I'll start with the one I know the answer to! This was originally a boiler, possibly from the Old Vein, that was cut in half and subsequently used as pair of water tanks to cool a compressor that was presumably located in front of them.

🔗Cwmorthin-Slate-Mine-Archive-Album-Image-043[linkphoto]Cwmorthin-Slate-Mine-Archive-Album-Image-043[/linkphoto][/link]

And for comparison, a rather lacklustre pic of mine from a couple of years ago:

🔗Cwmorthin-Slate-Mine-18-06-2006-Image-001[linkphoto]Cwmorthin-Slate-Mine-18-06-2006-Image-001[/linkphoto][/link]



This causes me a bit of confusion. My initial thought would be that this is part of the E-G winder but I suspect it probably isn't?

🔗Cwmorthin-Slate-Mine-Archive-Album-Image-042[linkphoto]Cwmorthin-Slate-Mine-Archive-Album-Image-042[/linkphoto][/link]

And then there's these horrendous timbers - SimonRL guessed at Lake Level, but I might vote for somewhere deeper?

🔗Cwmorthin-Slate-Mine-Archive-Album-Image-044[linkphoto]Cwmorthin-Slate-Mine-Archive-Album-Image-044[/linkphoto][/link]

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This was originally a boiler, possibly from the Old Vein, that was cut in half and subsequently used as pair of water tanks to cool a compressor that was presumably located in front of them.

You're opening the argument again Vanoord! They're two boilers, not one cut in half!

You're opening the argument again Vanoord! They're two boilers, not one cut in half!

These are/were supposed to be the cut in half boiler from the Cwmorthin Old Vein Incline, they were only moved down to Oakeley Ch 33 after the Old Vein was de-watered in the 1930's - the Back Vein boilers and engine which were originally at the surface were transferred to Oakeley much earlier in the early 1900's and rebuilt/set to work in the Back Vein in the Upper Quarry.

Back Vein Incline Details:
"...... a 24 h.p. compound steam engine and Lancashire type boiler, 30 feet long and 7 feet in diameter, built by the firm of Latham & Son of Chester. The engine drove three drums; two were 4’6” in diameter and 2’ wide, the other being 4’ diameter. The drum shaft connected with the steam engine shaft via a 6’ diameter spur wheel. "
Old Vein Incline Details:

..... a 24 h.p. compound winding engine by Galloways, of Oldham, Lancashire, connected by gears to a pair of winding drums, was installed in one small chamber directly at the top of the incline shaft. The boiler was in a similar small chamber to the west of it, this was of the “Lancashire” double flue type, 18 feet long and 6 feet in diameter by the same maker.

Hmmm... not sure those "boilers" in Ch 33 are 6ft. in diam. If not then this old tale I've immortalised may not be true - unless they were the remains of portable or semi-portable engines which had been used to drive Mills at Cwmorthin or Oakeley. Lake Mill had a large Cornish boiler -so it wasn't that. Curious.

Graham

;)

http://www.aditnow.co.uk/community/viewtopic.aspx?t=601 

The do both seem to have flanges at the top (open) end, which may suggest they were joined together at some point, but I'd have to defer to someone whoknows what they're talking about before suggesting the existence of a two-part boiler!
There's certainly what I assume was originally a done of some description on the left hand one and I don't recall the right hand one having one as well?

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Hmmm... not sure those "boilers" in Ch 33 are 6ft. in diam. If not then this old tale I've immortalised may not be true - unless they were the remains of portable or semi-portable engines which had been used to drive Mills at Cwmorthin or Oakeley. Lake Mill had a large Cornish boiler -so it wasn't that. Curious.

Graham

I thought you were there when we measured them Vanoord - they were not 6' in diameter - they were nearer 4' if I recall correctly.

I thought you were there when we measured them Vanoord - they were not 6' in diameter - they were nearer 4' if I recall correctly.

Nope, but I'd agree with the 4'!

Has the right hand boiler got a dome?

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Has anyone looked at the top of these 'boilers' to see if they have, or did have tubes in them?

Both of them have domes. I'm no expert but I don't imagine a boiler the size of the two stuck together would have two domes.

Haven't looked for evidence of tubes. I'll have a look in next time, although I'm not sure it'll be easy to see.

I agree.
I think they are two separate boilers. Possibly from portable steam engines used elsewhere.
I pressume a firebox would have been attached to one end at some time and a smokebox at the other?
I shall have to go to Cwmorthin again to take some more photo's and have a closer look.

Yes, I agree with you markc, half of the boilers have extra thickness which I'm told would have cushioned the boiler when being moved, suggesting that they were in fact portable. The flanges are probably where they were connected to the fireboxes.

Thanks for the explanation re the small tanks - it had puzzled me for years and I had heard all sorts of explanations. The most bizarre one was water boilers for tea making 🙂
Talking of which, close by those features is a metal bowl set into masonry - any ideas on this?

That's the tea maker 😉

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