Washpit Mill - steam engine
Introduction
The photograph on this page of Washpit Mill - 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.
There are currently over 7.5m images from over 14,400 individuals and you can help contribute to the project by visiting https://www.geograph.org.uk
Image: © Chris Allen Taken: 31 Mar 1989
Agnes is one of my favourite engines but is no longer at this location, indeed the engine house's site has been cleared. Agnes is a horizontal tandem compound condensing mill engine built in 1909 by Pollit & Wigzell of Sowerby Bridge. The Corliss valve cylinders are 18" & 36" bores by 4' stroke. Operating speed was 80 rpm on steam at 160 psi and it developed 600 indicated horsepower. The 16' flywheel drove via ropes to a large alternator next door and to some limited machinery in part of the mill. The engine was in regular use until early 1980 and was then run just for show, usually on Friday afternoons. This shows the Lumb governor with the modified Wilby regulator and an electric stop motion. The three piston rods of the patented 'three-rod system' are seen towards the bottom. The blurring of the governor's balls and the horizontal position of the operating lever below the centre weight both indicated that the engine was running at its operating speed. This was always a treat.