South Devon Railway, 1847, 1848, 1850, 1856

Vacuum and Blowing Engines (37 items).

Two horizontal engines, with 45 inch cylinders, 7 foot strokes. Engines originally ordered by the London Croydon & Epsom Railway.

Plan and sections of the engine and boiler houses - tracings signed by J. Samuda, Aug. 1847; coloured plan and sections of the boiler house; cylindrical slide valve - coloured original and coloured reverse drawings; piston rod; expansion valve - partially coloured original and partially coloured reverse drawing, also uncoded plan and section; governor and gearing; segment with wrought iron pin for connecting fly wheels, steam and safety pipes, injection and waste water pipes, air vessel and connecting pipes - original and reverse drawings; air vessel and connecting pipes, arrangement for injection and overflow pipes - tracings. Most of these drawings bear letter codes.
Also the following small or uncoded drawings: air pump rod and condenser (marked as being for London Croydon & Epsom Railway), cross bar, air pump arms, working gear, waste steam pipes, hold down bolts, nozzle, air pump covers, connecting rod, eccentric and rod. Several of these drawings are by Robert Meiklejohn.
Also the following drawings of the 90 inch vacuum pump: plan and section of the covers, outlet valve, inlet valve; plan and sections of the covers - tracing marked "Sent with Messrs. Samuda's letter of 28 Aug. 1847"; inlet valve - tracing.
Also the following items re Plymouth Iron Works: pistons and covers for the 90 inch blowing cylinders - coloured original drawings, Apr. 1850; transcript of letter from Theophilus Creswick dated Plymouth Iron Works, 20 Sep. 1856, re valves for the engines.

Original Portfolio or 'Book' No. 982. Catalogue of Old Engines p. 272.

For the South Devon Railway, Dainton. Engines and vacuum pumps for atmospheric railway. These engines were originally ordered by the London Croydon & Epsom Railway, but they asked Boulton Watt & Co. to suspend work in 1846, and the engines were transferred to the South Devon Railway in Aug. 1847. However the South Devon Railway abandoned atmopsheric working before the engines could be delivered, and they were finally sold to the Plymouth Iron Works, Merthyr Tydfil as blowing engines. The iron works closed in 1875, and the engines were modified to act as compressing engines for the Plymouth Collieries.

See also: 5/674b, 6/11 (blowing cylinders, Plymouth Iron Works).