Exquisitely Detailed Diorama Of A 19th Century Machine Workshop Driven By Steam-Powered Lineshafting
Tribute To Michael Parrington
Firstly I would like to thank Michael for such an exquisite production. Michael has presented the video that you will see below on his YouTube channel and I also thank YouTube for allowing me to replicate it below.
Timeline On The 19th Century Model Workshop Diorama Video
This is what to expect when you watch the movie below:-
- The first 3 minutes show the workshop itself in working mode. The model machine tools are running and the camera moves around the workshop zooming in and out of the various models.
- At the 3 minute mark, called “Setting The Stage” the movie move to the full-size workshop as it were showing how the model was constructed.
- Near the end at the 7:20 minute stage there is a zoom-in on the Victoria Steam engine and then the steam boiler and it’s plant is displayed. It looks like the steam boiler and associate plant is from the Stuart Turner range.
- This is followed by a useful list of credits, indicating some of the suppliers used in the construction of the model diorama
I have listed some of the credits and their websites at the end of this page because they may be a useful and if not useful, then at least interesting – fascinating even – resource for you.
Now here is the exquisite and wonderful diorama of the steam-powered old-fashioned machine-shop:-
Some Notes On My Impressions Of This Wonderful Steam-Powered Machine-Tool Diorama
The Stuart Models Victoria Steam Engine Driving The Line Shafting
The steam engine driving the model workshop lineshafting is definitely a Stuart Turner model Victoria steam engine (the same model that I’m building but have put on hold while I build my Half Sized Model Little Samson Traction Engine).
Little Touches Of Detail That Make This 19th Century Model Workshop Look So Authentic
Whilst the details of the models and the diorama generally are so magnificent, a few little touches caught my eye and add so much to the model.
- The little rings on the lineshafting. I believe (someone please correct me) that these were to keep the shafts clean.
- The blueprints in the Foreman’s Office.
- The spare pulley on the base of the steam engine.
- The light reflections in the polished floorboards.
If you have your own favourite ‘little touch’ please share it in the Comments Section below.
Source Of The Machine Tool Models
My first impression is that the model workshop metalworking machine tools were from the Stuart Turner range, simply because these are relatively convenient to build into a diorama. But upon looking closely and comparing the machine tools in the model to the images on the Stuart Models website it’s clear that the models are from another source or scratch-built.
Take the lathe, for example. Here are some differences between the one in the model and the one on the Stuart Turner website:-
- Model has twin V bedways, one for the carriage and one for the tailstock. The Stuart Turner lathe has common flat bedways.
- The lathe in this movie is backgeared and has a leadscrew. The Stuart Turner set of castings for their lathe does not have these features.
The shaping machine in the steam-driven model workshop, too, is much different from the Stuart Turner castings the latter being far simpler. Here are some obvious differences between the two:-
- The model shaper, as depicted here has a proper table on vertical knee lifting ways and the table is automatically driven by the proper crossfeed ratchet and eccentric rod. These are not apparent on the Saturate Turner model.
- The shaper in the video and the Stuart Turner model are both driven by flat belts from overhead lineshafting. But the shaper in the video has the main drive pulleys at the side of the shaper and on a shaft running in an outer bearing in a floor-mounted pedestal whereas the Stuart Turner model’s main pulleys are on the back of the shaper.
All-in-all the model machine tools in the moving diorama as seen in this movie are far more details and realistic that the ones offered by Stuart Models. Please note that this is in no way intended to deprecate the Stuart Models model machines. The Stuart Turner castings, being simpler, are likely to be built by a great number of hobbyists and I have seen at least one other diorama featuring the Stuart Turner range of model machine tools and it, too, was a delight to behold.
PM Research Inc
After a little bit of head-scratching I began to remember other models of old-fashioned metal-working machine tools. Then after a bit of Internet search I came up with the company and website offering those alternative – and much more realistic and detailed – machine-tool models. The company is PM Research Inc in the USA.
Credits And Useful/Interesting Resource List
I have listed below some of the Credits from the end of the video. I have also added their website URLs because they may be a useful and if not useful, then at least interesting – fascinating even – resource for you.
Stuart Models
PM Research Inc
American Model Engineering Supply
Stacey’s Miniature Masonry
The Little Dollhouse Company
Lakefield Hobby & Game
Is This Delightful Diorama A Thailand Model Engineering Project?
You may well be wondering how this model is related to Model Engineering In Thailand and I must admit that it was only after I had started to create this web page to feature the workshop diorama that I realised that there was no connection at all really!
Well, my excuse for continuing to finish the showcase was that having been given the URL to the YouTube move in an email, and seeing how delightful it was, I wanted to share it with you.
The simple way would have been to simply send you an email with the link to YouTube but I wanted to ‘add value’ and add my comments to what is undoubtedly a masterpiece of nostalgic model engineering.
So that’s why this YouTube diorama is featured on the ModelEngineeringInThailand.com website. Apologies to the purists!
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Good evening the
What can you say when you see something like that.
Other than it is on a par with the diorama that Andrew made using his steam loco.
Both put my attempts to shame.
But it does give one a target to aim for.
As for the ring on the line shaft as a young boy I would put a rings of leather on the hubs of our bicycle wheels.
George
Hello Alan,
Thanks very much for that. What an incredible effort to make it all up and running. As with my late friend Keith, the talent, genius and perseverance to do this is fast becoming a lost art.
You are correct about the rings on the overhead shafting. I grew up on a farm in the early 1950,s and we had an overhead shafting driven by a 5hp single cylinder diesel engine. If I recall correctly the rings were made up out of small pieces of leather belting soaked in oil. The plummer blocks for the shafting also had a small steel ring inside them to pick up the oil from the reservoir
All of the drives were via flat leather belting, to such things as water pumps, the vacuum pump for the milking machine, and at one stage a 32 Volt generator. We also had a bench grinder similar to the one in the video, which was later converted to an electric motor drive by replacing the flat pulley with a vee pulley.
There was also a steam boiler! It was upright, about 4 or 5 feet in diameter and maybe 8 feet high. It had a wood or coal firebox, but I do not know if it was water or fire tube. My Father spent years trying to find some identification stamps on it and removed some of the lagging in the process. I doubt that it was ever fired up from new, but it was there when he took over the farm. There was also a wash up trough that belonged to it that had a valve and jets on it for use with steam.
All gone now!
Cheers,
Kevin
Hello Kevin and many thanks for your interesting and detailed history lesson!
In my teens I worked in an agricultural engineering manufacturing company (Bamfords of Uttoxeter) where there were still one or two machine tools driven by the remnants of overhead line shafting. I well remember the ‘clickity-clack’ sound when they were in use.
When you say “You are correct about the rings on the overhead shafting” I think your are referring to my suggestion that they were used to keep the shafts clean, which in turn was a response to a query by Fergal.
It looks good – maybe an idea for a future project for me, but the Stuart castings can be quite expensive. I’ve been looking at stationary steam engines for a while but could never select one. Always fancied the beam engines myself, but would need to do some research into the functions/factories they were put to use.
You would also need somewhere to display it. My workshop is full and home now too full already!
Hi Andrew and many thanks for the comment.
I know the Stuart Models castings sets are expensive but the sets from PM Research are cheaper and far more detailed.
If I was building a diorama like that my big concern (apart from the time involved which in my case would be prohibitive) would be dirt, dust and corrosion. I’d have to keep it in and air-conditioned cabinet fitted with HEPA filters!
Amazing craftsmanship!! It’s hard to believe that it’s only a scale model. I’ve seen a few real, full scale shops similar to this one scattered around the eastern US, but they were all powered by a water wheels, not steam.
Always enjoyable to look back at how far we’ve progressed; thanks for posting the video.
Lovely piece of work must have been a few head scratching moments while building it
Well done to him
Thanks for sharing
More Model Engineering In Thailand videos on my YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVItXrWvwaIpTe-SCXfv9ww