Albion Mills, Hazel Grove - steam engine

Image: © Chris Allen Taken: 5 Feb 1984

This site had been abandoned and left open for anybody to walk in. This was a long-disused horizontal cross compound mill engine built by S S Stott of Haslingden in 1903. It was installed second-hand in about 1929 and stopped about 1965. The high pressure cylinder has Corliss valves and is 12.5" bore and the low pressure has a slide valve and is 22" bore. The common stroke is 3'. The flywheel is 10' diameter. The engine was rated at 250 indicated horsepower. This view is from between the cylinders and shows the flywheel and governor. The square holes in the flywheel are for a long lever used for hand barring the engine. The fulcrum is on the rack at the bottom of the view and the kink in the handrail allows for a good swing on the bar. The section to the left of the flywheel rim is a large belt pulley for driving the mill. The governor is a centre loaded Porter-type example and adjusted the cut-off of the Corliss gear on the high pressure cylinder. This engine is now preserved and can be seen in steam at the Anson Museum in Higher Poynton. A few years ago I found myself roped into giving an informal teach in to members of the public on the valve gear whilst I was visiting the museum.

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