Sanderson Beam Engine

[miner]

Have been lurking here for a lot of time, and finally decided to register, Lot's of good info here. Anyway I do have a question I couldn't get an answer to on another internet web site.

I own a full set of un-machined castings and drawings for a 1/12 scale Sanderson beam engine obtained from England approximately 10-12 yrs. ago, Drawings were done by H. Clarkson in August of 1986, The original design for this engine was done by Robert Sanderson from Glasgow Scotland in 1846, this is ALL the information I can come up with for this engine. There are a few pictures on the internet of models of this engine but no full size examples that I know of.

I've done a few hrs. of searching on the internet for this engine but not much luck so far. Does anyone have any info on the above? Was this engine even built? If so is there any surviving examples? Any patent drawings? Who was Robert Sanderson? Obviously I'm so far looking in the wrong places, Any and all information would be greatly appreciated at this point.

Yes this question should be in the stationary engine section but I thought someone just may have some information handy and the general section does get a far larger ammount of people reading it than the limited stationary section.

Thanks in advance, Pete

[alanstepney]

From memory, Robert Sanderson (& co, sons or whatever?) was a Scottish company that made various engineering products throughout the latter half of the 19th century.
They only made a few engines of their own design, and I believe details of them, or one of them, is in one of the main Scottish museums.
I think that might be in Glasgow, but perhaps I am confusing the museum location with the company's.

There was a brief mention of Sanderson & engine in Model Engineer some years ago.
Most likely a comment after Clarksons released their design, or maybe in Jeynes column.

[bobpendleton]

Here's the easy bit. Finding (and maybe copying) the issues may take some time!

Sanderson Beam Engine, Model Engineer, Volumes 181 - 183, Issue Nos. 4083, 5, 7, 9, 4091, 3, 5, 7, 9, 4101, 3, 5

Regards and best wishes, Bob

[GWRdriver]

Pete,
Stan Bray's series in ME referenced above by Bob is the only substantial published information on the Sanderson model that I know of. Over the years there have been a couple of short articles and/or photos on a Sanderson engine 'project', but those did not describe construction in detail. Photos on the www are very scarse and in the few examples I found the engines didn't appear weren't all that well turned out. IIRC photos of the Sanderson have appeared on covers of ME but there is no way to reference those and quote an issue.

The above photo is of an example made in Germany, and in the high-res original photo appears to be well made, but IMHO the detail and color scheme on this example are a bit over-done and detract from rather than emphasize the classic gracefulness of the basic machine.

[miner]

To everone that has responded to this question, THANK YOU VERY MUCH I thought I was at a dead end, Obtaining the M.E. issues is I (think) easy, I should be able to request them thru the local library who then get them thru the vancouver b.c. library, We have or at least did have what's called a inter library loan system, If this won't work, well I guess I'll have to drive 3 hrs. west to this library and copy them there. For those of you that have the correct M.E. issue check vol.172 no.3970 page 692,693 These pictures are in black and white but show the engine fairly well. This is the artical that got me interested in this engine but at that time I had no idea who produced the castings. Sometime around 1995-1997 a small for sale add was in a m.e. magazine for a completed Sanderson Beam Engine with a phone no. in Englandso I phoned the seller and he was nice enough to tell me where he got the casting's. I think? I ordered them from Bruce Engineering but am not 100% sure of this. I do recall that I did have to wait over 3 months for the casting's as the foundry were having difficulty with the fly wheel spokes and a great deal of warpage. This may be why these casting's are no longer avalible? My nephew and I are going to be building two of these engines but at 1/8 scale. He's pretty good with Autocad and is redoing all the drawing's to this scale. All the original casting's will be machined from cast iron plate and bar stock. He also owns a TOS lathe large enough to turn the fly wheel rims, The fly wheel will have to be made with a seperate hub,spokes, outer rim, Spokes will be threaded on inner end then attached to the hub, fly wheel rim will be counter bored for bolts threaded into outer end of spokes then a outer rim will be shrink fitted to the main outer rim to cover the counter bores. We could make up patterens for this engine then have them cast but would prefer not to. Again THANK YOU ALL FOR THE INFORMATION

Pete

[GWRdriver]

Pete,
At some time in the recent past I recall seeing a notice of the castings being unlisted but available from someone like Blackgates Engineering or GLR, whichever one acquired the Clarkson's designs.

[baggo]

Blackgates do still advertise the castings and drawings for the Sanderson.

John

[miner]

GWRdriver: You may have nailed it Blackgates rings a few dim memory cells Thanks

Pete

[modelsteam]

I have been researchin the Sanderson Beam engine and found the following:
1. Albyn Cotton Mills (NS597639) The modernisation of the Strathclyde Distillery of Long John Inte rnational has involved the demolition of one of the handful of surviving Glasgow cotton-spinning mills. Albyn Mills had long been used as a store. The last part of the Mile End Thread Works (NS608642), latterly part of Anderson-Strathclyde's Bridgeton works, has also recently gone.
2. Newsletter of The Leeds Society of Model
3.https://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/11706824.tributes-paid-to-skilled-engineer-who-created-renowned-miniature-railway-displays/
4. Robert Sanderson sequestrated 1842
Edinburgh, April 19, 1842.
The estates of Robert Sanderson and Company, Founders, Millwrights, and Engineers, Albyn Ironworks, Little Govan, Glasgow, and Merchants, iu Glasgow, and Robert Sanderson, senior, residing in Little Govan aforesaid, the only Individual Partner of that concern, as a Partner thereof, and as an Individual, were sequestrated on 19th day of April 1842.

[Jim]

I can't add anything to the thread other than to say I'm seriously considering building a model of the Walcha Water Works Beam engine that E J Bolton designed and supplies the casting for. Still in the planning and thinking stage but I've always had a soft spot for beam engines.

Jim