# "Mary" beam engine



## gbritnell

This is a model of the "Mary" beam engine. The castings are by Reeves. I think they are still available. The finished engine is 10x14 with an 8 inch flywheel. The majority of the castings are bronze with an aluminum baseplate. I made all the steel parts from stainless steel. It makes a very "pretty" engine with all of its arms and links. The drawings leave a little to be desired but anyone who knows a little trig can figure out what needs to be done with the parallel linkage. I built this many years ago but thought that everyone might be interested in seeing it. Along with the pictures I am including a link to YouTube with it operating.
gbritnell






























[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmBgGAN-7aE[/ame]


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## rake60

You thought we might be interested in seeing it? ???

Gorgeous Work! :bow:

Rick


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## Brian Rupnow

Very, very pretty engine.


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## hitandmissman

That is a lovely engine. Great work you done on it. I just got a copy of the book on the mary engine by Tubal Cain. I will have to see if castings are still availble.


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## Brass_Machine

Very very nice engine!

Eric


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## Groewrs

WOW 

Very nice ;D

Gordon


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## Philjoe5

A museum piece :bow: What a pleasure to see it, thanks for the photos,

Cheers,
Phil


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## potman

Got everything I love in an engine ! 
Lots of moving parts and mechanisms and architectural detail.

Great job ! :bow:

earl


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## Maryak

Gordon,

That is simply stunning 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	







Congratulations on a most beautiful piece of work 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




I am gobsmacked 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




Best Regards
Bob


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## compound driver 2

I have a set of the Mary castings in the workshop, had them maybe 25 years its one of Reeves old ones.
I machined the bed plate and beam but got side tracked by work and family. I may have to dig it out and have a go.

Good looking engine!


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## gbritnell

Thank you gentlemen for all the gracious comments. Next to a marine type engine with open columns and reverse mechanisms I think the beam engine is a great looking mechanical device. Reeves also made another beam called the ME Beam or something like that. In all the shows that I have ever attended I have never seen one, but for that matter I have only ever seen one other "Mary" For anyone contemplating building Mary check the location of the pump mounting hole on the base. As I remember it's in the wrong spot. They also have a crude way of dimensioning the connecting point for the pivot link on the parallel motion. They want you to assemble all the linkage then swing an arc with a scriber in the link hole and use that to drill the mounting hole. As I said in my first post, I just trigged it out. Much easier and more accurate.
gbritnell


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## kvom

With apologies to every other engine I've seen on this site, yours is my favorite. :bow:

How long did it take to build?

I looked up the Reeves site, and here is the page for "Mary": https://vault1.secured-url.com/reeves2000/shop_item.asp?sub_cat_id=176

Looks like ~$700 for castings/plans etc.


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## b.lindsey

Exquisite model and workmanship!! There are many things to admire in the finished engine, but I particularly like the elegans contour for the flywheel's outer rim. Thanks for sharing the pictures.

Bill


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## compound driver 2

The ME beam engine is a really nice one to machine. My brother built one many years ago but has never run it past a few minutes on air.

There awas one at the ME exhibition a couple of years ago and theres also one that turns up from time to time at the smaller shows.


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## max corrigan

Superb a very elegant victorian engine i would imagine the casting from reeves would cost an arm and a leg, "reeves" are not known for cheap prices! i don't know if "blackgates" do castings for that engine as they would be cheaper! that said beautifully constructed engine, well done :bow:
Max.............


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## Bluechip

Hi 

Very well executed model. :bow: I've always liked that engine. My old mate Stu. made one, together with a 'Lady Stephanie', although his was named 'Lady Judith' after a niece, I think. I often wonder what happened to them ??
Anyone in UK ever seen one with 'Lady Judith' cast on it ??

https://vault1.secured-url.com/reeves2000/images/model/lady_steph.jpg

Dave


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## Orrin

Thank you for posting the pictures, GB. Your craftsmanship is top-notch. 

Does anyone know if the Reeves catalog links are current? The Reeves "2000" makes me wonder if it is eight years old. 

For sure, there was a long time when Reeves castings were not available. ISTR some other outfit purchased the business, but I've not heard anything about it, since. 

Best regards, 

Orrin


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## compound driver 2

Reeves are still going but the owner seems to be a bit of a...... (il edit it myself).
From what I know the castings are made in south africa to save money
But are I understand a reasonable quality. 
That said the last lot of castings I had off them were a load of shite, full of hard spots and genraly not great. That was a couple of years ago.

I should say that I now regard Reeves as being a new company and not what it once was.


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## Jasonb

Orrin

The Reeves site is upto date, the 2000 refers to the year in which the original company went belly up and a new one was formed, click on teh "history" tab at the top of the page for details.

Jason


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## compound driver 2

Jason who supplied your 1 inch Minnie castings?


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## Jasonb

Mostly came from the original Reeves with a few bits from Blackgates. I did start the minnie back in 1992 when the cost of a complete & tested boiler from Blackgates was £194.00 : and the cylinder & covers from Reeves was £14.49 - The good old days

Jason


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## gbritnell

It' been a very long time since I purchased the castings. When I bought them they were handled by Coles Power Models then out of Venice, California. If I could hazzard a guess as to what the castings cost I would say around $175 American. I went to the new site you posted the link to and the new castings, drawings, gears and nameplate are quite dear, much more so than I would spend.
gbritnell


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## bobden72

Hi I have just bought a set of castings for "Mary" so yes they are still available. I just love the look of your engine which inspired me to build one, putting aside my petrol engines for a while. Can you think of any major problems with the drawings?
regards Bob


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## gbritnell

Hi Bob,
There's only one 'mistake' on the drawings. It's the position of the governor linkage pedestal, unless they've changed it. You'll have to calculate out where it should be. The other issue, but not a mistake, is how they go about dimensioning the linkage points for the parallel motion. They want you to make the links, assemble them then swing the connecting link against the pivot block on top of the column crown plate and scribe a line so you can drill the hole. It's kind of crude dimensioning when a little trig is all that's needed to machine it correctly in the first place. I'll see if I still have the work sheet with the drawings from when I first built it. If I do I'll give you the numbers.
gbritnell


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## bobden72

If that are the only two issues it should ok and pretty straight forward, or though it would be great if you still have the dimensions. Still waiting for the post man.
Regards Bob


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