1:12 FIELDHOUSE WINDING ENGINE 1850
Les Nelson
Edward Brook of Honley village founded the Fieldhouse fire clay works in 1850, near Deighton Huddersfield. This engine was used to haul railway wagons up an incline to the main line for sending clay to many parts of the country for the manufacture of bricks etc.
The original engine can still be seen at Ravensknowle Park in Huddersfield. There are no makers name or foundry marks that can be used to identify the maker or designer but the design has some unusual features as can be seen on this 1:12 scale model. The reversing of the connecting rods makes the engine more compact.
As the engine is a single cylinder to run in one direction, a facility for starting is provided; a gab rod is fitted to the valve rocker to be swung by hand to ‘kick’ the engine going. The gab then drops onto a peg to continue operation of the engine. The steam chest is unusually at one end of the cylinder to allow space for the valve rocker mechanism.
For lowering wagons a foot operated band brake controls the descent.
The model was displayed by Les at a Midlands Model Engineering Exhibition.
Julius has since produced Fieldhouse drawings on MEWS.
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