A real Engine. A Marshal in Finland.

I would think that you could feed a few dozen domestic dwellings with it. This was the generator set for a Finish hospital, apparently.

Good clean electricity for the ultimate Naim system perhaps? I doubt that it could easily be moved as it appears to have been built into place. Probably it is preserved nowadays!

ATB from George

Brings back memories of heat engine labs in the Wavy Roof Building in Loughborough in the 60s.

Without the use of calculators or computers, only with slide rules and log tables one had to draw numerous graphs to show the various efficiencies of the engine. A 2 hour session in the lab would generate about 6 or more hours of report writing.  Those were the days...  

Dear Derek, is it true that these ancient slow speed diesel engine were actually more efficient that the high speed small diesels fitted into road vehicles for example?

I have always had a fascination with these big slow engines. They were built so heavily that with normal maintenance they could run for decades without issue. 

ATB from George

George - NO idea.

My thoughts are that these monsters (relatively speaking) are very heavy and are more of a constant speed device where as the modern car diesel engine is a variable speed device and relatively smaller.

The Marshal engine is a relative tiddler compared to some the marine diesel engines I saw being made in Copenhagen at the Burmeister and Wain factory.

I left heavy engineering in 1964, never to return again. <g>

Most of these stationary engines have a single fixed ideal speed, and when generating electricity no doubt that a very stable 50 Hz is desirable. 

Many smaller engines than this were to be found on farms driving corn mills and other steady speed applications, now largely replaced by electric motors, which are simpler to use.  

Anyway, I thought this video was too nice not to share!

ATB from George

Dear George,

superlative! I still remember my last visit to Portsmouth where some ship are equipped with steam engines.

To answer if are more efficient, sorry but are not. I must post later a couple of pictures on engine restoration in which I was involved.

I must stay longer in padded cell...

My primary work is with tie and jacket, at University I'm teaching physic. For research I'm working with X-rays at the microscale. But... there was a formal time when theory needs practice.

And this was my exercise, becoming then another hobby, a very time consuming one (takes 4 year to finish the work)! And some details are still pending... as usual!

Keeps alive old machines have peculiar fashion (to me, of course), it probably survive to us as well, so it is a sort of custody for the next one that would like to do so.

Maurizio

That is rather lovely!

Phil

Superb effort! 

ATB from George

Thank you Sirs for your gentleness (George and Phil).

Made proud this man.

Thank you George to suggest me ESL... Infinite music pleasure.

Great job and great pics!

Ti ringrazio Gianluigi, grazie davvero.

Davvero un gran lavoro!