Sold August 2015 Back to Archive

A 1 1/2 nhp portable engine by E.S.Hindley of Bourton, Dorset, built in 1901. One of the smallest portable engines produced in this country, it's a delightful thing - originally designed to be horse drawn (you could probably get away with a fairly fit Shetland pony), it is set up once on site with a pair of adjustable legs and a jack beneath the firebox.

Steel marine type boiler with expanded tubes, 80 psi working pressure, feed by mechanical pump collecting from separate water tank, controlled with a bypass valve. Spring-loaded safety valve, wheel valve type regulator. Single cast iron cylinder with slide valve actuated by Hindley's patent expansion gear, controlling valve opening by means of a crankshaft mounted governor.

In recent years the engine has been partially restored - the boiler is substantially new, including new barrel, firebox and tubes. Upper works are largely original, boiler fittings and lubricator contemporary - they could be replaced with something more period which would add a lot to the look of the engine.

We've had this in steam twice this week - there's a clip of it here. It ran most of yesterday in the yard while I was out on the Ruston tractor - once in steam it goes for hours on a couple of shovelfuls of coal.

Beautifully balanced with the legs retracted, it can be pushed around by one man at a push - two people makes life easier. For rallying it will fit onto a small trailer - we fetched it home in the van with the chimney removed, first time we've had a full-size engine in the back!

Length excluding shafts 74 inches
Height to top of flywheel 56 inches
Height to top of chimney 96 inches
Width 43 inches
Weight est 15 cwt