Model Boat Show at The National Waterways Museum

This engine drove a standby set of hydraulic pumps that were used to swing the Chester Road swing bridge, crossing the Manchester Ship Canal in Warrington. It is a M3 Mk II 3 cylinder, 4 stroke cycle compression ignition diesel engine, dating from 1952. J & H McLaren was founded in Leeds in 1876 by brothers John and Henry. They started building steam engines, turning to internal combustion engines in 1891. Engine production continued in Leeds until 1957 and then transferred to Ashton under Lyne for a final two years until 1959.

This was used as a demonstration engine at a further education college in Widnes. This type of engine could be used to a variety of machinery by either directly coupled or via belts or gears. A gas engine was once used at the National Waterways Museum to drive the machines in the joiners shop. The Crossley gas engine was normally connected to a town gas supply. The Ellesmere port gas works was on the National Waterways Museum site

FCB18 is a concrete barge. She was built in 1944 by Messrs Waters Ltd of Barrow-in-Furness. She is the result of war-time austerity which caused shortages of both shipbuilding skills and steel. To overcome these shortages the government turned to the building trade to produce vessels using concrete, which was a cheap and readily available material even in wartime. These vessels could also be made with a minimum amount of steel; a concrete barge with 200 tons carrying capacity required only 18 tons of steel compared with 56 tons necessary for an all steel barge. These boats were never popular being heavy and difficult to steer. Due to the brittle nature of concrete they were easily damaged, despite being fitted with a heavy timber fendering on their sides. They were found mostly in the major ports and on rivers throughout the country; locally they were used on the Manchester Ship Canal, and the River Mersey. In 1985, after being moored for many years at Westward Ho in Manchester, FVB18 was donated to the National Waterways Museum at Ellesmere Port by the Manchester Ship Canal Company.

Kelvin Petrol Paraffin Engine The museum has very little information about this engine, however they think it used to power a small launch or fishing boat. It is a 2 cylinder petrol/paraffin spark ignition engine. It was built 1956 but Kelvin Diesels of Glasgow produced this E2 model from 1920 until the late 1950s

Kelvin Poppet Valve Engine The museum have little information about this engine, but they think it probably powered a small launch or fishing boat. Kelvin Engines were built by the Bergius Car Company in Glasgow which was founded in 1904. This type of poppet valve engine runs on petrol or paraffin and was in production from around 1910 to 1957. It was available in sizes from 3 to 20 horsepower. This version produces 15 horsepower when run on petrol and 13 horsepower when run on paraffin.

Yarwoods Compound Steam Engine This engine powered the 300 ton ICI packet boat Davenham until 1973. It was built in 1946. W.J. Yarwoods of Northwich built both this engine and Davenham, which carried mainly salt and chemicals down the river weaver in Cheshire. Davenham is now in private hands but a similar ICI boat, Cuddington, is in the museum collection. Yarwoods Compound Steam Engine is on loan from the museum from National Museums Liverpool.

Sissons Steam Engine This is a 1955 engine that was intended to be fitted to a canal narrowboat but was never installed. It is a twin cylinder compressed stam engine, manufactured by Sissons Ltd of Gloucester. It was built from the parts of two separated engines by Mr J. Scott and Mr C.R. Gee.

Bolinder Diesel Engine Bolinder engines were the most popular canal boat engine from around 1910 until the 1950s when lighter diesel engines took over. This engine dates from 1924. The museum do not know the name of the boat it was used in. Bolinders started using a ‘hot bulb’ technique where a section of the cylinder head is heated using a blow lamp. This ignites the first charge of fuel and gets the engine running. The Museums narrowboat Ferret is powered by a Bolinder engine. On loan from Mr A. and Mr T. Young

Tangye Diesel Engine This engine was one of two used at Holmeswood Pumping Station near Burscough in Lancashire to drive land drainage pumps. The engine drove a large centrifugal water pump which was directly coupled to the end of the crank shaft. This type of engine was produced from 1931 until 1964 by Tangye when the company ceased to operate. This example dates from 1949 and was donated to the museum by the National Rivers Authority in 1993.

Deep Sea Research Vessel (DSRV) – Built and presented by Dave Ryder of St. Helens & District Model Boat Club. The model is a DSRV built on a scale 1:10 approx. Construction is a glass fibre outer hull with a perspex tube inner hull. Operation; Water is pumped into the inner hull under pressure and the submersible sinks. To surface the water is let out of the hull by a valve and the pressure formed by pumping the water in forces the water out and the vessel comes back to the surface. This model is powered by an electric moto contained within a watertight compartment in the inner hull.

Deep Sea Research Vessel (DSRV) – Built and presented by Dave Ryder of St. Helens & District Model Boat Club. The model is a DSRV built on a scale 1:10 approx. Construction is a glass fibre outer hull with a perspex tube inner hull. Operation; Water is pumped into the inner hull under pressure and the submersible sinks. To surface the water is let out of the hull by a valve and the pressure formed by pumping the water in forces the water out and the vessel comes back to the surface. This model is powered by an electric moto contained within a watertight compartment in the inner hull.

Deep Sea Research Vessel (DSRV) – Built and presented by Dave Ryder of St. Helens & District Model Boat Club. The model is a DSRV built on a scale 1:10 approx. Construction is a glass fibre outer hull with a perspex tube inner hull. Operation; Water is pumped into the inner hull under pressure and the submersible sinks. To surface the water is let out of the hull by a valve and the pressure formed by pumping the water in forces the water out and the vessel comes back to the surface. This model is powered by an electric moto contained within a watertight compartment in the inner hull.

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