Can someone identify this engine, said to have worked at British Oil and Cake Mills in Kent?

http://abpr.railfan.net/abprphoto.cgi?december02/12-17-02/BOCM-St_Vincent2-ER-101260.jpg
ryarger@rypn.org

This photo says made by Aveling & Porter. I assume this is the same firm that produced steam tractors and road rollers? Do any of these still exist?

http://abpr.railfan.net/abprphoto.cgi?december02/12-17-02/BOCM-Sydenham1-ER-101260.jpg
ryarger@rypn.org

Can't help you with info on these engines Bob but they're were some pretty interesting engines used by Guiness in Ireland. 0-4-0 narrow gauge engines that could be lifted and dropped into a broad Irish gauge contraption (almost like a cradle) that transferred the power from the wheels of the narrow gauge engine to broad gauge. Don't know if any of those survived.

Joshua

joshua@joshuakblay.com

It is the same firm that made the Road Locomotives. There is at least one preserved in the UK.

My questions are, how do you get a single cylinder locomotive moving if the piston is at the extreme of the stroke and on level ground? How many firms made single cylinder locomotives?

Very interesting little creature.

Roger

> This photo says made by Aveling &
> Porter. I assume this is the same firm that
> produced steam tractors and road rollers? Do
> any of these still exist?


belpaire@aol.com

Looks more like a compound than a single cylinder?

If so It's probably quartered like a stationary or marine engine

I had considered that until I read the following description about another Aveling Porter: 'It was of 0-4-0 wheel layout with a single over-type cylinder driving in typical traction engine manner through an open gear-box with sliding gears and a gear-wheel meshing with cog wheels fixed to the inside the right-hand driving wheels of both axles'. That seems to fairly well describe the layout of the ones shown. I would assume (you know what happens when you assume) that it is a piston valve locomotive and that is why there are two different size cylinders.

As for the Guinness locomotves mentioned above, there are at least 5 of these 18" gauge engines still in existance.

Roger

> Looks more like a compound than a single
> cylinder?

> If so It's probably quartered like a
> stationary or marine engine


belpaire@aol.com

OK, next question: what's the purpose of the connecting rods attached right to the axles?

> OK, next question: what's the purpose of the
> connecting rods attached right to the axles?
They are not connecting rods, they are tie bars.

The wheels are connected to the cylinders by a gear wheel set between the driving wheels. It thus tends to push them apart. The "rods" are maintain correct spacing.

Only a small number of these locos were built. They used traction engine technology.

jimlivesey@btopenworld.com