Engines > Your Own Design
The "ORIENTAL"
maury:
Recently while poking around on the Smokstack, I ran across this
incredible gem. After doing a little recon, I discovered the restoration
was done by Bill Prine, a restorer and collector of old engines. It is a
two cylinder vertical built by the "Oriental" Engine Co. in San Francisco
Cal.
Aparently the Oriental engine Co. was
a short lived engine company, and there are few remaining examples of
their work. a video and brief history of this engine Are available at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YEJl4y4UPA
The engine is on display Powerland Heritage Park museum in Brooks Oregon.
Don't know for sure, but my belief is that this is the only one in existence.
I want to thank Bill for his excellent work in restoring this engine, and
the generous help cooperation he has given me getting started with
modeling this engine.
I also want to give another big thanks to Roland Morrison who made
a series of sketches during the restoration. He has generously shared
these sketches with me.
Maury
Lone Star Engine Works Retired
Jasonb:
A bit of a stretched bottle engine converted to gas!
Looks like face cam works the exhausts so assume atmospheric inlet. The other small crank operates the ignitor.
Looks like they have it plumbed up to bottled gas but would it have had some form of vapour tank/carb in the base?
vtsteam:
Wow, a very interesting design in so many ways! Sort of a combination bottle engine and Westinghouse twin but gas powered, with two radial valves and a table cam. :ThumbsUp: :ThumbsUp: :ThumbsUp: :cheers:
Dave Otto:
This will be fun to watch, kind of like a double Pacific.
Attached are a couple better photos of Bill's engine at Antique Power Land. My understanding is this engine was installed in a paddle wheel work boat on American Falls reservoir in South Eastern Idaho. It was used for dredging if I'm not mistaken. At some point the boat sank and it along with the engine sat at the bottom of the reservoir for many years. At some point the reservoir was drained or substantially lowered which exposed the remains of the boat and engine. A local farmer was able to pull the engine out of the mud and he had it at his place out doors as a yard ornament. Bill told me that more damage was done to the engine sitting out in the weather than all the years under water in the lake. Bill was able to acquire the engine from the farmer and did an amazing job of restoring it to the state that it is in today. I think the sub base may not be original, in a marine application I would think that it would have just been mounted to the frames in the boat, just my guess.
According to Jack Alexander's book (The Reagan Vapor Engine) Oriental was in business from 1889 to 1902, there are about 6 pages in the book dedicated to the Oriental engine.
Dave
maury:
Yeah, I don't believe they had bottled propane in 1893. I suspect there was some kind of vapor device
with the engine. Having been under water for 50 years, I imagine what ever it was is lost. Having
studied the French Forest engine designs, I ran across some of his vapor devices. At this time probably won't
do that.
Also, I don't see a water pump in the pictures or sketches. On an engine this size there must have been one.
Ill probably have to come up with a solution.
I have a Sanfrancisco Standard I'm currently working on. I see several similarities. Also, I'm noticing a general
regional design trend. West coast engine designs in general have flywheels which are a bit larger in diameter
wider rim, and thinner spokes, than the mid west designs with somewhat bulkier smaller diameter flywheels.
This is what I would call a larger engine. Certanly not a Fairbanks "R", but still big. It has 10.5" bore, 14" stroke.
Big enough for a river paddle wheel boat. I'm thinking a scale to about 2" bore would work well in my shop.
Can't do much larger, and my fingers no longer work well enough to make it much smaller.
Thanks for the photos Dave, they are more clear than the ones I have.
Y'all enjoy
maury
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