IndianaRog and the Temple of Steam
Toy and model steam engines and turbines by Jensen, Karsten, Mamod, Stuart, Empire, LiNEy & others plus engine videos with sound & helpful restoration tips
All Other Engines
A little something about all my other engines: Click Here
Engines in this Collection:
(click hyperlink to jump to that engine type)
Approx. Dates Manufacturer and Model Origin
1918-early '20's.........Bing Stationaire Lokomobile Overtype Germany
1926-1936.................Bowman Model E101 England
1937-1941.................Mersey Models 53R Engine England
1961.........................Fleischmann Model 122/3 (Home tab) Germany
1980's..(mod '07).......Wilesco # D36 "Old Smoky" Roller (Modified) Germany
2004.........................Wilesco # D455 Vertical/Upright Boiler Germany
2004.........................PM Research Flame Licker Vacuum Engine USA
2005.........................HOG Mikro-Stirling Engine Germany
2005.........................Boehm Stirling Engine Germany
2005.........................Wiggers Stirling Engine Germany
2005.........................Tiny Oscillator by Don of OR (Machinist Built) USA
2008.........................Lilliput Miniature Horizontal (Machinist Built) England
2008.....
.....Wolfgang Engineering Turbine (Machinist Built) USA
2009..........Verburg inspired "Baldy" engine (Machinist Built) USA
When you begin to collect anything, be it coins, stamps, baseball cards or something as off the wall as toy steam engines...you don't have much direction and sort of try this and that 'til some pattern of interest emerges from the fog.
I'm no different than most toy steam collectors in this regard, but after almost 6 years of active scrounging on eBay primarily, I've "narrowed" my interests to select engines from Jensen, Karsten Gintschel, Empire, Stuart, LiNEy and Mamod's mobile line. These are makers of engines where I have 4 or more examples and thus they are represented by their own section (tab) on this website.
This is the "All Other Engines" section (tab) of the website. A place where just 1 or 2 examples from 14 different makers (as of Mar. 2009) have found a home arranged from oldest to newest . Some maker's names you will recognize, others not likely. Each of these engines is a survivor, an engine that did NOT make a return trip to eBay after running, scrutinizing and/or staring at it on the shelves. Something about each enamored them to me and they are keepers.
My Stuart and LiNEy engines "graduated" from this category when I had reached 4 examples of each...my Bowman 101 is now a solo engine in this category where it was once a foursome...so my collection is dynamic if nothing else!
Though listed in the index above, my Fleischmann 122/3 is not displayed in this section, instead it has a place of honor on the Home page right up front. My Fleischmann was my first steam engine and it still looks and runs like it did when I got it new in 1961.
To my doll collector wife, it seems I still have too many loose ends to my collecting and little real direction. To other toy steam collectors, I "think" you will see a pattern overall and agree that given the many, many makers, countries of origin and more than 100 years of offerings to choose from, I have indeed created at least some focus.
That's my story and I'm sticking with it !!
Bing Werke Steam Engines
As compared to typical stationary engines with the engine separate from the boiler/firebox, I "think" an overtype is perhaps more efficient at keeping steam lines short and hence more energy going into the operation of the engine and less into global warming.
I decided I wanted just ONE good example of an engine that originated from Nuremberg (Nurnbert), German, when and where the toy steam art form was at it's peak. This piece has nicely satisfied that need.
I have had difficulty with an exact identification of this engine and timeframe for it's manufacture. One key source felt it was a "Stationaire Lokomobile" model #130/605, possibly made between 1918 and the early 1920's. The small silver logo on the side of the firebox has "BW Germany" stamped on it.
Per John O'Rear's excellent website, detailing Nuremberg engines, the company was renamed from Gerbruder (Brothers) Bing, to Bing Werke in 1918 upon the death of Ignatz Bing, one of the founding brothers. Thus, this engine bearing a BW logo would logically be a 1918 or later engine. The BW Germany designation is a unique twist vs. BW Bavaria which was more the norm, John has surmised it was possibly intended for a U.S. market more familiar with the country of Germany than Bavaria.
Recently (Aug. 2007) I met via a steam forum, a very knowledgeable collector by the name of Mirko from Hamburg, Germany. Mirko provided a copy of this page from a Bing
catalog:
This page would identify my Bing as being a model #130/612 with two minor discrepancies...firebox in pic on this page shows 7 vertical slots (mine has 6) and shows a diamond shaped logo on firebox while mine is square...details, details!!!
So...is it a #130/605 or #130/612...I don't know for sure, but I think we're close and 1918-early 1920's time frame seems right.
The construction of this engine seems heavier than the norm. The green engine frame is a heavy brass casting and there are proper brass bearings on the crankshaft that exceed what I have seen on a number of other Bing and Doll overtypes.
If truth be told, this is a perfect example of a pretty face that swayed me. I bought it off eBay in Dec. 2005, direct from Germany and via an auction written in German (thank you Babel Fish translator)! I was smitten the first time I saw it, though fully aware it had undergone a complete restoration. Being a restorer myself, I was quite impressed with the quality of the work by whomever undertook it. Restoration of the paint, pinstriping and lithograph base was well done, but it came with a heavy custom turned brass chimney that was completely wrong for this engine. I made up the chimney seen here to the proper tube dimensions and capped it with a brass Mamod stack piece which fit perfectly. 
The chimney is obviously NOT correct in this configuration, but until I find the proper finial for the top or better still an original chimney, it will do nicely and is a whole lot closer to the original than what came with the engine.
The sketch in the Bing page shown above gives a good idea of what the original chimney would have looked like. I believe the basket part at the top was done by "metal spinning"...an almost lost art. I shall have to keep looking!!!
When I compare this engine to my 1961 Fleischmann, it is interesting to see the genetic link in a little thing like the outer metal sight glass protector, they are virtually identical yet made about 40 years apart.
Fast forward from Dec. '05 to Oct. '06 and I have finally fired up this shelf queen for the first time since getting it. She took some tweeking of leaky gaskets and the slide valve needed adjustment, but it soon burst to life and ran exceptionally well.
Under the chimney was an originally installed condensate drain tube with a little hook on the end. I envisioned a small bucket hanging on that hook that got lost along the way much as chimneys have a habit of doing.
My wife being a doll collector offered up a little metal bucket that seemed to be custom made for it. The engine now looks whole again and the bucket will hold about 5 minutes worth of chimney condensate before needing a quick emptying. 
I've enjoyed watching this engine run for repeated firings now and I can see how a guy could get hooked on collecting Nuremberg engines. They are a departure from the "tank like" toy steam pieces I usually gravitate to, showing I have a touch of right brain admiration for art...well, mechanical "art" at least.
Fortunately this pretty face is also built well and without question now holds down the spot for both most attractive engine and oldest engine in my collection. A grand old dame indeed.
Although fully restored, I think the brothers Bing would approve of their offering being given a new lease on life and would probably be amazed to think their creations live on nearly a century later. Thanks guys, nice piece of work!
Click below to see an instant video via YouTube:
Bowman Models Steam Engines
I'm not sure where to start on Bowman Models of Dereham Norfolk, England, without being redundant to several other well established sites with Bowman emphasis.
I was cruising the internet a couple of years ago trying to gather information on other lines of toy steam beyond my initial Jensen and Empire interests. I literally stumbled upon the toy steam website of a fellow in the UK who referred to himself as "The Mooseman" . So I clicked on this guy's website out of curiousity for how toy steam engines and a guy named Mooseman somehow fit together.
Well, I asked a few questions of the Mooseman regards his Bowman engines and one email led to another and over the past few years we've become very good friends and have traded engines between ourselves, procurred engines for one another and shared many restoration ideas.
So, with all that, I refer the reader to the Mooseman's website for a thorough discertation on all things Bowman including Bowman stationary toy steam, locomotives and much of the literature of the day scanned for viewer interest. Another great source for all things Bowman is the Bowman Models group on Yahoo Groups.
I asked Odilon, if he were to recommend only ONE Bowman engine, what would be a good example to represent the line. Odilon complied with a recommendation to find an E101 (wood base) or M101 (metal base), noting that model was the top of the Bowman line. Well, that's exactly what I did.
Bowman E101
If you look at this engine, you will see a 1920's example of the Bowman E101 obtained from Paper 'N Steam Galore, a reputable online and store front dealer in the UK. It was in good shape upon receipt, but I have a character flaw...I'm happiest with a piece if restored to "like new" condition.
So despite the condition being OK as received, I re-did the engine from top to bottom. The fact that it had been previously restored made that decision a bit easier, but I have no regrets, I'm happy with how it turned out.
The photo to the left is a closeup of the 1 pound brass flywheel and gear assembly of the E101 after restoration. I love a brassy engine and they don't get much more brassy than this !
The brass burner tank is visible to the right rear of this picture. The heavy red engine frame must be 1/8" thick steel. No corners were cut in making this baby.
Another photo of this engine from the top down.
I really, really like how this turned out. Under steam it is not a race horse, but more of a solid work horse. It has exceptional torque and capacity and can run any accessory. The steam realistically vents to the chimney where I made a couple of minor improvements over Mr. Bowman's design.
I linked the exhaust tubes from engine and chimney with a bit of shrink tubing to prevent drippage
I put a rubber stopper in the base of the chimney to keep condensed water from leaking out the bottom during operation. Both were minor fixes but make for a drier operating engine.
I also installed fireproof insulation in the floor of the firebox to prevent scorching of the wood base which had occured previously. The 101 is just completely "right" in the operational department, sounding much like a machine gun when operating full tilt. BUT, it is a superb looking piece as well with all that brass. Win-win on all fronts.
It is an extra bonus when you can find the boxes for these engines, especially the earliest ones that were made of wood with the logo and model branded on the end. I think having such robust boxes helped many of these engines endure 80 years of hard knocks. Odilon, for a "good example" recommendation, this one was a winner !
Click below to see an instant video via YouTube:
Mersey Model 53R Steam Engine
I restored this engine in May 2006 after a year or more in "bucket purgatory" (a pre-restored but disassembled stage) which most of my engines must endure while I get my act together. The picture beneath it to the lower right is the condition as received off eBay and before disassembly.
As received (right), it was in rough shape with a
badly rusted firebox, delaminated plywood base, pressure valve missing, whistle handle gone and burner tank plug missing. A bit of scrounging and a kind offer to machine a new valve from Ellis C. and the rest was very doable. A top to bottom restoration was done to return the engine to like new form and function.
The finished result was very rewarding, when a lovely engine emerged that utilizes ample brass (which automatically endears it to this steamer).
On the British toy steam front names like Bowman, Stuart Turner, Mamod, SEL, Burnac and others abound, but one rarely hears much about the Mersey Models line of toy steam engines.
This state of affairs may be due to having their Liverpool, England facilities bombed out of production in 1941 or thereabouts. I'm not sure if they ever started up again and most folks consider 1937 - 1941 as the years that made all the Mersey Models we have left today. Mersey used some novel approaches to reversing mechanisms such as seen on this engine combined with gearing, and incorporated lineshafts as seen in some models.
This engine is the model 53R, where "R" stands for reversing. On some models like mine, they also utilized a unique arrangement where upright burners were fitted from beneath the wooden base (see last pic). Mine has protective heat shields that prevent scorching of the wood, but some didn't have this feature and are seen with badly charred wood from on the undersides. Wouldn't the Health & Safety types have a field day with such a childs toy today !!
Upon finishing up the restoration of this engine, I took some additional pictures outdoors for a change vs. my normal, indoor blue shop apron as a backdrop. So this engine gets a few more cameos than most just because I think it is such a little beauty.
Click below to see an instant video via YouTube:
Wilesco Steam Engines and Models
Every collector of toy steam engines has at one time or another owned a Wilesco or wished he had. Mind you, they are NOT one of my favorite manufacturers, but they put out a good product overall and I have two of them in my collection for which I have a warm spot.
Wilesco's are of German manufacture. The name is based on the initials of one of the founders, Wilhelm E. Schroeder who with partner Ernst Wortmann, took over the Fleischmann line of toy steam in the 1960's, probably soon after I got my Fleischmann in 1961. Wilesco is the last genetic link to the golden Nuremberg era of steam, so it's nice to see them alive and well to carry on the tradition of German toy steam. Check out the Wilesco website, they offer a huge number of engines and accessories to match suitable for all pocketbooks.
It's funny, but Wilesco's use of pretty thin tin and a few bits of plastic is probably the biggest turnoff I have with them, but then they incorporate a nice feature like in-line lubricators on both the following pieces, a really nice touch not seen on a lot of engines in the toy steam lines.
Wilesco D36 "Old Smoky" Steam Roller
This piece will bring the kid out in anyone, maybe because it looks like a toy we might have had as a kid. Mine was 15-20 years old when I got it, and unfired til Oct. 2006. It ran well, will go forward and backward just by reversing the flywheel rotation, exhausts steam out the green stack and will run at idle when the left rear wheel gear is disengaged.
Despite liking my Old Smoky, in Nov. 2007 I decided to modify it to look more like a D.R. Mercer roller...a much more expensive piece I would truly love to have...someday.
Left below is a pic of my original "stock" Old Smoky.
Right below is a pic of an actual D.R. Mercer roller model.
Front and center is my finished roller after a number of modifications.
Like Elvis...Old Smoky has left the building:
Among the mods incorporated are the following:
- eliminated the canopy, supports and original stack
- inserted nicer Mamod wheels within original roller & rear wheels
- converted from Esbit to a brass alcohol tank under the scuttle
- added a pulley to the flywheel to enable direct drive band attachment to the left rear wheel while engine gears are disengaged...option for 2X speed of normal
- added brass nuts & bolts in place of all rivets
- added extra metal heat shields inside the firebox to protect against warping
- added protective rubber to roller & rear tires from Forest Classics
- added several brass bits from CJW Steam including stack, belly bands, faux belly tank and removable hubcap/axle sets
- lowered steering mechanism to accomodate belly tank, sculpted the body work a bit on the scuttle & added a brass wrapped "coal pile" atop the scuttle
- wood maintenance board was added to the boiler's right, faux brass drain fitting to the boiler's left, closed in the back side of the open headstock and topped it off with a knurled brass fitting
- body was painted in satin Hunter Green, wheels done in Jensen red
A "few" more pics...can you tell I am delighted with how this turned out?
To the right is the custom alcohol tank and burner designed to slide in under the coal scuttle...it fits and works beautifully.
I made the tank from brass plate bent into a box plus brass tube and a couple of ammo casings for upright burners.
Burner
slides in and is retained by a couple of pieces of picture hanger
hardware soldered to the bottom of the scuttle. Squared off brass
knob is the filler plug vent and also helps to keep tank aligned in
place. Pic below shows tank in place with screws/filler cap slid into the retaining hangers.
I
highly recommend that if the spirit moves you, this sort of modified
engine is well within the scope of what most folks can do and won't
ruin a rare or exceptionally valuable piece. Old Smoky models in
good shape can
often be found on eBay for about $150 USD...plenty have been
made. The Wilesco traction engine is almost the same platform and
would work as well with adjustments.
Results of such modding are the look and function of a much more expensive engine. The fun in getting there?...Priceless!
Here are a couple of videos to wrap things up.
First video shows the engine running with it's designed in gear system...a nice scale pace with the characteristic gear clatter Old Smoky's are known for.
Click below to see an instant video via YouTube:
Second video
shows the engine running about 2X normal speed using direct
belt drive from pulley to left rear wheel while gearing is set to
neutral.
With this set of mods, one can enjoy either of TWO speeds or stationary running in place. It's not a Mercer by a long shot, but it will tide me over til I can get one!!
Wilesco D455 Vertical/Upright Boiler
This
piece is about as common as they come, but I still wanted one when I
saw it. Neat vertical design is a bit different from other
engines and it runs with a pleasant thump, thump sound. Flue
gases rise thru the center of the boiler and exit the top of the stack,
sort of novel that the stack actually functions as a stack on this one.
I have fired this engine countless times with the stink of Esbit complaints to prove it ! It too has a few plastic parts that for the life of me I don't understand why Wilesco went with them.
The
steam valve and whistle valve are both plastic and one has already
snapped off requiring replacement. The only saving grace is they
don't get hot, probably a health and safety move now that I think of it
!The following video is of this engine running at breakneck speed using a denatured alcohol (meths) burner borrowed from a Bowman M135...this might be 2X normal rpms...it was going so fast I had to temporarily screw it down to a piece of plywood or it would dance off the table top...never did that on Esbit tablets alone.
The mythbusters would say "don't do this at home, we are professionals"...I say, do whatever floats your boat...just use some common sense (I had on safety glasses and a fire extinguisher about 2 feet away).
Click below to see an instant video via YouTube:
PM Research Flame Licker Vacuum Engine
This engine called to me every time I visited the website of The Great Toy Steam Co. I watched it over a 2 year period thinking how neat it would be to have one. I finally gave in and bought it and the Wiggers Stirling above at the same time. Warning...their website is very enticing!!
This isn't a conventional steam engine (no water), yet it's not a Stirling engine either. You position the flame of an alcohol burner just outside a port in the side of the cylinder. When you give the flywheel a spin, ka-thump and it sort of sucks the flame into the hole and then simultaneously ejects it while a sliding cover passes back and forth.
The best description I have read for HOW this actually works was in a posting made on my YouTube video below by RamonaSteam...hope he doesn't mind me capturing it here...he just said it well, so why re-invent an explanation:
On the intake stroke, the valve slides open and the engine sucks in the heat from the flame. The sliding valve closes, then the hot air cools rapidly inside the large cylinder with it's cooling fins. This creates a vacuum, which sucks the piston back up to the cylinder head, powering the engine.
Like the Stirlings, I sit amazed watching this thing work. On one hand it is fickle as can be and the flame must be positioned just so to keep working, but if you do it right, you are rewarded with a very neat looking and even neater sounding engine that seems to defy physics.
The flame licker is a product of PM Research here in the U.S. and they make a novel line of Stirling engines as well. As high on the "Gee Whiz" scale as any engine I own.
Click below to see an instant video via YouTube:
Stirling Engines
The following three Stirling engines are all modern offerings readily available from eBay or other online sources. The following picture was taken while all were operating.
Though there is nothing historically collectible here, these engines demonstrate principals discovered over 100 years ago.
They operate by heating a fixed volume of air that increases in pressure as it get warmer. The warmed air acts on the underside of the piston pushing it to the top of its stroke, the air is then cooled. The cooled air has reduced pressure and allows atmospheric pressure to push the piston back down.
Stirlings have two pistons, the power piston which drives the crankshaft and the displacer piston which moves the gas between hot and cold parts of the engine. This process is repeated rapidly over and over resulting in the motion you see.
The Stirling type are also the easiest engines to fire up, a bit of alcohol and a match and you have action within seconds. NO water is used.
HOG Stirling Engine
I obtained this engine from Station 500 on the internet. This is an internet/eBay business run by a gentleman named Matthias Brenner who gives great pricing and fast, secure shipping worldwide of steam, Stirling and various train offerings. He is located in Germany, also the location of the manufacturer of the HOG engine. I have bought several things from Matthias and been highly satisfied, he is professional all the way and instantly replaced a broken steam valve on my Wilesco D455 when it (plastic) broke in transit.
Although I have watched this engine operate dozens of times, the principal just seems to evade my understanding. You heat this glass tube with another glass tube inside, and in about 5 seconds the inner tube begins to move, which sets the whole thing in motion.
The HOG will operate a good 12 minutes on a filling of alcohol and operates almost silently in a blur of moving parts. This engine is also a favorite with visitors who will hold it in a hand and marvel that all that motion is driven by a tiny flame.
Boehm/Bohm Stirling Engine
If one Stirling engine is good, surely two are better and a twin flywheel to boot. I obtained this piece from Station 500 as well, only I opted for a kit form. I figured I could save a few dollars and figure out by assembly how this Stirling concept works. It is a beautifully made piece of German origin and the parts fit together effortlessly in a single sitting.
Do I understand the concepts of Stirling motion any better now? Not in the least. But then again, I've used the telephone for years and can live with the knowledge I don't know how it works either.
Wiggers Stirling Engine
I just seem to be a sucker for delicate, almost jewel-like steam and stirling engines! This modern stirling engine is built by Wiggers Stirling Modellbau of Germany and represents their simplest version of a wide variety of very nice Stirling pieces. I purchased it from The Great Toy Steam Co which is located in Ohio, just a day to ship things to Indiana and they have a great selection.
Despite being an entry level piece in the Wiggers line, it is very nicely finished and like my HOG and Boehm engines, it runs beautifully on a spit of denatured alcohol.
Wiggers use a glass heating cylinder and displacer identical to that on the HOG engine, but it's twin chamber appearance is more akin to the Boehm. Kind of makes an evolutionary line from HOG to Wiggers to Boehm. The flywheel is touted as being of gilded cast iron vs. CNC machined and the bright bits are also gilded. The wood base is Abachi-wood which I believe comes from Brazil.
Wiggers packages this engine in a lovely custom fit outer beechwood box that could be considered a jewelry box given the beautifully dovetailed corners, fancy clasp and hinges. BUT, we don't buy the box, it's what's inside that counts. I just love the looks of this engine running or sitting still (even in the box).
Click below to see an instant video via YouTube:
The 2nd Smallest Engine in my Collection
(see the next engine for the reigning "smallest")
The engine above works by means of an internal water tank heated from an alcohol burner beneath...the steam in turn pushes an oscillator and flywheel with a precision that reminds me of a hummingbird in flight.
The engine was machined by a fellow named Don of Oregon, USA and he
responded to an email I sent him noting the engine was of his own
design and he personally machined it from mostly brass with an aluminum
base...all nicely polished. Don told me he'd been a production
machinist for 30 years, so I guess he knows how move metal around, but
he was also hoping to try out some other designs, so I keep him
bookmarked. Don's seller name on eBay is: BMAXO and as of May-Jun 2006 he had been listing one of these about every week or so and they are steadily commanding more money with each week's auction. I have no idea when the last one will come and go. It is 2008 now and I have not seen one on eBay in ages, so perhaps Don is no longer making them.
The very top of the brass tank unscrews to fill with about 8 cc of
water, the cap screws on and seals with an O ring. The aluminum
base has an integral alcohol tank machined into it with a removeable
cap to open and add 4-5 cc's of fuel. It is up to steam in
about 90 seconds.I only wish I had the creativity and skill to pull off something like this...I love it !
Click below to see an instant video via YouTube:
PhilCraft Lilliput...A Very, Very Small Steam Engine
Pictured above is a Lilliput miniature, horizontal steam engine built by PhilCraft of England. This little jewel stands just 3 inches tall, though half of that is the stack. The boiler is but 1.75" in length and 7/8" diameter. The piston can't be more than 1/8" in diameter and the same stroke. The flywheel is just shy of 1" diameter.
I couldn't resist taking a pic alongside a US, Morgan Silver Dollar just for a bit of perspective.
The man behind PhilCraft is a wonderful gent by the name of Phil Gravett who has been making these little jewels and several other designs for a number of years. When I spotted one on eBay recently, it's days there were numbered.
The Lilliput has everything a bigger engine would have, but in tiny scale. That is a proper meths (alcohol) burner that lights a fire beneath. The engine also came with a working funnel for filling the boiler...a tiny work of art itself seen upside down next to the firebox above.
The stack is functional and exhausts from the firebox. The tiny funnel is used to fill the boiler via the "large" fill port in the boiler's top...next to that fill port is a functional safety valve. Boiler capacity to overflowing is 9 ml., but I have found 6 mi. is a good working water volume. The burner pictured below will take about 3 ml. of alcohol and burns about 4 minutes. I found I could safely fill the burner a total of three times per boiler filling and still have some water left.
Though these look like utensils from a doll house, they are fully functioning and work perfectly.
Upon firing the burner, it takes about 3 minutes to raise a head of steam which appears first at the port face of the oscillating cylinder.
A spin on the flywheel then set it in motion and the result is mesmerizing. It's unlike watching anything else...it is a full function steam engine, just in diminutive form.
When I first received the engine I was unsure if it would remain standing erect while running or topple over from vibration or perhaps being too top heavy. I opted to attach it to a former marble trophy base with internal brass supports epoxied to the marble.
The engine just slides down on the posts and can be removed in an instant.
In reality, this engine runs so smoothly, the internal belt and braces so to speak were probably not needed. BUT, I can be a klutz, so it's comforting to know when I tilt the base the engine isn't going to fall.
If you see any of the three known models of Phil's work, snap them up, they don't come around often. Here is a photo borrowed from Phil's brochure, it shows the three engines he has built.
The Lilliput horizontal is pictured to the left, a lovely Beam engine in the center and the Jenny Wren upright to the right.
Click below to see an instant video via YouTube:
LiNEy Machine RV-2 Four Cylinder
This engine is a four cylinder opposed type with gear driven valves and timing. The design of this engine is similar to the internal combustion engines that power many small general aviation aircraft as well as VW's.
The pistons are 3/8" with a 1/2" stroke driving a one piece crankshaft riding in miniature ball bearings. The "RV" designation in the name stands for "Rotating Valve"...a unique valve design incorporating a pinion gear on the crankshaft which times the one piece rotating valve.
Some of these features can be seen in the photo of the open bottom below:
The builder jeweled the back plate simply for looks, and at my request added a custom in-line oiler for use with steam. It runs equally well on compressed air and live steam.
Another close up showing the beautiful machining work on the back plate, oiler and the included muffler set up. Lots of polished brass and aluminum highlights.
I did add a small touch myself. The prop as received was blond/natural hardwood, probably ash. I removed it, stripped, stained and polyurethaned it to a color I prefer, just can't leave well enough alone!
Click below to see an instant video via YouTube:
Wolfgang Engineering Turbine
It's not often I stumble upon both a bargain and a top quality piece of machining at the same. Well, it's Feb. 2009 and I have done just that. While cruising eBay I came upon this:
In the seller's words...here's his description:
"This is a special project I've been working on and was rightly named "The Noise Maker, version NM2.51". A brand new item from Wolfgang Engineering.
This is a Steam Turbine Engine capable of reaching speeds of 25,000 rpm's with as little as 35 psi. It will run on 5 psi if you wish. It is most commonly run off of compressed air, but can be run off steam if so desired.
It is mostly constructed from 6061-6 Aluminum and Brass and is brought to a high polish finish. The outside of the brass ring measures 2.5", the base is approximately 3.5" long by 2" wide.
The turbine was designed and built with simplicity in mind and as a conversational piece.
There are a number of pieces to this steam turbine that need to work perfectly in order for it to run well. I do machine some of the parts with CNC machines, such as the turbine blade itself, but most of it is hand built with manual machines.
Each turbine is hand assembled and tested by me. The entire unit is made in house, right here in the
I must add that the turbine is suspended in two ball bearing races, so there is very little friction. I initially gave it a test run using compressed air with about 20 PSI behind it resulting in a very impressive spooling up sound that endears me to any
turbine that sounds like a jet taking off on my benchtop. I kept wondering how high that whine would go, but my small air compresser could only deliver 20 PSI max and not for very long given the high volume this piece takes to sustain operation.
So I decided to give this one the acid test, I hooked it up to a table top dedicated boiler capable of sustained 30 PSI steam output.
Oh my, that brought a smile to my face and I could not resist laughing out loud as it absolutely screamed.
PLEASE...check out the YouTube video that follows just below to enjoy the sound of this baby spooling up. I am absolutely delighted with the aptly named "Noise Maker" turbine and will be watching Wolfgang Engineering for future offerings...this was a winner for sure.
Click below to see an instant video via YouTube:
Elmer Verburg inspired "Baldy" engine
This engine just grabbed my attention when I saw it on eBay recently. It is a machinist built modification of an Elmer Verburg design he called his "Baldy" engine. I'm sure the ball shaped piston rod and matching rounded cylinder might be the basis for the name!! At just 1 3/4" tall, it's another example of a tiny engine I really like.
I love machinist built engines and even more so when they sell for under $50 USD !!! The workmanship was superb. Maker is a gent named Henning Seidel, who sells these engines on eBay.com under the seller name: Frugal1234 Keep an eye out for his offerings. He also sells a radial engine that uses three Baldy's linked together...very clever.
I mounted the engine on a small marble trophy base I picked up off eBay for just a couple of dollars. The mass of the marble makes a perfect base for small engines which otherwise tend to dance off the table top...I have used these bases on several of my other little engines...highly recommended.
The baldy's piston and connecting rod design lets the whole piston swivel as a single unit eliminating the extra moving part found in a standard engine. Result is a single cylinder engine with only two moving parts.
The engine frame was hand crafted out of 6061-T6 aluminum and assembled using stainless steel screws. The frame houses a 1" brass cylinder (not sure if fins do anything, but they look cool). The ball shaped piston rod is brass with a 1/2" diameter bore and 1/2" stroke. The 1-1/2" brass flywheel spins on a 1/4" steel shaft. 
When I first got this engine I tried it on compressed air and was very disappointed...it seemed so tight it would hardly stay running with 20+ PSI of air pressure and using varied lubricants. I switched it over to steam and what a difference, it ran like a dream and achieved quite high RPM's. I don't know if the steam heat affected expansion and contraction...but this baby likes steam which is fine by me.
Having read this writeup, Henning emailed me suggesting that the tight running condition I experienced on compressed air was very likely due to too much, too thick a coating of oil in the cylinder area. He suggests running it on compressed air with a shot of WD-40 into the cylinder area to get rid of the oil buildup. I have not tried his suggestion yet, but will do so soon and make note of the results here.
I need to get it filmed and post a video of it running under steam...delightful.
