Anthony Boxall’s

McONIE’S ANGULAR OSCILLATING ENGINE

 

Today, oscillating cylinder engines are generally thought of as the simplest of projects for model engineering beginners or the subject for toys. However, there were plenty of examples of this type of engine in full size in the days of steam for stationary engines by Maudsley and others. They were made in all shapes and sizes, up to those used in paddle steamers. And single acting oscillating hydraulic motors were at the heart of early hydraulic machinery for William Armstrong.

One Victorian engine which caught the eye of today’s busiest model engineer, Anthony Mount, was an inclined oscillating steam engine from the 1840s by Glasgow engineers, W & A McOnie which would have been used to power a workshop. McOnie described this steam engine as their 'angular type' and endowed it with some elegant architectural features together with sophistication in the form of an eccentric driven slide valve and compact bevel gear-driven governor.

This attractive model was serialised in one of the model engineering magazines and reasonably priced castings made available. Since publication in 2008 it has proven to be predictably popular with model engineers.

Anthony Boxall has produced many engines based on Anthony Mount’s designs, but at half the scale of the originals. They are all scratch built, and beautifully made and finished. His latest is this half size McOnies engine. It was displayed at the Guildford Rally 2015 and was winner of the Jim Wilson Trophy.