Mystery Stuart Turner engine

[RayW]

A friend of mine has just acquired this little Stuart Turner hot tube engine and is wondering if anyone can assist with identification or information about it. It originally came from the Stuart Turner factory as part of a number of engines that they were disposing of.
To give an idea of scale, the flywheel is 6 inches in diameter and the engine itself stands about 18 inches high.
The cast base on which the cooling tank stands contains a gas reservoir from which gas is fed to the burner and the cylinder. The bottom of the reservoir is covered by what appears to be a leather diaphragm.
The engine is four stroke, with mechanically operated exhaust valve and atmospheric intake.

An internet search has only produced only one other engine identical to this, on the Smokstak website, making this an exciting rarity.

[Alyn Foundry]

Hi Ray, a rarity indeed.

I have never seen one like this in all my years of rallies. Judging by the layout I’d be putting it close to early 1900’s. The headless cylinder and combined inlet/exhaust all point to older designs. The coring must have been quite a nightmare!

Do you have any photos of the hot tube chimney, without the external shroud please? I can see it has a ring burner and the horizontal tube with vertical chimney was also used on the 1/2 horse horizontal engine.

   Graham.

Edit. Drop a few pictures here too Ray. We’ve got one of the top Stuart Turner aficionados in the group.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/ALYNFOUNDRYMODELS/

[Jasonb]

Nice, looks like one of these

https://www.smokstak.com/forum/threads/is-this-stuart-turner-a-hot-air-engine-must-be-rare.209049/

Also mention of one on "Stuart Turner Engines " facebook page https://www.facebook.com/stuartturnerengines/

[RayW]

Thanks Jason.The Smokstak engine is the one I was referring to. It is also that engine pictured on the Stuart Turner facebook page, so my friend's engine is only the second one that we can find any record of.
I will post some pics on the Alyn Foundry page Graham.

[RayW]

Graham,
I hope to be able to get a look at the engine in person soon, so will try to get more photos then.