SIDE LEVER PADDLE ENGINES

Allen Young’s model of the Side Lever Paddle Engines of the Wilberforce, a packet built in 1836/7 by Curling & Young-Blackwell for the Humber Union Steam Company sailing between London and Hull.

The model is built to a 1:24 scale, based on four drawings in The Steam Engine by Treadgold, published in 1838. Allen made patterns for castings for the cylinders, side levers, and overhead frames. All other parts are fabricated. The model is mounted on a section of the ship’s wooden hull.

As it it not fitted with paddles, there can be no flywheel effect restricting it to being a static model, although the valves are set correctly and hand turning is possible.

One of the finest models of recent times.