Davy Tandem Blowing Vertical Steam Engine

Hey all,

My name is Lee Wiggins and from Australia. I have always been very interested in modelling and have been practising my machining skills and building small steam engine kits. I drive full-size Steam locomotives as a hobby and employed as an Electrical Engineer.

It is time to start my dream project of creating a working model (as far as steam engines go) of the original Blast Furnace in Australia, Lithgow Blast Furnace.

My starting point is the 45' & 90' x 60' Tandem Vertical Blast Engine.

I have a set of drawings for the engine but the quality is far from ideal.

Any information anyone has on these engines and where I am able to get further information from would be truly appreciated.

Here is a link to the drawings I have

Thanks

Lee

Welcome to the forum from Cairns, Lee.

Looks like quite the project. Do you know who it was made by? In the UK or Australia?

Davy Bros, Sheffield was the manufacturer of the blower. . There was also a 3 cylinder Davy Mill Engine that came out of Lithgow and and operated in Port Kembla Steelworks until the mid 1980's. Remember watching it operating in the early 70's.

The Davy Blower scrapped in 1928 when the Blast Furnace was shutdown. The horizontal Thompson blower was transferred to Port Kembla.

Someone in the UK may be able to provide more details on the general arrangement of the Davy vertical blower.

Peter

There is a very large Davy engine in Kelham Island museum in Sheffield. 3 cylinder simple expansion, used to drive an armour plate rolling mill. Might be worth contacting them. I had a big contract with Davy McKee, very competent and a pleasure to work with, but I think they've gone now

Thank you so much everyone.

Yes, it is a Davy Bros Engine, made in Sheffield, who I believe are out of business now.

From what I can tell, there may be information held in the national archives in the UK on Davy Engines.

Not being in England makes it a little more difficult. If someone has more information on the 45’&90’ x 60’ tandem I would really appreciate it.

Lee