Accrington_built stationary stem engine maker's plates.

rivetlad · 28-08-2011, 20:44

I am a keen collector of brass maker's plates from " Mill " Steam engines.

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries several Accrington engineering firms built steam engines of this type. Two spring to mind:

C. WHITTAKER & Co--Made Brick Manufacturing Plant, and small to medium sized steam engines.

LANG BRIDGE & Co--Machinery for the Cotton Mills and Steam Engines.

I would be interested inhearing from anyone who has brass makers plates from these Accrington Engineering Companys, as well as old brochures, letterheads, and historic photographs of mill engines.
Contact me by email: [email protected]

Retlaw · 28-08-2011, 21:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by rivetlad

I am a keen collector of brass maker's plates from " Mill " Steam engines.

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries several Accrington engineering firms built steam engines of this type. Two spring to mind:

C. WHITTAKER & Co--Made Brick Manufacturing Plant, and small to medium sized steam engines.

LANG BRIDGE & Co--Machinery for the Cotton Mills and Steam Engines.

I would be interested inhearing from anyone who has brass makers plates from these Accrington Engineering Companys, as well as old brochures, letterheads, and historic photographs of mill engines.
Contact me by email: [email protected]

I served my apprentice ship at Lang Bridges as a Pattern Maker, Langs kept all the patterns for any thing they had ever made, in 4 pattern stores in the factory, many times I had to search the stores for a pattern, to cast a new part for some machine Langs had once built. I never came across any patterns for steam engines, nor have I ever heard of them making any. Somtimes I would be sent to a local factory, to get the numbers off the part that needed to be replaced, Steiners was one of their main customers, went there many times, to check the broken part.
Things started to go down hill at Langs in the early 1950's, I transferred to Bulloughs, and worked there for 5 years.
Retlaw.

rivetlad · 29-08-2011, 06:37

Hi Retlaw,

There is a Lang Bridge-built steam engine in Bolton Steam Museum which originally drove a Stentor engine in a mill.
Have you any early photographs of the Works?

Happy Steamings.
Alan.

MovedtoBolton · 29-08-2011, 09:01

http://www.nmes.org/

Info on the Bolton Steam Museum and an image of the Lang Bridge Diagonal here...

Retlaw · 29-08-2011, 11:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by rivetlad

Hi Retlaw,

There is a Lang Bridge-built steam engine in Bolton Steam Museum which originally drove a Stentor engine in a mill.
Have you any early photographs of the Works?

Happy Steamings.
Alan.

Thats a new one on me, never saw any patterns for that double diagonal in the pattern stores.
Made several patterns for Stentor machines, they were for stretching the cloth after sizing and finishing, thats why cloth shrunk so much when washed.
Not got any photos.
Retlaw.

rivetlad · 30-08-2011, 07:19

I would guess the Lang Bridge diagonal steam engine at Bolton Steam Museum was built circa 1890.

Bob Dobson · 30-08-2011, 08:13

About 1890 there was a series of books pubklished by the Historical Publishing Co. They featured businesses, large & small, in Lancashire towns. Accrington was covered in a book which also included Burnley, but not Blackburn so far as I recall, because I published a reprint of the Blackburn & Darwen sections.
I write about Whittaker's in the book I edited & published. 'An Accrington Mixture' There's a copy in the library. They made 'New Era' brickmaking machinery.

rivetlad · 30-08-2011, 11:31

Bob, Thanks, I will endeavour to root out a copy.

Retlaw · 30-08-2011, 12:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by rivetlad

I would guess the Lang Bridge diagonal steam engine at Bolton Steam Museum was built circa 1890.

Lang Bridges was still operating from Paradise St, in 1890, according to Mike Rothwell they made iron bedsteads, kitchen ranges, ironmongery, calico printing machinery, and tinplate work for Howard & Bulloughs. They moved to Exchange St in 1905.
Is Lang Bridges name actually cast into parts of that steam engine, or on a separate plate.
Once down in London in a museum, saw an old Metz fire engine, that was bought by Accrington Corporation, It was labled as belonging to Nelson Fire Station.
When I spoke the curator he brought out the paper work & log books, he said I was the 2nd person to comment on it, John Kelly had been in some weeks before. On examining the documents he said he would have a new sign made for the display.
Blackburn Museum used to have a display of WW1 weapons, many of those were wrongly named.
They have now been removed to Fulwood.
Retlaw.

rivetlad · 30-08-2011, 21:21

The Name " Lang Bridge, Accrington " is cast into the slide valve cover plates.

Several years ago I saw a brass, Lang Bridge maker's plate attached by bolts on to a small steam engine in a Halifax woollen mill. Pity I cannot recall the address.

shillelagh · 30-08-2011, 21:47

go and have a nosy at helmshore textile museum .. and their sister mill over in burnley .... they might have information as well ...

rivetlad · 30-08-2011, 22:25

I have been professionally involved with both of these Textile Museums and also cotton & woollen & flax mills-- all across the North for over 45 years.

Tetti · 02-09-2011, 18:37

Hi
The info that I have regarding the Double Diagonal (only one in existance?) steam engine is that it was attached to a 4 colour printer which Lang B supplied to Bollington Print Co. in Bollington near Macclesfield about 1903, although it could have been used to drive a stenter or a Calender or Beetling m/c.. The one in the Bolton Museum has a 9inch bore and 16 in. stroke but Lang's also built one with a 12in. stroke. They built them with various bore/stroke combinations to suit different requirements (horses power).Lang's also made a single diagonal engine known as a(n) "Angular Engine".A "High Pressure Horizontal Steam Engine" was also manufactured by Lang's in different sizes depending on the number of horses required to drive the m/c. Now mr. Rivetlad, I'm sorry to say, all these engines had cast in nameplates............ but........... they also made an "Inverted High Pressure Steam Engine", specification unknown, which had a name plate screwed onto the main frame, just stating "Lang Bridge Ltd, Makers, Accrington". I don't know how many were produced or what machines they drove but I hope you find one. The only brass nameplate (souvenir) of Lang's I have is a "Lang Bridge Automobile Club" from about 1966/7 up until a year ago it was still wrapped in it's original tissue paper.

Retlaw , it doesnt surprise me that you could'nt find any patterns for this engine in the pattern store even Lang's would have realised that the age of steam was long gone. There may have been patterns for parts that wear or could get damaged/broken, things like cylinder or trunk giudes, but main frames they are too big and their space would have been needed for new patterns. If in the highly unlikely case of the main frame getting broken it would be much quicker and cheaper to replace it with an electric motor. Just my thoughts on the subject.

Best Regards
T

Tetti · 02-09-2011, 19:03

Hi.
If any Accywebbers have children or grandchildren and want a day out with a diffence the Bolton Steam Museum is having a steam up on the 10/11th Sept. 10am/4pm when most of these fascinating and historical engines will be running. Its next door to Morrison's supermarket Chorley Old Rd. so you can do your shopping and treat the kids/grandkids at the same time.
T

rivetlad · 02-09-2011, 19:11

BOLTON STEAM MUSEUM on 10/11 September, aye and you will be able to say " hello " to me.
Those interested in steamy reading, have a gander at my book:
HISTORIC STEAM BOILER EXPLOSIONS. Go to www.sledgehammereengineeringpress.co.uk