The Steamboating Forum

WOW that is a BEAUTY! Stunning!

I don't think my frame is bronze (haven't checked with a magnet or scraped the paint off yet).

It appears as though they made many different sizes of these engines. Have a look at this picture of their shop:



Notice the similar design going from small to quite large!

Here are a couple more pictures of my engine as I got it out of the crate (reversing linkage removed for shipping):

I found this photo and wood cuts of Herreshoff engines (wood cut of the compound shows an interesting variable cutoff valve arrangement). The frames look look very similar to my engine, with the cast-in pump platform and rocking arm. The interesting rocking arm arrangement on the valve gear die block is also similar, thought there is an actual reversing lever on my engine. The cylinder casting is my only hang-up. Possibly a later engine than the one pictured, or a replacement cylinder?




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I am rereading old copies of The Funnel and there is a photo of this same
engine in issue 97 Summer 1998. "Hereshoff high speed engine we think it is
2 1/2 " +4 1/4 x 5 built about 1883, photo by Friedich Busch."

Mike

Wesley, a good point in identifying Herreshoff engines is that the cylinder on this size engine screwed into the frame.

On top of the platform would be a hotwell/airpump, along the lines of this Herreshoff drawing.


Hope this helps.
By the way, the compound in the photo is at the Herreshoff Museum on the site of the former works at Bristol, Rhode Island.
John

TahoeSteam wrote:Does anyone have any contact information of anyone who owns a Herreshoff single or early compound? Or possibly someone who may be a bit of an expert on these engines?

I'm trying to get dimensions of columns, bolt spacing, etc. to better make a conclusion.... If anyone has any more pictures that may be helpful it would be greatly appreciated.

~Wes

The late Barrie McClung owned the engine you're talking about. It went with the boat hull about a year or two ago when his widow sold the lot. Don't remember who to, but Mosquito Enterprises in Everett, WA rebuilt the engine for Barrie over a period of years (they were finishing the work in early 2002?). I believe either Andrew VanLuenen and/or Bob Dessert worked on the engine.

Thank you gentleman very much for the information!

John, Thank you very much for the drawing! I do not recall there being any bolts from the frame to the cylinder. I will take another look tomorrow. I suppose my next step would be to try to contact those at MIT that may be able to help further this process...


~WES