Steam Engine Models in the Henry Ford Museum

These are snapshots taken by my wife (Rollande Krandall) and myself of older once-working "live steam" engine models in the Henry Ford Museum, Dearborn, Michigan.

The older engine models, especially those from the 19th century, are especially interesting as illustrations of the early (and poorly documented) history of the hobby of model engineering.

A Beam Engine (1860)

I particularly like this beam engine because of the way it sits on one large column. This gives a very open design in which everything is visible.

A Horizontal Engine (1880)

This model of a horizontal engine dates from 1880 (or 1860; the placard is hard to read in another photo we took; I need to doublecheck this).

A Table Engine (1880)

The "table engine" style of steam engine was popularized by Henry Maudslay (a famous Maudslay table engine appears in the Science Museum in London). This model of a table engine from 1880 was made by an unknown maker in Bedford, England.

Another Horizontal Engine (1880)

This model of a horizontal engine dates from about 1880. The placard indicates that the maker is unknown, and that it is probably from the United States.

A "McNaught" Compound Beam Engine (1900)

This is a model of a "McNaught" principle compound beam engine; maker unknown, probably from England. The final image shows some of its detail fairly clearly, but the guy in the background is not to be trusted.

A Horizontal Engine and Boiler (1900)

This is a nice example from about 1900 of a complete "steam plant" which integrates into a single model a steam engine and its boiler. More elaborate models of this type might have, additionally, some means of providing make-up feedwater to the boiler (such as a hand pump, a mechanically driven pump, or injectors).

A Beam Engine (1931)

There are many styles in model engineering (probably more styles than there are model engineers). Some engines aspire to recreate the visual effect of their "prototype" in every detail of surface finish. Others are intended to be beautiful works in their own right, with an aesthetic derived from the scale and finish of the model rather than that of the prototype. This model falls into this latter category. It is made largely of highly polished brass.

This engine bears a plate which indicates that it was built by Ervin T. Middleton of Flora, Indiana in 1931. The museum placard about this engine is curious, as it says that this is a "Four Column Beam Engine." I count six columns.

A Beam Engine Painted Grey

We forgot to record the information about this engine. It has a quasi-commercial look to it, though, as some of the parts of the base appear to be stampings. (I could be quite wrong about this, though.)

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