My other hobby project

[wmiller]

Besides my Cubs, I also work on this bigger project. This is a 1917 Worthington cross-compound steam engine/air compressor. The base is approximately 16'x25' and the machine weights about 50 ton. The air comp portion will pump 3100 cu ft/min at 78 rpm. The restoration is nearly done. The machine was dissasembled into 12 major subassemblies for relocation,weighing 5-10 tons. More pictures of the assembly of this engine can be seen at http://cctsteam.50megs.com .

 

[jbaker]

very cool wayne

 

[aschumacher]

Nice museum Wayne. I bet KENtuck could find a use for 3100 cuft of air! Its kind of scarey to think that flywheel goes around faster than once a second, someone did a real good balancing job.

 

[fcurrier]

 

[dfrisk]

WAYNE - One of the tractor show sites I go to has a REALLY big stationary engine set up to run for display purposes. Not sure of the manufacturer, flywheels are twelve feet in dia. It doesn't run very fast! The flywheels sit in a pit so the whole engine can sit on the floor. It's amazing 100 year old manufacturing technology can machine parts THAT HUGE with almost zero run-out.

 

[wmiller]

Thanks to every one for their positive comments. The agriculture based antique machinery shows have "adopted" the large antique steam engines from our industrial heritage. Most of the surviving engines are at those shows and most are displayed as an operating exhibit during the shows, as ours will be. My son says I should have parked my Cub in front of it for size comparisom,----next time.

 

[kide]

Wayne:
Thanks for posting - where was this one used? Industrial, mining....?? Largest I believe I've seen was in the Henry Ford Museum in Greenfield Village, Dearborn, MI.. We go to a local show in Oakley, MI that has some interesting stationery engines, including gas and steam.. Here's my piece of cast iron - this is a 1.5 HP Novo Junior, made here in Lansing, MI (in the plant which eventually became the production line for the first two years of the 442 Hurst Olds). Opposite end of the scale from the one you're involved with.

 

[wmiller]

Gerry, The Worthington was in the Burlington Northern car shop in Havelock (Lincoln) Nebraska and was originally one of three. The other two were replaced by electrics in the 1950s. The unit remaned operable as a back up until the boilers were retired in 1989. We got it in the early 90s,but didn't have the building until the late 90s. It suffered weather damage in addition to wear and tear,while it laid outside for about 10 yrs adding to the restoration work. We know of only one other similiar unit,but it is much smaller. Nice Novo,our gas engine guys would really like it!

 

[wcompton]

Wayne-
When I worked for Waukesha, I saw some of those "inline" engines used for pumping natural gas off out of the ground. Word has it there's quite a few out in Wyoming and in a few places in North Dakota. VERY nice engine!!!