Grane Mill Engine, Boiler restoration with other engines on site.
"The Steam power plant at Grane Mill is owned by the Heritage Trust for the North West on whose behalf the Grane Mill Preservation Group volunteers and associates are working to conserve and repair this unique and important heritage asset to give it the long term future it deserves."
The power plant
The engine was designed by S.S. Stott’s to produce at least 500hp and was built in 1907 at their Manchester Road, Haslingden works which still stands on the nearby main road, so once installed in the mill it became their showroom engine. It is a Cross Compound which means that there is a High pressure cylinder from which steam crosses to a Low pressure cylinder to produce more power. The Steam from the Lancashire boilers is first admitted to the High pressure cylinder where, after pushing this piston along its stroke to turn the crank and flywheel, is then exhausted to the Low pressure cylinder where again it pushes that piston along its stroke. The steam is exhausted into the condenser where the steam is condensed with cold water from the mill lodge which creates a vacuum that helps run the engine. With the aid of the tail rod driven air pumps, the hot condensed steam and water is returned to feed the boilers via the hot well, while the overflow is drained back to the lodge to be cooled for reuse.
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The engine drove over a 1000 Lancashire looms for the life of the mill as well as providing power for the tape-sizers, beamers, pirn winders and cloth plaiting machines. Power was transmitted from the engine via 15 ropes held in groves on the Flywheel to the second motion pulley which drove the main shaft that transferred power through gearing in a separate Shaft Alley to the line shafting in the Warehouse, Preparation Area and the Weaving Shed itself, where the power was transmitted via leather belts to the machines. To see and read more about power transfer to the rest of the mill please look on the following pages on the weaving mill.
High pressure cylinder with the inlet Corliss valves at the top and the exhaust valves at the bottom.
Governor that helps control the engine speed by regulating the inlet valves on the High pressure cylinder to maintain constant speed even under varying load. Also the flywheel with high pressure connecting rod and crank.
Second motion shaft, Low pressure side - on the left it leads through to the shafting alley where via bevel gear sets the line shafting was connected to numerous sideways runs to the looms and other machines throughout the mill. (For more info on this see the pictures of the layout at Queen Street Mill in the processes sections.)
Low pressure cylinder again with the Inlet valves at the top and the exhaust valves at the bottom.
Second motion pulley with the line shaft bearing and oil pump and sump for the aquarium lubricator that sat on top of the bearing casting Low pressure side of engine.
Second motion shaft entering the shafting alley on the High pressure side of the engine.
Original General arrangement drawing for the Grane mill engine in 1907.