Nortonthorpe Mills, Scissett - steam engine
Introduction
The photograph on this page of Nortonthorpe Mills, Scissett - steam engine by Chris Allen as part of the Geograph project.
The Geograph project started in 2005 with the aim of publishing, organising and preserving representative images for every square kilometre of Great Britain, Ireland and the Isle of Man.
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Nortonthorpe Mills, Scissett - steam engine
Image: © Chris Allen Taken: 29 May 1990
This is Violet - a horizontal tandem compound engine by Pollit and Wigzell of Sowerby Bridge. Originally built in 1886 and rebuilt with a new Corliss valve high pressure cylinder and smaller low pressure cylinder in 1931. The cylinders are now 13.25" and 25.25" bores by 5' stroke. As rebuilt it took steam at 120 pounds per square inch and generated 250 horsepower at 55 rpm. After 1970 the engine was on standby to drive a generator but the company went into receivership in 1984 and by 1990 the engine was well disused. It was restored later and returned to steam for a period but I have not seen it since about 2006 when it was in good order but not in steam. This view is from by the low pressure cylinder looking towards the crank and flywheel. This is Pollit & Wigzell's patented three rod design and one of the two low pressure piston rods is seen passing alongside the high pressure cylinder. This allowed the high and low pressure cylinders to be arranged one directly behind the other and eliminated the space needed for piston rod glands between the cylinders.
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Image Location
Latitude
53.586371
Longitude
-1.629113