Stationary Engines Old & New

[GWRdriver]

Harry,
Lonestar? I know Coles was sold to a new company in Texas, This isn't the same place is it? I have the full build artical for the Coles Corless that was done in Live Steam yrs. ago and it's really going to ruin my day if that engine is no longer avalible.

Pete,
No, those are two different animals altogether. So far as I know the Coles Corliss is still available and should be for the foreseeable future. The iron castings for the Lone Star Corliss were discontinued due to foundry problems and I assume the bronze were eventually discontinued for the same reason. Foundries disappear daily these days.

 

[pete]

Harry,
Good idea on a new thread. That was a real nice Corliss you posted. Good news at least for me about Coles, A buddy of mine has mentioned a few times to me about casting suppliers going out of business without warning and if I saw anything I liked, Then I should order them without delay. Good advice I'd say, But he neglected to mention how to get a winning lotto ticket no. I wish I had the time to learn pattern makeing, An area and equipment to melt/ pour cast iron, The time to learn casting ect. Other than that I'm all set to pour my own castings.

Pete

 

[GWRdriver]

Pete,
Here's another view of the Lone Star Corliss (by Keith Springs.) You are so right about buying castings (if possible ) while they are still available. I've missed my share, I didn't find out about this engine until the iron castings were already sold out and I don't much care for all-bronze castings sets. Most people don't like machining iron because it's "dirty." I don't like machining bronze because it can snag so easily. By the way this engine was Keith Spriggs' FIRST attempt and I think he has since built another engine of similar type. I've seen it in person and it is a beauty, IIRC the flywheel is around 6"Ø so it's a dainty little thing.

 

[pete]

Harry, First engine, Wow, Plus even harder at that size. The Coles is 25% larger.

Pete

 

[GWRdriver]

First engine, Wow, Plus even harder at that size. The Coles is 25% larger.

Yes, wow. Keith is an unassuming old Texas feller who decided he wanted to build an engine of some kind and that is what emerged. I think his second model is built up from bar stock.

The Coles engine is quite a hunk of iron, we had an old chap (our first local "model engineer") who built one and would bring it to club meetings occasionally. My understanding was that Chas Coles intentionally foreshortened his design so that it would be within the capacity of the average home workshop of the 1940's, and end up a reasonable tabletop size. Had typical Corliss mill engine proportions been adhered to, relative to its bore and stroke, it could've ended up over 2ft long and with a larger flywheel.

 

[pete]

Harry,
Thanks for that, I certainly didn't know about the change in dimensions for the Coles Corliss.

Pete