Report - Waterloo Mill Engine House, Silsden - October 2012.

[jST]

Unique C20 Industrial machinery at its very best here, cheers to Doug for perservering with this and to the owners for being totally amenable and very trusting to allow clumsy idiots such as myself to have a prod around such a gem. Original Report here

The former Worsted Mill, remaining attached Engine house and enclosed Vertical beam engine are currently Grade II* listed and under ownership of a gent who runs the auto mechanics in some of the other existing mill outbuildings. The Engine house was a later addition to the Mill (some 40 years post initial construction) that replaced the original unit after a fire / explosion.

The mill engine was originally built for J and W Hamer of Union Mill, Guide Bridge, Manchester to drive cotton spinning machinery; it was bought by the Waterloo Room and Power Company after a fire at Union Mill and transported by canal to Silsden in 1917. Taylor Brothers were then the main tenants of the mill.

A description from the official Scott and Hodgson records, written for the RCHM by David Collier, states that it was built in 1905, cylinders 17" and 35"; stroke 48", 160 PSI, 75 RPM (BP), horsepower (HP) 700, Corliss valves on HP cylinder and piston valve on LP cylinder, flywheel 18' diameter with 18 cotton ropes, Lumb governor. Information also from the files of the Northern Mill Engine Society.

It last ran in 1977 and is the sole survivor of its type; the rope race is also very rare.

Detailed info on the construction, materials and listing status here: http://www.bradford.gov.uk/NR/rdonl...ionsofGradeIIstarListedBuildingsinSilsden.pdf

Some photographings: