Well one thing is for sure you guys in Australia certainly keep old Scottish winding engines cleaner & more lovingly cared for than the dongo,s who are in charge of them in Scotlands museums, Strewth mates does the sheilas polish them while you lot are drinking your Fosters?
However back to the engine & less hilarity! I have been giving your photograph some solitary brain cell excercises, Upon looking at photograph Nos two and three, above the drums one can see a pair of depth indicators, This tells me that both drums can be operated independantly, This could be for a) setting one of the drums to wind from a different level than the other,
b) Only wind from one side of the shaft at a time leaving the sister drum de-clutched and the brake engaged on her side.
c) Can both brakes be operated independantly or together. if winding with both drums together is required?.
d) Is there two sets of shaft signalling gear ( one from each shaft side) to this engine If it was different levels ?
e)Could this engine be second hand to that shaft, And have originally been a big Main & Tail Haulage, or a sinking engine from a previous mine complex?
Looking at the photographs this simple engine is interesting & nicely finished The exhaust is taken from the exhaust steam port to an "external cast hollow belt" on the outside of the cylinder casting It is most likely that at the underside of the cylinder casting is a steam exhaust flange, Blank flanged off, And the cylinder exhaust flange at the top of the cylinders are being utilised to take the exhaust sraight up through the engine house roof,Both on the left and right engines, For a different layout bottom exhaust can simply be arranged
FRom the photographs, i have a hunch we have an example of "badge engineering" Looking at the general design of this little engine its features are Scottish i believe it may be manufactured by our old friends Murray & Paterson, of Coatbridge, (whom i have mentioned before), a prolific builder of a lot of little engines of that type, for mining duties, many being sub contract to mining suppliers etc. I have heard of John Donald & Co, before, I believe they may have been machine factors, or mining engineering consultants,
Cadogan Street Glasgow is bounded on the North side by Bothwell Street & on the South side by Argyle Street, This was very much a part of the commercial area of that great city, I will try and find out more data on this firm, as soon as , I also know that M&P, used to make similar engines for another Glasgow firm, William Martin & Co, even to the disc cranks They also built a pair of engines, not unlike the engine illustrated for Anderson Boyes & Co for duties at the Cumnock Coalfield.
