Cornish Boiler

Removed 1997 from Gloster Street, Dublin where the Establishment famous for quality laundering served the people of Dublin for many years.

Vulcan Insurance mark 1907 stamped on Boiler was the date it was commissioned.

The boiler with another of similar size produced steam to run the laundry equipment.

Latterly the boiler was altered to be fired on oil, however it is restored to it’s original, with the use of a boiler door from the Iveagh Baths.

The original soot doors are fitted and cast with the name Perrot, Cork. The Boiler may have also been manufactured by this famous Foundry. Glazed white bricks, fittings and the Weir steam pump are original.

Our Kind Thanks to the Reverend Mother, Sisters and Friends.

The Convent, Sean McDermot Street, Dublin.

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After the Haystack and Wagon type boilers and prior to the Lancashire and Fire Tube types, the Cornish Boiler was developed by Richard Trevithick in 1812 to cope with pressures in excess of 10 lb. per sq. in. A Cylinder boiler with a grate set at one end of an internal tube running through it’s length. At the rear the hot gasses created by the fire divided and passed forward in brick flue’s along each side before returning beneath the bottom to the chimney. Steam was generated at some 50 lb. per sq. in. and high pressure steam engines widely spread their use.

Independent Six Pillar Beam Engine.

built by Maker Unknown.

(possibly Boulton and Watt, Soho Works, Birmingham.)

USED BY MURPHY'S DISTILLERY (IRISH DISTILLERS GROUP PLC),

Middleton, Cork

Distillers of John Jameson & Hewitt's Whiskey.

The principle details and dimensions of this engine are as follows:

Diameter of Cylinder: 20ins.        Stroke: 36ins.

Flywheel Diameter: 14ft. 3in.

Hand Barred off wall for starting.

Lubrication by gravity.

Early Independant single cylinder beam engine fitted with Watt's seperate condenser. The entablature surrounds the beam and is supported on six classical columns. 

The drive to the machinery is from the outdoor bearing end of the shaft on the far side of the flywheel. The engine worked in conjunction with a waterwheel and drove the distillery machinery through a series of clutches, shafts and gearing. 

The near end of the shaft is attached to the crank developed by James Watt to create rotative motion and in turn is connected to the great beam or lever by the fluted connecting rod.

 At the other end, the great beam is connected to the piston rod via an intricate and brilliant motion known as parallel motion, the brainchild of James Watt. This motion enabled an upward and downward power stroke to be developed and it ensured that there was no undue wear on the piston rod when entering the cylinder. 

The basement of the engine holds water to cool the outer surface of the separate condenser, this too being a further invention of Watt's. This enables the cylinder to run hot and not become cooled by condensation of steam in the cylinder, which was the case in earlier engines. Watt also discovered that the separate condenser created a vacuum which vastly improved the running efficiency of the engine. 

The original valve gear and cylinder of the engine was removed and replaced by John Rowan & Sons, York street, Belfast with their patented valve gear and piston rings. The governor was moved from it's original position at the flywheel end of the engine (see bearing in entablature and holes for shaft bearings in basement) and placed above the entablature and new valve gear. 

The engine is thought to have been bought from Boulton & Watt of Birmingham and installed in a Cork Distillery around 1820. This Distillery was taken over by Murphy's and the engine re-erected in a new engine house at Middleton, Co. Cork circa. 1866. It is likely that Messrs. Rowan's of Belfast, on instructions to move the engine, suggested at that time the fitting of their new patented and improved valve gear. 

This engine is of great interest as it is the first style of engine known as an independent engine as opposed to a house-built engine. These were manufactured and then delivered and fitted up on site. The consequences of Watt's developments resulted in rotative motion, efficient running and a high quality standard of engineering. It meant that manufacturers throughout the land could purchase similiar engines as prime movers and removed the necessity of a waterwheel to provide rotative motion. This type of engine was largely instrumental in bringing about the industrial revolution. 

Prior to the evolution of this engine 'steam engines' were mostly used as water-pumps. These were used to reduce water levels in mines and also to pump water out of the mill pond up to the mill race. This reuse of water via the waterwheel helped to extend the time that the mill could work. These engines were known as returning engines.

To find out even more visit the Heritage Centre, Middleton, Co. Cork.

Inverted Vertical Duplex Pumping Engine mounted on a common frame

built by Frank Pearn & Co. Ltd,

Manchester, England.

FOR JOHN JAMESON & SON LTD,

Bow Street Distillery, Dublin.

Maker's of fine Irish Whiskey. 

The principle details and dimensions of this engine are as follows: 

Diameter of Cylinders (4): 15ins.      Stroke: 24ins.

Steam Pressure: 37-49 Lbs/PSI per 1000 gallons

RPM: 34 per 1000 gallons

Each Flywheel Diameter: 9ft. (5.5 tons wt. inc. shaft) 

The steam pumps were capable of being run up to 80 RPM and discharged 69,544 gallons of water into the fill tank in 2 hours. The water was used for cooling throughout the distillery particularly the copper pot stills. 

Hand Barred for starting.

Lubrication by gravity but originally by steam displacement lubricators. 

This steam engine specially built for John Jameson to lift and circulate water was built in 1889 and installed over a reservoir tank in a newly built engine house at Duck lane, Bow Street Distillery, Dublin. It stayed in use until 1928 when it went on stand-by until 1970, following the installation of electric pumps. 

The original glazed brickwork of the engine shed is reused here.

Single Cylinder MILL Engine

built by Victor Coates and Co.,

Lagan Village, Belfast.

FOR FRAZER & HAUGHTON,

65 Hillmount Road, Cullybackey, Ballymena, Co. Antrim

Bleachers, Dyers and Finishers to the Linen Trade. 

The principle details and dimensions of this engine are as follows: 

Diameter of Cylinder: 18ins.          Stroke: 30ins.

Steam Pressure: 100 Lbs/PSI    RPM: 90    BHP: 100

Flywheel Diameter: 10ft. (3.5 tons wt.), width: 17ins. rope drive of 6 grooves each of 1  3/4 inch. 

A generator, by Allen of Bedford, giving 440 volts at 180 amps DC was originally driven through a Manila rope attached to each groove in the flywheel. 

Hand Barred for starting.

Lubrication by gravity and steam displacement lubricator. 

This steam engine was built in 1900 for exhibition purposes, and was purchased at the exhibition. It powered machinery which was used in the process of making linen.

It worked until 1976, latterly as a stand by. The condenser was removed in the mid 1950's. It was removed in 1986 to the Steam Museum.

This refined engine has Corliss valve arrangement, with Dobson's trip gear on the inlet valves. It is similar to the Drapersfield engine now exhibited at the Ulster Museum, Belfast. 

To Start Engine.

1.    Shut water inlet to Condenser, if open.

2.    Open drain cocks to cylinder and steam pipes.

3.    If Engine is cold, warm up both ends of cylinder by

            turning on a very little steam and pinching the

            Engine round two or three times.

4.    When Engine is uniformly warm, shut air valve to

            Condenser, if open.

5.    Turn on steam till Engine begins to revolve.

6.    When Engine has fully started, and not till then, open

            water inlet to Condenser, about 1/2 open.

7.    When Vacuum begins to rise, and not till then, shut all

            drain cocks.

8.    If any "knocking" in cylinder is heard, open drain cocks

            again instantly and leave them open till all knocking

            has ceased.

9.    Now, open water inlet to Condenser, full.

       The Engine should then run smoothly.

To Stop Engine.

I.    Shut off steam tight.

2.    Open drains to cylinder and steam pipes.

3.    Shut water inlet to Condenser and break Vacuum by

            opening air valve. This must be done before speed

            slows much. Do these three things one after

            another without any loss of time between.

       Under all circumstances these rules must be strictly  adhered to. 

HILLMOUNT, April, 1903.

built by Maker Unknown,

Manchester, England.

FOR E. SMITHWICK & SONS LTD.,

St. Francis Abbey Brewery, Kilkenny

Brewers of Smithwick Ale. 

The principle details and dimensions of this engine are as follows: 

Diameter of Cylinder: 12ins.    Stroke: 27ins.

Flywheel Diameter: 10ft. 6in.

Cast Iron Beam Length: 8ft. 6in. 

This rotative single cylinder steam engine drove, off the shaft and through a series of gears and shafting, the paddles in the Mash Tuns, where the beer was made. It was used in conjunction with a water wheel. When the river was low the waterwheel was disengaged by dog clutch and the steam engine then took up the work. 

Lubrication by gravity feed. 

The engine displays a Watt governer. This mechanism was used to control the speed of the engine. 

Mr Smithwick purchased this engine in 1847 from the Manchester Exhibition. It worked regularly until 1930. In 1960 it was dismantled by A. Guinness Son & Co Ltd apprentices.

Triple Expansion Vertical Inverted

Marine Engine

(One of a handed pair)

built by Workman Clark and Co. Ltd.,

 Queen's Island, Belfast.

FOR A PRIVATE YACHT.

For economic reasons the order was cancelled and the

engines lay idle until 1928 when installed in the

S.S. Divis. 

The principle details and dimensions of this engine are as follows: 

Diameter of Cylinders:

High Pressure: 9 1/2ins.

Middle Pressure: 16ins.

Low Pressure: 26ins.

Stroke: 18ins.

Fitted with Rowan's patent piston rings. 

The steam inlet to the H.P. (high pressure) cylinder is controlled by a piston valve with slide valves on the other two inlet ports. 

Steam Pressure: 180 Lbs/PSI    RPM: 120    BHP: 225 

The exhaust was to normal surface condenser.

(scrapped by Clearway Ltd. at time of removal of engine)

Direct drive to propeller shafts.

Self starting.

Lubrication by gravity.

The engine incorporates a reversing mechanism, manually operated, similar to Stephenson's link motion. The engine drives boiler feed pump, water circulation pump, air pump and bilge pump off the middle pressure small end by means of a link. 

The principle details and dimensions of this ship are as follows: 

Gross Tonnage: 356    Displacement Tonnage: 700    Speed: 9 1/2 knots

Length: 146 feet    Breadth: 29 feet    Engine Room: 44 feet

Official Number: 148159 (1928 Belfast)

Twin screw sewage sludge steamer.

No. of Decks: 1    No. of Masts: 1    No. of Bulkheads: 4

Stern: Round    Build: Clencher    Framework: Steel 

The last ship built at Workman Clark's Shipyards in Belfast. 

Note: The Steam Museum holds the steam driven steering gear and one winch. Other equipment and documentation is held by the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum, Cultra, near Belfast. 

The ship was designed as a sludge carrier and worked in that capacity

from the Sewage Works, Ormeau Road, Belfast until scrapped

and replaced in the 1970's by the diesel powered S.S. Divis II.