Building a Portable Steam Engine

A Guide for Model Engineers

Tony Webster

This practical, instructional book describes the construction of a model of the Lampitt portable steam engine, which dates back to 1862, and which provided rotative power to drive threshing machines, circular saws, feed mills and other farm machinery. The construction of every component is described in precise detail and the text is supported by many helpful step-by-step photographs. In addition, useful advice is provided about obtaining materials and about the tools that are required to equip a model-engineering workshop. Accordingly, the information provided in this fascinating book will enable the reader to construct not only the Lampitt engine but also many other engineering models in the future. When the reader has finished building ‘the Lampitt’ he will, in effect, have completed an engineering apprenticeship, and will have a model engine of which he can be proud and which fully reveals the skills that he has learned.

ISBN: 9781847978660

Published: March 31, 2015

Format: Ebook

£19.99

Buy Hardback

ISBN: 9781847978653

Width: 215mm

Height: 260mm

Pages: 112

Published: December 31, 2014

Format: Hardback

Tony Webster worked for many years as a fully trained agricultural engineer before teaching design and technology in secondary schools. His model engineering started in 1978 with the construction of a model traction engine in the scale of two inches to the foot. This engine was run for fourteen years at many traction engine rallies, and model rallies, in England, Wales and The Netherlands. After completing this project, Tony built a steam wagon in three-inch scale and then went on to construct other models, including a further portable engine and a Titan tractor driven by a petrol engine.