engine, 'way back in the 1980s, but had to stop when I moved to the midlands. You'll find quite a bit of info on it here:
http://www.aditnow.co.uk/Mines/Astley-Green-Coal-Mine_3225/ 
I've recently had some of my original drawings scanned - so I've just uploaded a large one of the engine with her cladding on.

Grahami

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I believe they used to run it on the first Sunday of every month
But a few years back the gypo's nicked some of the iron pipework
I am assuming they have replaced it by now
I suppose you could always phone them beforehand
There is a really nice pub about 500 yds up the road on the left called the boathouse good real beer and food and you can sit out on the side of the canal (barges)etc Weather permitting

I took a whole lot of photos of the Hesketh engine in the late 1980s when I was researching for an article on winding engine brakes and overwinders and for the restoration of a Worsley Mesnes pneumatic overwinder for Astley. I'll post them up as soon as I can.

Incidentally there's a cracking video of the Astley engine turning last month on youtube:

Well worth a viewing!

Grahami

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Any chance of getting in touch with someone about accessing the other buildings on the Chatterley site?

Would love the chance to see the remains of a bigger colliery and take some photos.

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Superb video , all that banging is down to the cut end of the winding rope flapping about
wouldn't you think they would clamp it up ?

Banging - ? Oh, I thought it might be the HP valves banging up and down as the pistons sweep - I assume it's the LP cylinders which are doing the work and are under pressure - you could hear the same effect at Sutton Manor when the engineman cut off steam to the skip winder and the engine was coasting - very noisy!

I'll have to listen to it properly, i.e. when other people are out!

Grahami

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In the last minute , you can see it waving around on the drum

Great video grahami, I'll definitely have to sort out seeing this thing in action now!

Look forward to pics of Hesketh too

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OK - main views of Hesketh engine taken in 1986 uploaded to new album.

Detailed photos to come (if you can stand it) apart from horrendous detail of the Pneumatic overwinder etc., there are also a few photos taken of the undercroft, mainly to show the linkages.

Enjoy.... I hope.

Grahami

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Incidentally there's a cracking video of the Astley engine turning last month on youtube:

Well worth a viewing!

Grahami

Bi-cylindro-conical drum, mechanical magic at its finest.

Mechanical magic eh? Just wait for the overwinder linkages..... not to mention reversing and brake engines!!!;) Mind you, the Hesketh being a simple twin didn't have the complications of Astley's twin tandem compound layout with the intermediate receiver under the floor and two interlinked throttle valves.

Grahami

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Reminds me of the very nice engine at Trencherfield Mill.

Interesting set of pics grahami. Such a shame that its been left to deteriorate, but at least its still in-situ....

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Morlocks reference to the Trencherfield engine at Wigan reminded me that my father and I first saw it as the setting for a TV program - a police drama I think - back in 1981. After a bit of ferreting around we discovered that it was not only occasionaly accessible, but also occasionally turned over with its barring engine with steam from the pack boiler which supplied the mill heating - at the time used for storage. We managed two visits in October 1981 and January 1982 the latter when it was turned over. I think the NMES were involved when it was turned. It was, of course, fully refurbished later and was the centrepiece of the Trencherfield Mill Museum project.

The reason for this diversion is that (naturally) I took a lot of photographs on these occasions and the appearance of the valvegear etc. etc. then looks very like the rodding on the Hesketh engine now, so nil desperandum. It is a pity in this case that winding engines never had barring engines through which they could be turned albeit slowly - they didn't need them as the cranks were usually at 90 degrees rather than 180.

At least the Hesketh still exists, and in situ, as opposed to the Point of Ayr engine which still exists, but in pieces.

I'll post some more photos of the Hesketh shortly.

Grahami

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