# Get your bids in lads



## Duncan112 (Dec 28, 2006)

If you fancy a little bit of a winter project... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/G-J-Weir-...K_BOI_FarmingEquipment_RL&hash=item19f459a3e3


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## chadburn (Jun 2, 2008)

I hope someone buys it to refurbish rather than for scrap. 2 bids I see, the shuttle valve is becoming a rare item.


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## Steve Hodges (Feb 12, 2007)

Does it come complete with 14 pound hammer??


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## chadburn (Jun 2, 2008)

It just needs that bespoke spanner to get it going, is it included?(Jester)


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## Basil (Feb 4, 2006)

Taken apart, cleaned and re-lubricated (was it Colza oil?) and they worked beautifully.


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## chadburn (Jun 2, 2008)

Shieldhall has Weirs pumps fitted not sure about Waverly, would have thought they would be interested even if they just used it for spares.


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## Duncan112 (Dec 28, 2006)

Another one lying forlorn at a mill engine house near me - the engine is iunder restoration, the brass valve gear having been long robbed, the boiler safety valves are "Interesting"


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## chadburn (Jun 2, 2008)

The wiring behind looks a bit 'dodgy' Duncan, any pictures of the Safety Valves?


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## Duncan112 (Dec 28, 2006)

Here you are - seemingly they hope to steam one of the boilers (last used in the late 70's and not cared for) I'm not optimistic about the results of a UT or hydrostatic - think a small Fulton is called for!! Sorry about the quality I'm having to resize from the original Hi-res that I took


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## chadburn (Jun 2, 2008)

One thing for sure Duncan when that lifts it will blow all the cobwebs away.


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## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

I think that might be a 'one lift' variety now.


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## Duncan112 (Dec 28, 2006)

A bit like this one Varley, wonder if the Chief kept his ticket and job? http://www.maib.gov.uk/publications/investigation_reports/2000/island_princess.cfm

Just looked at your location Chadburn, its not a million miles away from you in Rossendale


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## chadburn (Jun 2, 2008)

I will have to stick it into the Sat Nav Duncan, but not this week as there are Exercises going on with an American Air Force 'Beam Bender' flying around.
Report is interesting bearing in mind that there was a history of problems which appeared to have been ignored possibly down to Commercial pressures and the Retro fit of the Boilers.


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## gordy (Apr 18, 2008)

Built 1935, hardly run in (Jester)


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## OilJiver (Jun 30, 2014)

gordy said:


> Built 1935, hardly run in


Indeed - and good for at least another 80 years or so. But it’ll take a more than a drop of warm mist and a tweak with that shuttle valve key to get the old lass pumping again!


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## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

Duncan112 said:


> A bit like this one Varley, wonder if the Chief kept his ticket and job? http://www.maib.gov.uk/publications/investigation_reports/2000/island_princess.cfm
> 
> Just looked at your location Chadburn, its not a million miles away from you in Rossendale


Indeed but that is the next generation - the 'no lift'.

What a lot to have happened since the last survey!! At least he would have passed his medical. A continuously feathering safety would have brought on an attack in the most mild cases of condenseritis.


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## Graham Wallace (May 6, 2006)

That brings back memories in more ways , my first ship the British Empress 1958. And prior to that in my Apprenticeship first vacation training period Summer 1956 I spent two months in Thom Lamont's pumpworks in Paisley assembling Thom's 'equivalent' steam recip simplex and duplex pumps.

For a 17 year old it was like going back into the start of the Industrial Revolution, their plant/buildings were really ancient, Gaffer with Bowler hat etc and lineshaft drive, flat belt takeoff to most of the equipment.

As far as I remember Thom's did not supply the hammer for the shuttle as a spare part.

A few years ago I had the greatgrandaughter of one of the owners contact me , I gave her a copy of the original letter I received from them in 1956 with his signature. 

Graham


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## chadburn (Jun 2, 2008)

Graham Wallace said:


> That brings back memories in more ways , my first ship the British Empress 1958. And prior to that in my Apprenticeship first vacation training period Summer 1956 I spent two months in Thom Lamont's pumpworks in Paisley assembling Thom's 'equivalent' steam recip simplex and duplex pumps.
> 
> For a 17 year old it was like going back into the start of the Industrial Revolution, their plant/buildings were really ancient, Gaffer with Bowler hat etc and lineshaft drive, flat belt takeoff to most of the equipment.
> 
> ...


Sand and Soft Soap to wash your hands in a bucket Graham?


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## Frank P (Mar 13, 2005)

The engine sold for £75.


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## retfordmackem (Aug 30, 2013)

Duncan112 said:


> If you fancy a little bit of a winter project... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/G-J-Weir-...K_BOI_FarmingEquipment_RL&hash=item19f459a3e3


Pity Fred Dibnah not alive ,he would have loved this . And this site.(K)(K)


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## spongebob (Dec 11, 2007)

Many a surface of a shuttle face and slide I have blued and scraped at the NZ Dockyard. I don't know whether it was because of Weir's spare parts prices or lack of availability but we used to cast our own shuttles and slides, machine, mill and grind same before final lapping and scraping. It was an apprentice's training exercise and many a shuttle never saw the eventual light of day as we stuffed up the raw material.

Bob

Ne


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## Graham Wallace (May 6, 2006)

chadburn said:


> Sand and Soft Soap to wash your hands in a bucket Graham?


LOL, I'm not sure ,but it was primative, no memories of the toilets either, maybe I blocked that out!. 
The other memory I had was each tradesman (me included) had to supply a can with a handle ( similar to a tall narrow soup can plus wire handle), but I think they were purchased not made. Tea was then supplied at breaks from a communial 'vessel'. You wandered back to your plant area for your break .

The ritual was at the end of their working year prior to the start of two weeks vacation was all these hugely tea stained containers were then flattened en masse. New ones purchased for the next year's tea.

Graham


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## Joe Freeman (Jan 3, 2007)

Graham Wallace said:


> LOL, I'm not sure ,but it was primative, no memories of the toilets either, maybe I blocked that out!.
> The other memory I had was each tradesman (me included) had to supply a can with a handle ( similar to a tall narrow soup can plus wire handle), but I think they were purchased not made. Tea was then supplied at breaks from a communial 'vessel'. You wandered back to your plant area for your break .
> 
> The ritual was at the end of their working year prior to the start of two weeks vacation was all these hugely tea stained containers were then flattened en masse. New ones purchased for the next year's tea.
> ...


Hi Graham, the tea cans could be purchased at most Ironmonger and Hardware stores in Glasgow. The soft soap and sand was the way to wash up at the end of a shift, if you were lucky you could get hot water by immersing heated metal bolts taken of the charcoal brazier.
In Rowan's hot water for tea was supplied from a large copper urns heated by gas. The foreman would stand at the top of the turbine pit and watch that no body got to the urn before the whistle blew. The toilets in the boiler shop were in a gallery above the time keepers shack there were no full length doors only a strip across the middle of the opening so that the foreman could keep tabs on who was in them and the toilet paper was cut up newspaper.
Changed days.


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## Graham Wallace (May 6, 2006)

Joe Freeman said:


> Hi Graham, the tea cans could be purchased at most Ironmonger and Hardware stores in Glasgow. The soft soap and sand was the way to wash up at the end of a shift, if you were lucky you could get hot water by immersing heated metal bolts taken of the charcoal brazier.
> In Rowan's hot water for tea was supplied from a large copper urns heated by gas. The foreman would stand at the top of the turbine pit and watch that no body got to the urn before the whistle blew. The toilets in the boiler shop were in a gallery above the time keepers shack there were no full length doors only a strip across the middle of the opening so that the foreman could keep tabs on who was in them and the toilet paper was cut up newspaper.
> Changed days.



Them were the days!
With that memory I had a peek at your profile, seems as if we are nearly neighbours, also moved over 'ere from there in 1967 . Me April 1967 Empress of Canada to Montreal then TO.

I went down to the Master,has to be 5+ years ago to see about volunteering ( I have a Steam ticket). Seemed exceedingly tight knit group, not interested in Newbies, so I left. Tho nice friendly non engineering guy showed me around her.

Graham


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