Stationary Engines. Anyone else find them fascinating?
Discussion
Am I the only person who finds these fascinating? One of the first things I head to at country fairs.
I mean take this Lister for example. With its pop,pop,pop almost dying and then pop, pop, pop back to life and their odd open valve spring arrangement, not forgetting some weird nudger type device.
Just wish I could find a cheap one.
I mean take this Lister for example. With its pop,pop,pop almost dying and then pop, pop, pop back to life and their odd open valve spring arrangement, not forgetting some weird nudger type device.
Just wish I could find a cheap one.
I've often wondered what the point in these is. I like there soft pop pop noises etc but why aren't they attached to something practical?
There are always loads of them at country shows as the OP said. I've always assumed they're just an excuse for the owners to turn up, camp, and have a party for the weekend.
There are always loads of them at country shows as the OP said. I've always assumed they're just an excuse for the owners to turn up, camp, and have a party for the weekend.
I'm not a massive fan TBH
I was at a steam rally/show about 2 years ago and a guy was revving his Nobel M12, the marshalls told him to stop making noise, when all you could hear was loads of engines going off?? confused me, especially as it sounded better than anything they had on show.
I was at a steam rally/show about 2 years ago and a guy was revving his Nobel M12, the marshalls told him to stop making noise, when all you could hear was loads of engines going off?? confused me, especially as it sounded better than anything they had on show.
Wigeon Incognito said:
I've often wondered what the point in these is. I like there soft pop pop noises etc but why aren't they attached to something practical?
There are always loads of them at country shows as the OP said. I've always assumed they're just an excuse for the owners to turn up, camp, and have a party for the weekend.
Not much practical to attach them to now as what they used to do (pumping, generating, etc.) has mostly been taken over by electric or diesel motors.There are always loads of them at country shows as the OP said. I've always assumed they're just an excuse for the owners to turn up, camp, and have a party for the weekend.
Some rather smaller ones which won't upset the neighbours here
Love these things. Always come across them, as the OP mentioned, at country fairs, and always leave with every intention of buying one purely for the satisfaction of tinkering. Just love the old-skool engineering behind them and the way they'll happily plod along all day producing maybe a handful of horsepower at a few hundred rpm.
Unfortunately, the price of the things and lack of space to keep one scupper my grand plans and instead have to settle for coaxing my mower's shagged-out old Tecumseh motor back into noisy, smoky life.
Unfortunately, the price of the things and lack of space to keep one scupper my grand plans and instead have to settle for coaxing my mower's shagged-out old Tecumseh motor back into noisy, smoky life.
Morningside said:
Am I the only person who finds these fascinating? One of the first things I head to at country fairs.
I mean take this Lister for example. With its pop,pop,pop almost dying and then pop, pop, pop back to life and their odd open valve spring arrangement, not forgetting some weird nudger type device.
Just wish I could find a cheap one.
I like this stuff too. You can buy large working scale models of these type of engines.I mean take this Lister for example. With its pop,pop,pop almost dying and then pop, pop, pop back to life and their odd open valve spring arrangement, not forgetting some weird nudger type device.
Just wish I could find a cheap one.
The publishers of Car Mechanics mag also publish a Stationary Engine mag too!
http://www.stationary-engine-magazine.co.uk/
http://www.stationary-engine-magazine.co.uk/
I quite like these little old things, and a mate has 6, IIRC, including one that is the only one of its type in existence. But then he also has a vintage Marshall series 2 tractor.
Oh, it also mostly an excuse for loads of old boys to go camp in a field and get drunk away from the wife.
Oh, it also mostly an excuse for loads of old boys to go camp in a field and get drunk away from the wife.
I have to say some of the people who have these things are the most bizarre/scary people on the face of the planet! There was a bloke in the shop where I work, looking at exhaust paint, he asked for some advice, fine, just as I came to the end of my 'advice' I said "oh whats it for?" 'its for a 1933 such and such stationary engine......' 20 minutes later and he's still going. I had to put my hand in my pocket fumble around with my mobile to dial the shops number as a method of retreat. He didn't f
king buy any paint in the end, tbh I get people with cars just as bad, but their was just something a bit more intensely obsessive about this bloke!
Great noises and amusingly pointless!
king buy any paint in the end, tbh I get people with cars just as bad, but their was just something a bit more intensely obsessive about this bloke!Great noises and amusingly pointless!
Morningside said:
Am I the only person who finds these fascinating? One of the first things I head to at country fairs.
I mean take this Lister for example. With its pop,pop,pop almost dying and then pop, pop, pop back to life and their odd open valve spring arrangement, not forgetting some weird nudger type device.
Just wish I could find a cheap one.
I could spend hours just looking at them running, especially the ones with all the exposed guts and governors, linkages, valves etc, like some primeval mechanical heartbeat. I mean take this Lister for example. With its pop,pop,pop almost dying and then pop, pop, pop back to life and their odd open valve spring arrangement, not forgetting some weird nudger type device.
Just wish I could find a cheap one.
I often thought about buying one, there's loads on Ebay, but I'm worried the novelty would wear off and I'd stuff it in the shed where it would die.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_CkEzOMASo
King Herald said:
Morningside said:
Am I the only person who finds these fascinating? One of the first things I head to at country fairs.
I mean take this Lister for example. With its pop,pop,pop almost dying and then pop, pop, pop back to life and their odd open valve spring arrangement, not forgetting some weird nudger type device.
Just wish I could find a cheap one.
I could spend hours just looking at them running, especially the ones with all the exposed guts and governors, linkages, valves etc, like some primeval mechanical heartbeat. I mean take this Lister for example. With its pop,pop,pop almost dying and then pop, pop, pop back to life and their odd open valve spring arrangement, not forgetting some weird nudger type device.
Just wish I could find a cheap one.
I often thought about buying one, there's loads on Ebay, but I'm worried the novelty would wear off and I'd stuff it in the shed where it would die.
It's a slippery slope you know!! Some friends of ours bought their first stationary engine to be able to get into steam fairs etc and have a free weekend of camping. Then they bought another two!! Then my other half decided he quite liked the idea and before I knew it we had a Lister D. However, this then started a chain reaction! The Lister D got swapped for a bigger stationary engine which has now, after many other purchases of various engines, turned into a 1965 Leyland Titan PD2 double decker bus!! This has also rubbed off on some other friends who come along with their sons 1974 Mini Clubman. But of course my friends husband has been bitten by the strange machinery bug and has become the proud owner of a Bonser truck!! So you see, if you buy a stationary engine you never know where it might lead!
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