Spotlight - The River Don Engine

Join Eddy Foster, Head of Historic Engineering as he talks us through the history and operation of Kelham Island Museum's mighty River Don Engine. Built by Davy Brothers of Sheffield in 1905, this visitor favourite is the most powerful working steam engine in Europe.
Our Spotlight series takes a look behind the scenes at Sheffield Museums. Explores stories from across the museums, the collections they house, and our work to care for them.
Visit Kelham island Museum to experience the roar and rumble of this massive 425 ton engine in person - it's in steam twice daily at 12noon and 2pm, Thursday-Sunday. Find out more and plan your visit: www.sheffieldm...
Music - There by Blear Moon via FMA freemusicarchi...
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[@polarisukyc1204]

This engine is not only ridiculous powerful but the fact that it can reverse so quickly is almost beyond comprehension. It’s akin to having a challenger 2 tank stop from its max speed in less than its half its own length and then back up at 30mph

[@ceanothus_bluemoon]

Wonderful to see this being so well cared for. Long may she run!

[@peterselby5694]

I served my time as a fitter-turner at the River Don works 62-70 and was lucky enough to see this engine actually rolling plate. The job at the time was rolling plate for a shield for a nuclear reactor at a power station. It was an awesome experience, the noise, heat, smoke ( caused by the birch twigs) and sheer power of this engine the sight of which is etched in my memory for ever. Saw the engine again in 96 at the Museum. Yes a wonderful sight but no where near as awe inspiring as when she was rolling red hot plate.

[@gregharris3747]

Hi Peter thanks for sharing your memories about the River Don Engine I was lucky enough to meet another fitter at the River Don steelworks who told me about his time looking after the Mill pumps & Hydraulic presses in the 60s I hope he's ok I volunteer down at Kelham & I never get tired of watching her in action when she's up & running take care all the very best Greg Harris

[@philward53]

Thanks for your insights. I've seen a dramatic film at Kelham Island museum of the rolling mill in action, birch twigs and all. I wonder if they still show it? It would be good if that film could be uploaded onto KZbin.

[@hidden71]

Is it amazing how such a large crowd can change direction so quickly from helplessness? 😱

[@BiagioDiBalsamo]

Benedicimi le parole Allah allyh am om im shalom mi chiamo Biagio di balsamo e famiglia

[@OsuperfastjellyfishO]

Visited kelham island since a young en with my nan, came back home a few years ago and this great machine still runs, sounds and smells just the same as i remember in the 90's (still bloody terrifying too) can't wait to bring my young son back to sheffield and experience the magnificent world of Sheffield's industry and heritage i grew to enjoy and still hold dear now. Never forget where you come from and those who made the word what it is today ❤️

[@OsuperfastjellyfishO]

P.s Thank you for keeping this magnificent beast alive ❤️

[@John-yf8qh]

I got taken to see the beast when I was 5 years old and it stayed with me all my life. I've luckily been back many a time and often over the years but that first experience ce was my favourite. I should've been terrified but I loved it so much that we dawdled around the museum long enough to see it run a second time. Your son, I'm perfectly sure, will have a similar reaction to me. Then who knows, your grandkids might get the same treatment and on it goes. There's one thing thats certain, this wonderful chunk of steel will still be spinning long after we're spinning, in our wooden overcoats :) :)

[@davidholman2536]

It was wonderful to watch in action but we were told in 2021 that at £300 per day to run, the museum won't be running the engine daily. It was so impressive that my wife applauded the performance. Good on her. The staff said that shots down the crankshaft were used in the movie Titanic.

[@sheffield-weather-cam]

When Sheffield was a powerhouse of steel manufacturing 💪🏼 Thanks for making the video

[@andypughtube]

We think that my great grandfather left the navy to run this engine (or possibly a sister engine). He'd been an engineer in the navy, so was familiar with the type (to an extent)

[@John-yf8qh]

This wasn't a naval engine. Though it was used to roll armour plates for battleships up to 15" thick. It was later used to roll reactor sheild plates for our first nuclear power stations. Its had a varied career, but never been afloat. Saying that, your story may very well be correct of course, I'm not meaning to throw any doubt on that, just possible confusion that this or its sisters were ever used to power ships.

[@andypughtube]

@@John-yf8qh I am not saying that he followed this engine out of the navy, I am saying that he had experience with engines of this type, so found a similar job on land. Also, I am aware that _most_ seagoing engines of this layout were very different, being triple-expansion rather than having three high pressure cylinders. But presumably some battleships had this type of engine for reasons of performance and manoueverability, or there was enough in common to get him the job. Triple-expansion gives very good efficiency, but not necessarily any more power from the same volume. Three cylinders gives instant reversibility. The River Don is a very unusual engine, because it had unusual requirements. Thinking about it, there must be something in the blood, my Great grandfather operated this engine (or one of the others), my grandfather was a millwright fitting and installing steam engines in mills, my dad worked at David Brown's desigining rolling mill gearboxes, and I did postdoctoral research on spring steel using the research rolling mill at Leeds University. That's 4 generations orbiting around rolling mills in different ways.

[@SteamCrane]

@@John-yf8qh He said that his GGF came ashore and used his naval steam experience at the steel mill.

[@allangibson4354]

Absolutely magnificent, such a wonderful example of Sheffield's incomparable history of making the best steel in the world. Many thanks to Sheffield Museums and all their hard working staff and volunteers for preserving examples such unique as this stunning engine.

[@aful3091]

This is the best footage of the engine I've ever seen, all the close ups of the moving parts in action were pure engineering-porn. For someone of a rural background with little exposure to technology at the time, it must have been utterly terrifying at full RPM.

[@John-yf8qh]

If yiu ever get chance to see it in person, please do so. I'd say it was worth the trip from the furthest point away from the thing, but I'm massively biased as I've been to see the thing many a time since I was 5. It's truly an amazing force to be in the same room with. I've seen bigger engines, louder engines and faster engines, but I've never seen anything that compares to this lovely old monster.

[@ttm2609]

Thank you for taking care of this lovely machine ❤️

[@gregharris3747]

It's in very good hands with Eddy & his team

[@LecheVitrineUK]

This mesmerized me when I visited as a child.