Kempton Park Big Triple Steam Engine Starting

[@barrymartin7085]

I'm glad that there are still people that appreciate these machines and who can maintain and operate them. Truly a work of art.

[@Moviesrockmusicandmore]

And on top of that those steam engines were built to last

[@shaynewheeler9249]

😢😢😢😢😢😢

[@martincyrany7544]

Parts that big moving that fast and being balanced shows incredible craftsmanship. Absolutely beautiful. I can just imagine the engine room of the Titanic.

[@ghostrider-be9ek]

it was dark, noisy and smelly - you would not have seen the engine anything this well

[@SwagCat852]

@@ghostrider-be9ek Titanics engine rooms were well ventilated and well lit

[@ghostrider-be9ek]

@@SwagCat852 absolutely nothing like what this video shows, it would have been dark and noisy

[@SwagCat852]

@@ghostrider-be9ek the entire 4th funnel was for ventilation, it was noisy, I didnt say it wasnt and th engine rooms were not dark, you dont want to check pressure gauges in the dark, it was not lit like daylight but there was quite a lot of light becouse the engineers needed it

[@ghostrider-be9ek]

@@SwagCat852 again, repeating for the 3rd time, it was nothing Ike this video shows, the big parts would have been mere shadows, the lights would have been down low where the gauges were, it would have been hot, smelly and oily

[@meersde]

As a 61 year old, German communications engineer, I would like to say: English mechanical engineering and thermodynamics expertise is brilliant! Thanks for the video!

[@johnhodges8264]

If you think this is immpressive look up the 100 ton gun on forgoten weapons.

[@RJ1999x]

This engine is nothing compared to the ones built in Milwaukee Wisconsin by Allis Chalmers

[@johnhodges8264]

@@RJ1999x I hardly say they are nothing and do the Milwaukee engines still run?

[@RJ1999x]

@@johnhodges8264 of course they do, they were the absolute best built, and the largest ever made. In fact I have one

[@iammadfx]

We know!

[@Navigator777777]

The castings….My God…look at the castings! Foundry and moulding shops capable of doing this work are just as impressive.

[@mcpheonixx]

My thoughts exactly. Those are some impressive castings, I wonder if that type of casting could even be done today. So much has been lost to modernization.

[@Navigator777777]

We needed a 1200 HP diesel for a business in Seattle that was going to work off the California coast running extension cords to offshore drill platforms. We were forced to buy the engine out of country because California deemed making a casting that big was contrary to their goal of clean air. Now…some 25 years later…I fully avoid do any business with anything connected to California including people. Racist of me I know. ;-)

[@mrchangcooler]

They still do very large castings. They need nuclear reactors to be in one piece, so a single japanese company casts the entire reactor. As far as I know it's the largest they do today.

[@Kromaatikse]

On a slightly smaller scale, you can see it being done in "A Study In Steel", which is a documentary on building a steam locomotive. Just make the casting moulds three times as big and use thirty times as much molten steel.

[@douglasengle2704]

There are lots of off the self 1200 HP Diesel engines going back to the 1950's. Maybe you meant 12,000 HP! That would be a big casting and they are basically custom per customer. You can buy a low end horsepower Diesel locomotive prime mover from EMD. They actually start around 1500 HP that are reliable and tractable with highly available service with marine versions. Not cheap and weigh around 30 tons. You can find people, not in an hour, but you can get people that know those engines incredibly well. Also not cheap.

[@jareddkearns]

A lost art for sure. Look at the DESIGN. The brass dials, the handwheels, the railings, the lamps, the gears. Every detail not just made to work, but to look beautiful. I LOVE this!

[@nelsonmcgee3545]

Remind of a paddle wheel boat on the chattahoochee river.

[@bluesrocker91]

You should see the Crossness pumping station... It's like a cathedral inside.

[@johndoe-so2ef]

There's just a certain something about this old stuff, an elegant touch.

[@ednorton47]

@@nelsonmcgee3545 In Detroit, we had two steamships (built about 1898-1902) that transported thousands of people up and down the Detroit River to an amusement park in Canadian waters. They each had a big steam engine with a giant brass piston rod that went up and down like this one. My father would put me up on his shoulders and I could look down into the engine room where there were shirtless sweating men operating the engine amidst the oil and steam. It was very impressive.

[@nitelast]

Even the insode of the building is all i believe the original tilework, almost floor to ceiling

[@plumbingstuffinoregon2471]

No joke that is one of the most impressive things I've ever seen. That building alone is probably about the size of my highschool campus, and the engines are almost impossible for me to grasp. I can't even imagine the work that went into building these, and they're still going strong today. And the job they had to do is incredible. I'd love to see these in person some day, I'm sure the video doesn't do it justice at all.

[@BloodRedKat]

Living in England I’ve had the privilege of seeing this beautiful place. Unfortunately the engines weren’t in steam when I was there, but you’re right. As cool as the video is, you need to go there to truly appreciate the size of the engines and room as a whole. There is incredible detail that would simply be overlooked in the steam rooms design and the engines are a wonder, truly.

[@AnikaJarlsdottr]

the age when things were built to last, not to break.

[@gilbertotrevisan6538]

Rev it up!!!😅😅😅

[@ccaissie113]

The aroma of engine oil and aging machinery and buildings is indescribable.

[@vitorjorge857]

Muito legal a preservação para a história isso é lendário que bacana.

[@terry7340]

My father was a Stationary Steam Engineer for decades at the central power plant of Ford Motor's Rouge complex in Dearborn Michigan. While a kid, I got a one person tour of the power station (unthinkable today) and I have the pocket watch engraved by Henry Ford ll which was given to my father upon his retirement in 1964. The power plant was massive, noisy, fairly clean, but very dangerous. This marvelous video brought back all those memories. Thanks.

[@kenweis2291]

It saddens me to see stuff like this go away....i love old reliable machines... Im 40 yrs old and i ride bikes from the 70s and 80s just because i love too... Ive run a few big machines before not like this though.... Let us never forget the past

[@juanrotten556]

Very cool I’m in Ann Arbor !!

[@PlanetEarth3141]

All that giant steel and activity crating electric power without pollution. Except for the coal I assume it's using to heat the boilers.

[@QGG639]

This reminds me of looking down into the engine room of the Boblo Boat.

[@TheSilverShadow17]

Wasn't there a documentary of some kind of how steam engines are capable of generating electricity?

[@Hankbob_Hillpants]

“So how much torque does that thing put out” “Yes”

[@wilburnurbil9848]

All the torque.

[@joey66436]

hp = torque x rpm / 5252, assuming it could hit 60rpm for 1000hp, that is 87533 lb/ft

[@mjamesthomasb]

It says what it in in the description 🤗

[@grumpyg9350]

Mark Bowman nope

[@David-lb4te]

@@joey66436 It is running at 17.5 rpm, therefore torque; 25,530 lbs/ft.

[@steam212]

The size is amazing, the power is incredible, but I tip my hat to the gentlemen who not only built this mechanical masterpiece but also to those who continue to love and care for her. WELL DONE!

[@kevinbourgeois9310]

I've been a mechanic for 40 years and I still marvel at the beauty of watching one of these marvels of engineering run simply amazing

[@trentp8035]

I absolutely think steam engines are one of the most fascinating inventions in human history. They are elegant in their action and design. Kudos to all the engineers that brought these behemoths to life.

[@shaynewheeler9249]

Coal fired steamship Titanic

[@mummyjohn]

indeed...it is the first time the semblance of life in the machine was seen, and power on a scale so much more than an animal or man could make. A turning point from ancient to now.

[@LS9646]

Most of our power still is primarely steam. Coal and some Oil plants run via steam and most notably NUCLEAR uses steam. We mostly use turbines today but steam will not leave us any time soon.

[@horatiohornblower868]

These machines were beautifully crafted without CAD or CNC. No other engine can compete with a steam driven one!

[@johndoe-so2ef]

And the prowess of the men who designed this. These clowns today couldn't come up with something this awesome with a gun to their head. One of my prize possessions is a full set of engineering textbooks from the early 20th century. It's such a joy to revisit the methods and rationale of the time.

[@willjackson1955]

@@johndoe-so2ef please, share some titles so I may or may not find a paperback copy! I adore old-time engineering...

[@theyetti8811]

What has replaced these machines to pump the water?

[@pufango4059]

You don’t need cnc or cad to design and build such simple machines . It’s just a big Mamod ! It’s not rocket science!

[@JaapGrootveld]

@@pufango4059 These machines were designed by the people who now build CAD software programs. The most intelligent people worked on this. The knowledge, experience and commitment it took to come from nothing to such a complex installation was immense and it was put on paper piece by piece. The design department was structurally as complex as a personal computer. The machines used to machine these gigantic pieces of work were operated by workers who could not study because of their backgrounds, but were intelligent enough that they could have completed university studies at their leisure and who had gained experience in the factory from their early childhood. It was an unparalleled team effort.

[@smug8567]

I have to say as a licensed high pressure stationary steam operating engineer, every thing portrayed on this video is ENTIRELY accurate! Very nicely done. I really enjoyed that little insertion of the donkey steam engine employed to get the larger machine rotating. I am retired, but I sure miss operating large high pressure steam boilers and the associated machinery!

[@raven4k998]

simply put they don't make em like they used to

[@longinogiorda34]

Sir, power stations steam turbines , I suppose??

[@simonsadler9360]

Imagine building a boiler for 940 psi for turbine locos , Steam will be the Emperor soon !

[@ganslytzov6575]

Понимаю вас)Паровые машины особенно очаровывают на всегда)Невозможно их забыть)Они становятся частью тебя)

[@jonhallberg8334]

Been traveling through England's marvelous past (via KZbin) and the heart warming good sense they have had to keep these beautiful historic machines operational. The skill sets of all the workers that conceive, produce and maintain these essential works and machines is almost incomprehensible. Nowadays the popular heros are guys that can dribble a ball and throw it through a hoop.

[@Tez73]

You are spot on

[@hobbyhermit66]

Very right. It's sickening what passes for heros and music these days.

[@BioHunter1990]

Literal energy in motion. The entire world we have now...enormous and powerful engines like these made it possible. Steam power is magnificent.

[@ozzie-sk9dh]

That operator was so happy when it started up. Poetry in Motion. Thanks for recording.

[@juulnuel5054]

you now its getting real when your engine needs an engine to start up

[@badreality2]

That phrasing reminds me how an atomic bomb works. ...an explosion needs to happen, before THE explosion. Also, don't jet planes work on the "pilot-engine principle"? A gas engine starts the turbine engines. ...a diesel-electric train engine works on the same principle. A diesel motor powers individual electric motor cells.

[@nickwallette6201]

My car is the same way. ;-)

[@thermionicemission6355]

Well, from just about every modern combustion engine requiring a starter motor to some electric motors requiring a start-capacitor, just about every efficient thing requires some kind of start, although for cap-start it's only because they run on AC. Synchrous electric motors have near 0 torque @ 0 rpm, like most combustion engines, as they rely on being at a constant speed in-phase with the power, so there is a myriad of ways people have come up with to start them, and one I recently found basically does a clever trick where the motor actually starts off an induction motor, then you can switch it to synch. So that motor needs a motor to start, but it becomes THE starter motor for itself! The shit people came up with.. This is from like he 1920s too! To this day this tech could be used, however it's not really needed as motors are more efficient and mains supply can take short bursts of high current draw, not to mention most synch motors needing some soft-start would be industrial, where having massive starting current is not necessarily an issue. Anyway, life's awesome :)

[@LeBoomStudios]

The gas turbines of the Me262, first mass-produced jet aircraft, had a small 2-stroke engine to power up.

[@jaconeill673]

its getting even more real when you need an engine to start an engine to start an engine up

[@beebop9808]

Reminds me so much of the pump stations that I worked at through the 90's and early 2000's in Chicago. Steam driven pumps that delivered finished water all over the city. Huge stations with the same basic design as this one, all the pumps down on the floor below the mezzanine. Fabulous granite and marble construction, wooden flooring and brass railing. All of it maintained to perfection and sparkling. My purpose there was to install new control systems for the electric drives being installed to replace the steam drives. Very much enjoyed the work but was and still am sad that all of that is now gone. All the people gone that it took to operate and maintain the boilers and drives, probably 50 or more at each station. The level of maintenance gone with them and most of them left with the doors closed and locked as they are now controlled remotely. I am grateful to have gotten to experience the beauty and greatness of such things built by those before us.

[@lazerusmfh]

For those who are curious the torque figure is approximately 311,412 Ft/lbs of torque (17 rpm, 1008 hp)

[@applejuice5272]

421,963 Nm

[@rightnews339]

Yep I was wondering... thanks for the info 👍

[@rearspeaker6364]

I just don't think one of these will fit in a honda civic!!🤣🤣

[@dwood82574]

You way off. For on thing there is no limit to the hp of steam and it depends on the pressure/volume or how many boilers are lit and stoked id guess conservative hp would be14,000 each. My car has1600 hp blown injected you are so far off

[@dwood82574]

Try 30,000 combined

[@vwjd77]

can you imagine the effort it would have taken to put one of these together !? and then refurbishing all the parts. what clever ancestors we have in this world.

[@helenethorn]

My son showed me this vid many yrs ago, this vid made him curious of engines over all and today hees studying to be an mechanical engineer!!!!

[@mjamesthomasb]

That's fantastic to hear, thank you so much for sharing this,I'm delighted to hear this video gave some inspiration on his career.

[@johnc6919]

Microprocessors are incredibly impressive but not as majestic as this technology.

[@bigpete4227]

Majestic is an excellent choice of words.

[@Rhacman]

@Broxavon Labs GIRL POWER That's the truth of it. The beauty of something like a steam engine is that it's workings are readily visible. Not only can you see it but you don't need to be able to know the engineering behind it to grasp the general sense of how it operates. The elegance of semiconductor technology is far more elusive both visually and conceptually to the point that it is regularly presented in movies as some type of CGI fly-through with lights and sparks to try to excite the audience.

[@mjamesthomasb]

if it's IT that thrills you have a gander at my other video kzbin.info/www/bejne/rp26fKJ4baaIba8

[@thra5herxb12s]

You should take a look at a hit & miss stationary engine with an open crank. Built along the designs of a steam engine but using internal combustion.

[@cageordie]

That remains to be seen doesn't it? Many have already failed, but many are working far past their expected life and largely un-maintained. Still not as pretty as this, but it's too early to guess how long electronics last.

[@TheDAT9]

The people who designed and built these magnificent works of art are gone, but future generation will be in awe of them. No calculators, no computers , no CAD, or CAM. I bet the engineering drawing were a work of art in themselves.

[@brickshotted]

Beautiful piece of machinery, thank you for not ruining the video with terrible music✌✌

[@bruceburns1672]

Britain must have been a mighty manufacturing country when that was made , the quality of the metalwork is is a amazing.

[@AaronShenghao]

Before WWII Europe was the technology center. (China arguably was the leader before industrial revolution). Only thing US excelled before WWII was large aircraft. Fastest ship, locomotives, fighter planes, were all European (or Japanese). Only during the war US caught up with P-51 and been the leader ever since because the rest of the world needed to rebuild. If US continue to coasting, Europe, Japan and China will certainly catch up once again.

[@jamesglass5402]

Believe me it was. I love to watch the engines at the old Victorian pumping station on the London sewage scheme from the 1850s and 60s.

[@craigkeller]

The Brits have a gift building magnificent machines. Always have admired them.

[@eikka492]

Did some quick calculations a thousand horsepower at 20rpm has over 264000 ftlbs of torque.

[@pwnmeisterage]

two engines, 1008 hp per engine, 550 ft-lb/s per 1 hp, 60 sec per 1 min ... at 20 rpm ... Wouldn't it work out to 2 x 1008 x 550 x 60 / 20 = 3,326,400 ft-lb total torque?

[@kefsound]

LOL, ftlbs

[@naga7647]

English unit sucks

[@jannisrunge9345]

@D2RG6 at 20rpm by 1008hp it would be 481320 nm...

[@cojack5941]

How many men using oars would there need to be to match that? Considering all men are all natty and 190 lbs and can bench press 250

[@andrewofford1533]

I am one of the lucky ones to see these run in anger, pumping water to London, before they were shut down.

[@mjamesthomasb]

That's great Andrew I'm guessing seeing these start was not a common occurrence, was the other pumping engine kept as a standby or did they both ump in anger when conditions required?

[@MegaGeorge1948]

There were two of these powerplants in the RMS Titanic. One for each outer Port and Starboard screw with a steam turbine on the center screw before the rudder.

[@916fanatic1]

The ones on the Titanic produced 15,000 hp each and were much larger.

[@MegaGeorge1948]

916fanatic1 You are right.

[@weefek]

You are one of the lucky ones, that's for sure...

[@94757598494309438]

My Granddad worked in the engine room of a WW1 Merchant Marine Ship. He said they would wave a straw broom in front of them to detect in visible steam leaks. If the end of the broom got cut off, you stopped walking!

[@rickarddt]

Not many people can fathom the amount of energy in superheated steam.

[@Elodea]

That's still done on board ships using superheated steam. The cloud of visible water vapor might be on the other side of the the room from where the leak originates.

[@kielcarson6776]

I never even realized the necessity of something like that until now... Holy shit.. Imagine forgetting your broom and just getting taken off at the knees

[@Elodea]

@@kielcarson6776 Even if you forget "your" broom, there are usually many others available. In machinery spaces with high pressure steam, there are usually fiber or straw type bristle brooms stationed around the room. If you look closely, you realize that most of the broom straws are clean, as if they haven't ever been near the floor. Then you realize that you are probably standing on an open grating, so sweeping the floor wouldn't be a requirement. That's about the time one of the senior engineers will explain to you how to sweep you surroundings for a steam leak. When an alarm sounds or someone yells about a steam leak, everyone freezes momentarily, grabs the nearest broom and starts sweeping the air. This is only an issue in modern steam plants, running high pressure, superheated steam. Old engines like the Kempton engines aren't a problem. They run at much lower temperatures and pressure.

[@danman4633]

@@youtubejunky7481 Nuclear power via steam turbine.

[@OdySlim]

I love these old machines, It should be a crime to scrap them. They are so impressive and only use steam.

[@matthewcoslett5398]

Ody Slim where does the steam come from ie what flue is burnt too turn water too steam

[@nup5]

@@matthewcoslett5398 don't think that's what Ody Slim was aiming for with his comment

[@Nordikgoth77]

A lot a lot a lot a lot a lot a lot of COAL TOO !!!!!

[@luketorpedo]

@@Nordikgoth77 The fuel is a non-issue you can use anything. If I remember right the Kempton Park steam engines currently just use a massive electric heating element to run.

[@collinbarker]

@@luketorpedo If you really wanted to, you could plug it into a nuclear reactor, they too are nothing but a steam engine, just the fuel is not carbon, but uranium

[@SJones240]

All alone on the first day of 2024 and this video brought me so much joy and contentment. Here's to a year of solitude and self care. :)

[@mjamesthomasb]

That's great to hear

[@christianduenas1976]

It’s crazy how quiet it is, incredible craftsmanship to keep something this large so well lubricated, balanced and stable while running

[@willb3698]

18 RPM! An Incredible preserved machine. I love going past those old pump houses around Shepperton and Hampton too. The architecture is beautiful.. This machine is a tribute to the restoration team, I can't get over how much Steel and inertia! It also showing how we still use all the same principles today.

[@craftpaint1644]

The Ancient Greeks and Romans would love this thing.

[@WarHawk-]

The sad thing is that if an EMP or massive solar corona were to destroy our current modern technology, we may well end up having to re-use these beauties again.

[@MichaeljRichter]

@@WarHawk- one Carrington event sized X50 solar flare will smoke EVERYTHING digital on the planet. We missed one such event by 9 days in 2012

[@TrainsAreReallyCool]

@Charles V. Swenson Is that really a sad thing though? It would be amazing to see these puppies in action all over the country, especially the ones in Cinncinati.

[@butchwhacker8133]

@@WarHawk- Sadly, we are quickly approaching the 5th Trumpet of Revelations, woah,Woah,Woah!, to follow, ... there may be many many EMPs. May God Bless us to see His Kingdom come, and then the re-building will truly begin.

[@2billybiceps]

It looks like a place to have a pint in the background. I'd love that.

[@kiwipirate60]

We can credit every modern day convenience we have to the patience and toil of the early pioneers, fantastic stuff

[@mxylpx]

These guys deserve a big a salute from all of us for maintaining and preserving these magnificient machines and showing us their power and worth today!

[@constantinkakouris6468]

I pretty well grew up with those magnificent engines on Liberty and empire ships, they were amazingly quiet engines, and extremely reliable. I miss them..

[@treasurechest1993]

I hope that there is a plan for teaching the next generations how to preserve this great machine.

[@billfitzpatrick6910]

As an ex Navy Machinist Mate I ran 30,000 HP 3 stage turbines. I would loved to have had my hands on these monsters though Fantastic machines!!!. Not one damned transistor or micro chip on it ..

[@mjamesthomasb]

Bill Fitzpatrick steam.turbines are pretty cool, and only 1moving part

[@kimmer6]

Bill, Then you saw the condensing steam turbine pump sitting at 7:40 on the lower deck. It looks to have a gearbox driving the pump like Ship Service Turbine Generators which ran at 10,000 rpm to turn a 1200 rpm generator. This stuff was my bread and butter when I worked for GE Marine Department.

[@kimmer6]

EMP proof!

[@chadmeyer9500]

That you say you "ran" instead of "operated" some machine says all anybody with a mechanical clue needs to hear even before.the hilarious "ran turbines" bullshit. Engines "run" on their own, Mr. Machinist.

[@davecrupel2817]

@@kimmer6 yup. After the big power outage happens, engines like these will provide the electricity needed to restart everything.

[@Designandrew]

The tolerances in a machine like this are fucking mind bending, this is a work of art. Would love to see it at full tilt!

[@xinny4190]

And to think that all of what was shown in the video was built and done by hand/manually. No CNC, no computers, no chips. Sheer incredible ingenuity.

[@justincourtney8691]

We made some pretty amazing machines in America in the steam age, but the British had a knack for building amazing machines that were pretty as well as monstrously powerful. That engine is stunning. Example: the cold war Vulcan bomber. Probably the best looking aircraft in history. It was built as a bringer of nuclear death. And looked good doing it.

[@farmerbill6855]

And they haven't been able to build a car to save there asses.......

[@senormedia]

but the Vulcan was easily hijacked and water landed to steal its nuclear bombs. . .

[@прохожий-ш9д]

Нам русским очень нравится ядерная ракета ,сатана , она при любой войне очень убедительно выглядет и совершенно

[@RJ1999x]

this engine is a toy in comparison to the ones built in Milwaukee Wisconsin by Allis Chalmers

[@gerardosalazar161]

@@farmerbill6855 Could be but they were able to build AND FLY the Concorde while Boeing and Lockheed were unable to do so.

[@garygsp3]

Oh i love beautiful old equipment like this. I especially love seeing it work. There are times when i really do think I was born in the wrong era.

[@A_Man_In_His_Van]

@Twisties jolley there was never an era named steam "punk". It's the 19th and 20th centuries.

[@WarHawk-]

I would give just about anything to be able to help take care of this beautiful work of art.

[@JamesFrost74659]

Amazing. I see invention on top of invention on top of invention on top of invention. Every screw, every ounce of steel, absolutely amazing.

[@mjamesthomasb]

It is quite remarkable

[@newenglandwirelesssteammus4167]

Wonderful and majestic engineering! Back when craftsman cared about their creations. Our whole team would love to see it in person!

[@shaynewheeler9249]

Biggest engine cylinder in the earth 🌍😯

[@austinrees]

These grand old machines are the Gothic cathedrals of mechanical engineering. My god, its like music!

[@PetterPJ3W]

A cathedral of steam and cast iron! Stunning!

[@scopex2749]

The Titanic had 2 Triple expansion engines like these. They actually shot some of the engine room scenes at Kempton Park

[@user-bh4rx8mf8g]

Very interesting. Thank you for sharing. It's amazing to think that these incredible machines, and the expertise to operate them, were common once upon a time.

[@mattseymour8637]

And they say that Titanics engines were bigger than these too so shows the size of them!

[@heavenshuskywarriors3473]

Yes they did

[@Dave78214]

What if the Titanic got a rope or iceburg caught in its propeller - was it built to stall, or would the steam engine keep running, the high torque end of the gearbox would be under enough torsion to rip from the bearings or rip the hull itself apart

[@Genius_at_Work]

@@Dave78214 There was no Gearbox. Large Ships have the Propeller Shaft bolted directly to the Engine. That's why modern Ships have Two Stroke Diesels, as Four Stroke Engines couldn't deliver the high Torque at slow Speeds.

[@cavecookie1]

My grandfather was a small-town newspaperman, and printer. He used antique hand-fed printing presses, and set his type. The newspaper press he had was about the size of a pickup, and shook the whole building when it was running. The presses were full of rods, cranks, cams, shafts, and gears and as a little kid, watching all this going on was better than TV. It was mesmerizing to watch, just like this great big ol' beast.

[@kevindobson8002]

I was a mechanical fitter for 39 years working mainly in heavy engineering, so can appreciate the work in involved in assembling this masterpiece. Fantastic!

[@biggreenblob]

As a water treatment operator with a lifelong obsession with heavy machinery, this is for sure the coolest thing I've seen all year.

[@mjamesthomasb]

That's heartening to hear

[@ScotClose]

All proper steam engines are painted green and have a random spanner lying about.

[@johndoe-so2ef]

Absolutely, it's essential to making it run properly !

[@MrAstrojensen]

And an oil can, not to forget.

[@tooleyheadbang4239]

The special paint for engines is called 'Engine Green'. It's usually green in colour...

[@TheAmazingAdventuresOfMiles]

Yep, a 11/16 Whitworth usually. Don't forget the oily rag too. Both of these things will fix anything on any engine pre-1946.

[@Quakefire]

And the spammer is about 4 feet long

[@robharding5345]

I often pop back to this engineering marvel, its a wonderful steam engine, and the noise it makes is like a musical composition.

[@stbu9709]

Everything on this engine is built to last a thousand years, fantastic stuff 👍

[@shaynewheeler9249]

Coal fired steamship Titanic

[@modelsof1900]

Absolutely impressing! Never seen such big (and working) steam engines! Congratulations and thanks to all members and workers who preserve this technology for future generations!

[@bluetoad2001]

my grandfather was Stationary Engineer at Goetz Brewery in St.,Joe ,Mo. . he loved his job.

[@twistedyogert]

I can see why.

[@owenhislop6122]

This place has just gone on my bucket list wow

[@6Sally5]

I never cease to be amazed at the precision accomplished by engineers and machinists half a century before even pocket calculators were invented! I could spend all day watching this marvel!

[@MushairaMedia]

It's actually a *DECEPTICON* hiding in plain sight.. Waiting for the right time to complete it's mission.

[@UP4014]

Oh no. That is a massive decepticon

[@AliasUndercover]

Puffpuffpassatron.

[@naturerleben3252]

wait a sec ... does that mean that Megatron as the engine of the Titanic is still on the ocean floor and that the iceberg that brought the Titanic to the sinking was an Autobot mission?

[@L3go_Man87]

The Decepticons are the good guys 😊

[@aaronwebb1470]

Um I hate to say this, but the decpticcons are bad guys

[@hanyoukimura]

I love how the steam engine is so massive it has it's own mini steam engine to start it.

[@scuzyprod.1611]

it's fun seeing the small engine start the big engine

[@edgewayround]

Such things of sheer beauty. Back when 'Made in England' meant the best. Where did we go wrong?

[@csabaandocs3378]

You allowed the global capitalist banking system to leverage your currency. Happens to the best of us.

[@artemisfowl7191]

you spent the Empire on winning the 1st World War, and then took out loans and dismantled the last of the Empire (Destroyers for Bases, sale of Clemson class Destroyers formerly of the United States Navy for British Bases around the world) to fund the 2nd World War

[@deanow3631]

Absolutely mesmerizing!

[@philgiglio7922]

WW2 nd your fear of getting involved at the start of all the troubles...1936/37.

[@orppranator5230]

Artemis Fowl I think that was the plan- part of the reason the world wars were started. Can’t have a hugely powerful and great European Empire at its peak during your globalist takeover.

[@D3fcon141]

That thing sounds amazing. If only I could cross that damn pond...

It's only a flight away my friend

[@Shane-Singleton]

Triple expansion steam engines are one of those things that you look at and think "How did they ever come up with this?". They're beautiful things. Similar engines powered America's (and likely some of Britain's) early Dreadnoughts such as the Battleship Texas. And if i'm not mistaken all of the US Liberty cargo ships. A few of which are still around and mechanically operational like the Jeremiah O'Brien.

[@ctdaniels7049]

+hallis1 Well, they probably looked at a single-expansion engine and thought, "Let's add two more expansions"

[@antiekeradio]

The real invention was the double expansion machine. Relative to the cost of design and manufacture this was a very worthwile boost for thermodynamic efficiency. From there on, triple expansion was essentially a repetition, further improving efficiency; but with a smaller gain than the first double expansion machines had brought. Even quadruple expansion machines were built but by that stage the advantage was essentially outweighed by the complexity, cost and weight of the machine itself. Later on, the timing of the steam admission became more precise and more instantaneous (using different types of steam valves) and this allowed the machine builders to go back to double expansion with the same overall efficiency as earlier triple expansion machines could. I went to the Dr. Wouda Gemaal in Lemmer, Netherlands a number of years ago. This is about the only place in the world where large-scale steam engines (albeit a lot smaller than in Kempton park!) can still be witnessed working at full blast. That watermill works is still in active duty as backup and emergency works to keep the province of Friesland from flooding. When I went there they had an extended period of heavy rainfall and all 4 machines were working at 120 rev. per minute. It was an impressive sight.

[@ctdaniels7049]

antiekeradio That's a neat story. o:

[@normmcrae1140]

I'd seen in another video that the Triple Expansion steam engine was VERY efficient. For one in a ship - to move one ton of cargo one mile on the ocean (one ton-mile), it would only burn enough coal to weigh about the same as one sheet of paper - only a gram or two! Pretty damn impressive for 1830's technology!

[@916fanatic1]

bs

[@yambo59]

Even in todays hi tech throw away age these mechanical beasts are amazing to see run and real works of art. Imagine making those truly massive 4+ story high castings and forgings. I applaud those who designed built and maintained these gargantuan HP/Torque monsters as well as the talented individuals who restored and run them today.

[@sussyscylla3414]

Modern tech is certainly more efficient but nothing can rival the majesty of large scale steam power

[@r1273m]

Designed and built by real engineers long before computers and calculators, just slide rules and log tables I guess. You have to admire them, also the dedicated people that restore steam engines for our enjoyment. Bob

[@TT-zi5st]

"Real Engineers" Nice gatekeeping there.

[@tonyfeuerhelm]

....nope!...hit and miss...trial and error....Lots of missed and under calculations....wonder what that flywheel weighs in at ?....I can only imagine the looks of relief and hollers of Joy at the initial start up with all the "Suits" in the room...(thank the Gods whispered the agnostic atheist)....A.C.Feuerhelm...

[@jlthiess]

You know that 'real engineers' also designed the computers and calculators, right? I absolutely love watching old machinery in action and certainly admire the sort of analog engineering that made possible some pretty incredible achievements, but you've got to keep it all in context. The slide rule was just a simpler computer, and when you give an equally creative person a more capable tool, you get the kind of technology we have today - technology which would seem nearly magical to someone from the steam age.

[@MazdaRX7007]

@Harry Moobs thats true

[@craftpaint1644]

If you can make a big clock, you can cast a big steamengine.

[@airchie2]

Used to drive past this place on my way to work and never really thought anything of it. Then I decided to pop in one day and was blown away by the scale of the place. Apparently used to pump water over a huge distance across London. I think the guy said they were very similar to the engines on the Titanic but just with one less cylinder. And I noticed the cylinders got progressively larger from left to right and it was because the steam went from left to right and as it went it lost pressure. So to get the same PSI in each cylinder, they increased the area the steam pushed against. clever stuff. :)

[@jimsonbrown9768]

The frame, flywheels, even the hand rails are works of art.

[@csharp7926]

that's not an engine. that's a masterpiece.

[@mattiapisu1712]

it's always amazing to see an old man running all

[@Lighting_Desk]

she's a beautiful and graceful old lady. That sound is heaven to my ears...

[@mikesgsg2912]

Hearing that little starter engine slow as the main engine reached compression and it just plodded through it !

[@Godsgryl]

the little starter engine is cute

[@the_retag]

There should be no compression on that engine... its not internal combustion, the pressure comes from the outside

[@mikesgsg2912]

@@the_retag Very valid point that ! It must slow down at pistons lowest point when there is less steam pressure aiding it ?

[@the_retag]

@@mikesgsg2912 also ulnikely, considering the big flywheel and the multiple pistons. But maybe it has got something to do with the fact that its triple expansion

[@SailorGerry]

What is really amazing was the design process - taking account tolerances, turning radii, eccentric paths, etc., and then after the foundry processes, machining and assembly, of how everything meshed and then functioned smoothly together. Brilliant, absolutely brilliant...

[@schrodingerscat1863]

A steam engine so large it needs another small steam engine to start it, this is impressive stuff.

[@peterjackhandy]

No idea why KZbin recommended this, but sat here watching it on my tab, I swear I could smell it too ☺

[@JesusTorres-qr1gz]

That place looks like if it was the first day in service, everything spotless with an outstanding and impressive team work, congratulations, most kind of you guys for sharing it with us, from the endless summer paradise Puerto Rico Jesus Torres.

[@demef758]

The enormity of these magnificent machines is hard to fathom. 3 levels to the top, looks like 3 levels down. WOW!!!!

[@29theduke]

I'm a machine tender at a papermill and we had the largest machine in the world for several years. We use a lot of steam but it's all for paper drying, there are a few machines that are still steam driven out there and I'd love to go see one before they're either idled or converted to electric motors. This type of stuff is amazing to me and the size and scope of it is awe inspiring, I'd love to operate a machine like that.

[@Артем-ф1р2н]

Потрясающие видео. Гигантской механизм на паравой тяге это нечто. Рад что такие механизмы сохранились, а не были уничтожены ради металла.

[@N330AA]

It's absolutely incredible what they were capable of building 100 years ago.

[@valeriymilykh4616]

It is something incredible that such machines have been preserved. Who left them? Why wasn't it melted down? Why did the business decide that it could be left for display? Or were they enthusiasts of their business? But then why do they have so much money? Is maintenance and upkeep very expensive? In any case, people who treat the creations of engineers of the past with love and awe, their perseverance and genius, are respected. Thanks to them.

[@bradzee9947]

Wow!! What a beautiful piece of engineering!! I could listen to this run all day!! They have a similar engine in Wilmington, Delaware water works. Sadly, the boiler(s) are long gone. It kind of sits there like a museum piece. I HOPE nobody gets the bright idea to come along and scrap it!! Thanks for sharing!

[@BarneyBarnett]

Those flywheels run so true!

[@davesolway3696]

Thank you. I lived in Sunbury and never had the chance to go look in here! Always wandered what was in there!! Walked my dog past every day, past the lil steam train tracks, on the walk bridge opposite.

[@geoffreyashcroft3774]

I’ve been to titanic Belfast and the dry dock as well as the nomadic, this is another bucket list item I would love to go to. I’m a marine engineer in the Royal Canadian navy for 16 years now, and when I watched sos titanic when I was 7 in 1991 which featured these engines as her engine room, it inspired me to be an engineer!

[@mjamesthomasb]

Wow that's fantastic, check the museums web site when they're having live days in steam, thank you for your memories .

[@adambowman8543]

If you get the opportunity, visit the USS Texas, she's the last surviving Dreadnought, and she has triple expansion steam engines like this

[@keithgutshall9559]

I got in to work on machine from the movie Sandpebbles with Steve McQueen.

[@labarone8910]

Have never seen these great engines before but, funfacts: I worked on tugs Sheen & Ham towing 4x 250 tons of special coal in Wm Cory & Sons lighters from Brentford to Sunbury to power these engines, probably twice a week in the 1960's. Fifty two weeks a year. We worked out that when they switched to road transport to deliver the coal, it would take at least 20 trucks (at that time) to haul one barge worth, so 80 trucks & drivers to replace one tug & 4 lighters. (tug had 3 crew and 1 lighterman per haul). I could never work out the economics to be honest, and so we lost the ships, the men & the way of life to the Road Gods. Fun Fact 2. Later, I worked as a Lockeeper at Teddington Lock (which the tugs & barges had to pass through), and one of the main jobs was controlling the water levels via the massive weir. The pumping station (above) would phone us and say that they were increasing the pumping levels and so we had to shut down the wir accordingly. That's how much water they took. Alternatively, when we had heavy rain we would call them and ask them to increase pumping to reduce floodwater. Amazing that this is the very first time I have seen the engines that kept me so busy! Thanks for posting..

[@bertoverweel6588]

This is FANTASTIC , I build a small steam engine for a boat but this is something else . Greetings from the Netherlands.

[@chriswilson2431]

Valve bounce at 20rpm! I jest. These magnificent engines are hypnotic something very special about a big big engine. Lovely video! Thank you.

[@victorsmithson2357]

If you are suffering from anxiety or depression just go and look at one of these beautiful monsters for an hour cured

[@cadetkohr5508]

Yeah the new tech is cool and extremely impressive and all, but this is just beautiful. Every piece is there for a reason, and designed to look just as good as the engine itself!

[@teambammotorsport7249]

being a conventional machinist of 35 years + experience i can actually appriciate how much work went into this back in the 1920's ive used all manner of modern day and old school tools and concepts and techniques the work that went into something like this back then would have been immense and very time consuming build and is a testament to the quality of craftsmanship there was back then.

[@zanelile515]

very impressive - the engineers in those days were pretty smart.

[@monk3synuts]

Still are smart! The UK didn't start the modern world with the industrial revolution with a bunch of numpties! MOST of the worlds inventions have done & still come out of the UK.

[@normanbauman7125]

Gareth Jones who invented the telephone?

[@monk3synuts]

Yep the Scotts, as have a hell of a lot of fine engineering solutions come out of the UK. Clever people the Scotts. You obviously need to go to specsavers Norman as I stated "UK" meaning England Ireland Scotland & Wales.

[@iz7geg]

no no no, the inventor of telephone was italian ane he was Antonio Meucci, i dont know what kind of lies studied in your country.

[@monk3synuts]

Well seeing as its common knowledge globally... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invention_of_the_telephone I guess you must be one of the morons that thinks the world is flat? I pitty you.

[@tonkatoytruck]

I always enjoyed walking into a plant and seeing some of the older equipment. Unfortunately, my job was to upgrade these steam engines and turbines to modern controls. I always felt a little sad seeing some of the original equipment go, but even sadder was the mass replacement of men with computers.

[@Clunk49]

Yes, the Operator & Oiler in the Engine Room and the Fireman in the Boiler Building.

[@billdivine9501]

My dad used to build small steam engines, steam locomotives etc., he would have loved to see this video. Wonder if he ever went to Kempton Park to see this thing in action.

[@marcusfoshie4642]

It's the same kind of engine the Titanic was using it's good to see there's one still around

[@anthonykot]

Music to my ears...makes this old man happy..

[@TimsBitsnPieces]

It's fantastic to see these big engines coming to life, It is also very interesting to see how they start it with the little engine first. It is a credit to those who look after and have restored these engines for all to see. It would have been nice to know what each of those wheels the gentlemen were moving did.

[@EinChris75]

Only 35 years ago they where in use? Amazing.

[@dipalzambare9257]

Worthy operators for these giants. I have seen lot of videos about the old engines and everyone one has very senior people looking after them. I guess they are made for each other!

[@lindabingham394]

and always clean mahines the operators rub on them until you would think theren would be no paint left on them

[@aubreyaub]

It is alive. Please tell me, that it is driven by steam. Bloody lovely.

[@mjamesthomasb]

Yep still driven by steam, its original coal fired boilers are de comissioned as the boiler house is part of the the replacement electric driven pumps, the boiler is now gas fired

[@aubreyaub]

+Mark Bowman Is there a "clip" of the boiler. Oh, and Thank You. Australia lost some marvellous history recently in the bushfires at Yarloop in Western Australia heritagemachinery.com.au/yarloop-workshops/ All very sad.

[@NathanChisholm041]

yes im from perth and it was a sad loss

[@JasperJanssen]

aubreyaub I think it’d be a lot cheaper to generate enough steam for them than compressed air.

[@jorgemolinaherrera4554]

Oh yes, steam...steam...steam, the power that moved the Industrial Revolution!!