Slewing engine for crueby

[gunna]

Here is another slewing engine for Chris. At Melbourne Steam Traction Engine club we are restoring a Ruston Hornsby face shovel. The slewing engine has reached the point where it needed some steam to see if it worked. This short video shows the single lever control providing forward/reverse as well as speed. I have posted this here to not clutter up Chris' incredible build.
Ian.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSAAsqu2sgc" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSAAsqu2sgc</a>

[CI]

Wow, that engine is almost identical to a Soule Speedy twin.
Any idea of when this engine was patented, and what make and model it was ?

The Soule Speedy Twin was patented in 1923, and I always assumed that the Speedy Twin design was unique, but it seems that either Soule copied the above engine design, or the above engine design copied the Soule patent.

Sort of like the Dake engine being extremely similar (almost identical) to the patent files 20 years previously by Roots.

.

[crueby]

Excellent! Another style engine to model!          Thanks for the video Gunna!  I just went to the Melbourne clubs' website to look around, and have found the newsletter with more pictures of that engine being started up, the October 2025 issue. Are there other issues with pictures of the rest of the Hornsby machine? I am still looking through the website - looks like a fantastic club! Do you know what year the Hornsbyt machine is from? I have not come across much detail about thier steam shovels up till now, except for the later diesel variety.

The valve on that engine looks to be a spool valve on top in its own casting, with passages leading down to the main cylinder steam chests. Thats a lot like a lot of the ship deck winches that I have seen, and drawn up CAD for but not modelled yet. Its neat to see one with the chests on the outside of the cylinders rather than the top or the inside.

The reversing/throttle valve type used on the four engines I am building dates back to 1886, by Charles Crane, and was used with minor variations by most of the manufacturers. It used a four port valve face and a double-layer D valve with three chambers, two of them connected. The way the deck winches usually worked was to have spool valves on the cylinders that were switched between inside and outside admission by the throttle/direction valve. The Marion slew engines combined the two with its own patent using a spool valve for the throttle/direction and the Crane type d valve for the cylinders. The Hornsby engine MIGHT be a similar setup, just with the steam chests split and the spool valve moved up top.

Then there is the Soule Speedy Twin that CI posted about (many thanks for posting the patent!! ). That looks to be another way to route things, I need to read up on that one to fully understand it. Might be another model in the future about that one (and maybe the Hornsby!)   Gunna, any chance of more pictures/measurements on that slew engine, especially any taken if/when it was taken apart for restoration? If I wind up making a CAD model of it I'll send you the files!

Fun, fun, fun!   
Chris Rueby (crueby)

[crueby]

CI - doing some searching around, and I see that you HAVE a real Soule engine, and are making patterns/CAD for it! Awesome!

[CI]

CI - doing some searching around, and I see that you HAVE a real Soule engine, and are making patterns/CAD for it! Awesome!

Yes, I ran across a Speedy Twin in pieces, but otherwise in relatively good condition, and am measuring it, and creating a 3D model.
That is why I was shocked to see this engine, since it is either a Speedy Twin clone, or Soule cloned this one or a similar design.
I think I have posted about my Speedy Twin design, but I am not positive I have posted it on this forum.
I will check.

Thank you gunna for posting the video of this engine.
This is a most fascinating development in steam engine knowledge for this type engine, for me anyway.

.

[crueby]

That general shape of engine had been around for several decades prior to the Soule, with other versions of the reversing valve longer than that. Soule does seem to have come up with a new arrangement for the valving though, which is great to learn about!

I found this old catalog from Soule online, great drawings in it!  http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/detail.aspx?id=4445

[Sanjay F]

I think I've been to where this is located, is the place in Scoresby? If it is, it has got sheds and sheds of engines and a huge crane - it is something to behold for those of us who enjoy such things. The engines are in various stages of restoration with a dedicated and knowledgeable group of volunteers.

I spoke to one guy who asked if I'd like to join them, I said the commute from the UK to Oz would be a bit tiring and expensive! 

[gunna]

Sanjay, yes it is the place in Scoresby, a suburb of Melbourne.
Chris and others, I do not know the make of the engine as I assume it was made by Ruston. I will find out in the New Year.
If this picture comes out, it is of the identical machine to ours, which is with another club in country Victoria. I will post more pics when I get it (posting) to work properly.
Ian.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/vLD8S3fsniKEfXyE9

[gunna]

Second time lucky?
Here are some images from the club magazine of the arrival to our location and the early prep after sand blasting and paint on some of the major parts.

[gunna]

And a static pic of the slewing engine from the other side.
Ian.

[crueby]

Gunna, great pictures - thanks!!  Going to be a great addition to your clubs fleet once its back in action!

[CI]

Gunna-

That is a fantastic and huge undertaking to restore that shovel.
I noticed the sign on the building "BIGFOOT"; very fitting.

Thanks for the photos.
The slewing engine is especially interesting, and that is a great photo of it.
You must find out more about that and post it here.

I ilke the bolt-on cylinders and separated passages over the cylinders better than the Soule design.
If there is a problem with a Soule engine, you have to replace the entire cylinder and frame assembly, since it is not modular.

Great stuff, thanks again !
.
Edit:
Here is the link I found to the club.
I may have to move to down under.

https://www.melbournesteam.com.au/

The view of the site from above looks quite interesting.

[crueby]

...
Here is the link I found to the club.
I may have to move to down under.

https://www.melbournesteam.com.au/

At least long enough to visit his club, as well as the other big show at Lake Goldsmith!

[CI]

 

[Sanjay F]

Here's some pictures of when I was there many years ago .....you can see me and my youngest daughter sitting on a crane. Other half is from Melbourne so good chance I'll be returning to see how things have progressed