1874 Patent Lidgerwood Steam Hoist Steam Test 1994

From the archives. In about 1992 long time friend and eventual boiler inspector JJ made a deal for a steam traction engine. That deal included an 1874 Patent #34 Single Drum Two-Cylinder 6-1/4"X8" Steam Hoist Built By Lidgerwood Manufacturing Company of Red Hook, Brooklyn, New York USA . The story that came with the hoist was that it was used in a New Mexico mining operation. I purchased it from him.
The steam cylinders were stuck from untold years of inactivity. Eventually unstuck, in 1994 it was steamed using my then only available 5HP Williams & Davis oil fired boiler. The 1 pint Swift hydrostatic lubricator was erratic in operation so a 2-feed McCord lubricator was fitted. It proved almost too effective at oiling.
In 2001 preferring to have a two-drum hoist and partly due to my municipal property standards intrusions, the hoist was sold to a Louisiana Swamp Logging Museum where it was used to recreate a logging pull boat. The #4 Jewell Steam Engine seen in video #13 was received as part of that deal. The catalog images at the beginning of this video are scans from an original Lidgerwood 1925 hoisting machinery catalog.
As of 2019 most of the Brooklyn, NY 1873 Lidgerwood facilities were demolished. It seems Texas does not have a monopoly on historic industrial destruction.
For more history of Lidgerwood go to:
maggieblanck.com/BrooklynRedHo...
Also try Googling "lidgerwood hoist". It returns a lot of interesting information and images.
Video #61 Please like and subscribe Notifications are good too. Thanks.

[@woodhonky3890]

Had to think a sec about the 90 degree crank offset then it hit me - no dead spots! Nice video, thanks for sharing.

[@royreynolds108]

Correct, with the 90 degree crank offset when one piston is at top or bottom dead center the other is halfway through it's stroke. Because there is only one set of eccentrics the engine is not reversible.

[@VintageLPs]

I, too, came here from Mines of the West. His video and stills in situ, rusted for 100 years inside a mine was fascinating to see and then to see yours in operation is quite fun. Brought back a memory of a locomotive steam engine a couple blocks from my childhood home in the 50’s. We assumed they trained engineers on it because all it ever did was go forward maybe 100 yards and then back, steam shooting out and up. There were 20 sets of tracks we kids crossed on our way to school and if a train stopped and blocked our path, we would sometimes climb under or over the couplers and be on our way to school. When he was in 2nd grade, my little brother threw a switch and caused a train to derail. A “railroad dick” followed him two blocks home, knocked on our door and he was in deep trouble!

[@jimmiles33]

Came here from Mines of The West where he finds one of these in a mine. Rusty but looked complete.

[@camtopfx433]

Amazing

[@R00RAL]

Wow, a lot has changed. Last Hoist I worked on was 5 Megawatt Powered. Two twin drums with clutches so you could raise both Skips if required or change Crushed Ore Load out point. Example, phone rings, tells you crushing will now be from 10 level. Last load from 8 level. So as a Winder Driver you'd leave a skip at the surface Unloading point. Lower the other skip using clutch from 8 Level to 10 Level wait for the Stop Signal. Then you can start Hauling Ore again. The Skips in that Shaft (Perseverance) Persy's travelled at 18 meters per second. 1200 Meters deep shaft & 10 level was 1km vertical down. It took 6-7 mins in the man cage big enough for a 200 series land cruiser to reach 10 level from the Surface. The Man Cage travelled at approximately 12 Meters per Second. Driven by twin drum also, with a counterweight on the other rope permanently. That Drum was also Clutched. Huge Disc pad Brakes fitted to all the Drums could stop the Winder almost instantly. Stretch on the 2 inch rope descending down the shaft was approx 1.2 meters pending how fast & or hard you began hoisting. In the end it got so technical it became fully Automated & the Winder Drivers job was just to Watxh over it.

[@noelhenderson700]

Comox logging on Vancouver Island had 6 Lidgerwood log Skidders. They worked in conjunction with a railroad to move logs to tidewater on Georgia Strait.

[@TheEcoClimber]

I think I had a version of this machine at Stert Quarry at Diptford, Totnes, England. We may still have a bearing of it on the farm.

[@lineshaftrestorations7903]

Lidgerwood was a worldwide supplier so it could have been.

[@TheEcoClimber]

@@lineshaftrestorations7903 thx, I’m still doing research. Useful info. Cheers

[@royreynolds108]

Very nice engine, runs quiet even for the gears. I noticed the rope pulling spool is missing; it should have been on the shaft which came out over the brake pedal.

[@lineshaftrestorations7903]

I had acquired a winch head from a Tulsa Hoist intending to mount it. Never did and just recently sold it.

[@Trainmasterstudios]

I've been looking for one of those for a while. Hard to find any on the market.

[@lineshaftrestorations7903]

You are right. These seldom make it to market. I have seen a few but didn't buy them because of the weight involved-I never had enough trailer.

[@rubegoldburg7841]

I've never seen sight glass drip feed oilers on any running piece of equipment with little to no oil visable in either of the two on the slides behind the two cylinders on this steam hoist.

[@genefoster7238]

Glad I found your channel, I'll got to the point I have a steam engine that came from a corn field in Tennessee and sat as yard art for 25 years before I bought it 7 years ago Of course it was froze up I tore it down and re assembled. Run good on 120 psi air I don't have a boiler, I don't know the maker it has belt wheels that measure 42"x 12.5 wide on right side and 48"x 12.5 on left side and cylender bore is around 8.375" weigh is over 4000 lbs. Its time for it to go before I do. Would you be interested or know of any one, its on a trailer that goes with it. I live in Alabama. Thanks

[@lineshaftrestorations7903]

Your best bet is to register on vintagemachinery.org and smokstak.com and use their classified ad systems. The process is a little tedious but worthwhile in the end. There are others that I'm not familiar with available as well.

[@frankgonzalez3822]

How much pressure ?

[@lineshaftrestorations7903]

Not sure but I don't think I ever tested it with more than 50psi. If I had something to pull or lift I would have used 80-100psi that was 100+ years ago.