Saturday 8 March 2008

Massive Torque.





In the winch room at Cadgwith, down on the Lizard Peninsula, lurks this remarkable engine. I have been aware of it for over 20 years and pop in to pay my respects every time I’m down here. It is pitch black in the shed and I banged my head on something to get these pictures. Up until comparatively recently (Within the last 30 years I guess) this engine was in regular use hauling fishing boats up the quay in this living fishing village. Web research tonight has unearthed that is a Hornsby Oil engine dating back to about 1910. There’s a mass of stuff on the web about them and some You Tube video of boiler suited enthusiasts keeping them chugging along at summer meetings.

7 comments:

Peter Ashley said...

I love stationery engines as much as I do ones that move. A recent discovery was the one still powering hoists etc. by steam in Hook Norton's brewery in deepest north Oxfordshire. And I love the one they power-up every now and then in the Abbey Pumping Station in north Leicester. I had a visit there in the 60s when for a fleeting moment I worked for the Corporation, and was told that for every turn of the giant wheel (?) 3,000 tons of sewage was shoved up to Beaumont Leys.

Toby Savage said...

Yes. Peter. With you all the way. I used to take the kids up there for the Bank Holiday 'steam up'. Those massive flywheels, if suddenly stopped, would surely through the earth off its axis. I think the sewage stayed put having been moved. Its now called a shopping centre.

Toby Savage said...

I'm puzzled that it records me having posted that reply at 03.33 as I am at my daughters, in Cornwall, which I think is on the same time zone as the rest of the country, if 20 years behind. I can assure you it is 10.33 here and my Mac is set to 10.33 as well. Maybe its all on USA time. I know you have similar time problems Peter, as pointed out, so eloquently, by Diplomat recently. Is there a solution, or do we all have to appear to be working in the middle of the night?

Toby Savage said...

Cracked it!
- Go to your Dashboard and log in.
- Click on Change Settings.
- You will be in Basic Settings.
- Click on Formatting.
- Look down the page and find Time Zone.
- Click the arrow at the end of the box
and Select the correct time zone.
- Be sure to go to the bottom of the page
and click on Save Settings.

Toby Savage said...

Bugger. Haven't

Fred Fibonacci said...

This engine's very similar to the one immured (great word) in the cellar of the Gaiety Theatre, Douglas, I.o.M, as recorded in an earlier post.

I couldn't possibly comment on all that FSS stuff in later posts. I shall miss British Ashley Time; it added to the mystery.

Peter Ashley said...

British Ashley Time still exists. My son rang me from Arkansas (don't ask) at 8am my time. I thought it was 10.30am, and it was actually 3am there. He was pissed and thought it was 3pm in the afternoon.