AN EXTREMELY FINE EARLY SWISS CLOCK MAKER'S STEAM PLANT signed Emil Bailey, Constructeur, Geneve. Emil Bailey built this approximately 2 HP steam engine, circa-1895 to exhibition standard exhibiting the finest degree of machine work, detail, appointments, and engineering. This engine and boiler combination built for his Geneva, Switzerland clockmaker's shop used to drive belt-driven overhead line-shafting which would have powered his lathe, buffing wheels and other machinery. Mr. Bailey moved to America circa-1905 to live with relatives, accompanied by his steam plant, arriving in New York City aboard an ocean liner. After his death circa-1910-1915, the engine was retained by his estate and kept in storage until it was rescued from a Connecticut basement circa-2001. The engine and boiler have not been restored and have only been conserved with each part having been carefully cleaned and detailed retaining the original aged patina. The boiler has been fired on 50 lbs. steam and air following a hydrostatic test of approximately 150 PSI. The engine will run on only a few pounds of air with only the hiss of steam or air exhaust present. The engine is precision-built with "silky-smooth" operation.
Engine details include: twin vertical Russia-iron jacketed cylinders each of approximately 1 1/2" bore x 1 3/4" stroke, highly-detailed polished steel cylinder and valve chest assembly with beautifully executed cylinder heads and side-mounted cylinder valve chests, the outboard valve chest with cover reading "Emil Bailey, Geneve." Other cylinder and valve chest details include: brass cylinder and chest, adjustable packing glands, valve chest top-mounted brass tail shaft access covers, finely detailed and executed hand lever cylinder condensate valves with manifold and piping, hand lever valve chest condensate drip valves, brass intake manifold with handmade elbow fittings and flanges, exhaust manifold with piping to boiler bonnet, cylinder and valve chest assembly supported on three polished steel 3/8" diameter columns with twin front columns, intricately orchestrated multi-wick all-brass oiler mounted on the top of rear center column with hinged brass lid and piping. Other fine engine details include: back frame bar-type crosshead guides, detailed crossheads each with oil cup, tapered connecting rods with crosshead yoke-end, detailed crankshaft connecting rod adjustable bearings each with cup-type oiler, the crankshaft with twin 5 1/4" diameter tapered spoked flywheels each with traces of original green paint, the boiler side flywheel with a 1" polished face, the outboard flywheel with 3/4" surface for flat-belt drive to power overhead line shafting. Further details include: a hand-lever operated Stephenson link reversing mechanism of the design used on early ship's engines, with pillar-mounted handle section incorporating a multi-position quadrant with polished steel handle and spring-loaded detent with cross-shaft linkage to back frame mounted pivot, four brass adjustable crankshaft driven eccentric straps each with rod to reversing quadrant section and valve gear, the straps with cup oiler, and other fine details. (Note: Over 100 pieces are incorporated within the reversing mechanism.) The engine supported on a 4" x 4" x 1" high cast iron engine bed-plate, with side-mounted crosshead-driven positive displacement brass boiler feed pump, sub-base mounted 3" x 1" x 1 1/2" oil pump assembly with internal hand-lever operated exquisitely orchestrated oil pump (not present in photos though installed prior to auction) with output piping and integral reservoir with removable cover, with numerous details including yoked drop rods and main linkage, adjustable packing glands, check valve, pressure dome, bypass valve and piping to boiler water feed tank and feed water inlet. Final engine details include: three detailed main bearings each with adjustable and removable cap, respective oil feed piping and six condensate pipes leading to a 9" x 7" under-engine base-mounted brass pan with drain pipe. The engine bed-plate mounted on a tapered 7" x 5 1/2" hardwood sub-base with distinctive grain and under-mounted condensate pan.
Boiler details include: the 9" diameter riveted heavy copper and brass vertical fire tube boiler exhibiting the highest degree of workmanship and presentation including a 4" diameter hinged fire door engraved with maker's name "Emil Bailey, Constructeur, Geneve" with hand latch, cast iron fire door surround, front-mounted 2 1/2" diameter oval hand-hole inspection cover with surround of well-detailed rivets, twin water level gauge cocks (Note: one missing handle, though easily replicated), ornate water level column with 1/2" diameter gauge glass intact complete with lever-operated gauge valves, brass shield with twin glass-paneled viewing ports, blow-down valve, integral check valves with brass plate attached to boiler shell reading: "Niveau Reglementaire", other numerous exquisite boiler details include: a 2" diameter steam brass gauge with crescent scale reading "0-200", top hand-lever-operated working steam whistle with 5/8" diameter x 1" bell, spring-loaded adjustable safety valve, top boiler mounted valve for steam-induced draft, ornate steam valve with piping to a small hand-built working steam injector with water and steam inlet and outlet fittings with overflow tube, main boiler blow-down valve, heavy cast 7" diameter tapered boiler bonnet with threaded 2 1/2" diameter x 9" chimney extension with lower brass ring and upper brass fluted top.
Other boiler details include: a boiler side-mounted positive displacement steam-powered boiler feed-water pump with a single vertical cylinder of approximately 1" bore x 1" stroke, cylinder side-mounted valve chest with internal D-valve, cylinder head ornate lever-operated oil cup with knurled threaded cap, Russia-iron cylinder jacket, hand-lever-operated cylinder condensate valves with piping, cylinder and chest, adjustable packing glands, single 3 1/4" diameter brass tapered spoked flywheel with a 1/4" face, single crank journal with outside bell-yoke to piston rod with Scotch-yoke type movement, 3/4" diameter crank disc with pin and rod to valve linkage, highly-detailed well-executed steam engine feed pump with brass frame, detailed heads, brass valve chest cover, integral check valves, and numerous other details. Final boiler details include: a twin row of 3/8" diameter brass rivets at lap seam, upper and lower shell horizontal rivet bands, a 10" x 9" x 4" boiler feed-water tank with removable lid with piping to boiler side-mounted pumping engine and primary engine-driven positive displacement pumps, tank lever-operated drain valve, separate 7" x 6 1/2" x 3" heavy brass tank for injector water supply with provision for injector overflow return, under-mounted tank, all-brass drain valve, boiler fill-plug, numerous valves and piping including forced draft from engine exhaust, feed pipes, etc. The boiler mounted on 11" diameter heavy brass ring atop a cast 14" x 14" x 3" base with internal ash pit, twin hand-lever operated hinged doors and numerous other fine details. Both engine and boiler mounted on a 28" x 17" x 3" original Honduras mahogany wood plinth with distinctive wood grain. The engine mounted on an ornate oak contemporary circa-1915 cabinet base with pull-out drawer with heavy cast brass 10" plaque with raised cast letters reading "Engineering and Science" with banner-type motif. The cabinet width: upper 24" x 4" drawer with hand pull and brass emblem with twin 25" x 12" hinged lower access doors each with recessed panels and quarter-oak grain, with internal provision for single shelf. Overall cabinet dimensions: 37" tall x 29 1/2" wide x 21" deep. (Note: the steam plant and its hardwood sub-base sits atop the cabinet and is not attached. Corresponding photos show the steam plant separate and with cabinet).
Steam plant dimensions: overall height of the engine - 12"; length over shaft - 8 1/2"; width - 8"; height from sub-base to top of flywheel - 6 1/2"; height of boiler on base to tube sheet - 22"; height to top of chimney installed - 36"; overall height from cabinet to top of chimney - 75"; overall height of boiler mounted steam engine pump - 11"; estimated weight of steam plant - 125 lbs.; estimated weight with cabinet - 200 lbs.
Other accessories not mentioned above include: original ash pit rake; a brass 7" x 3" x 2" container with graduated pewter measures each with handle and engraved and stamped indication of volume and maker's logo. (See photos).