This is the bizarre Airfix 1:45 scale model of the 1827 OSCILLATING STEAM ENGINE for a ship as designed and built by Henry Maudslay. The kit was released in 1968 and re-released in 2012. The master for the model is a brass and steel model on display at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London (please see last photo). The original releases came with a motor and a drive system allowing the whole engine to move.
Maudslay is considered to be the inventor of the first industrial screw cutting lathe, and of several other machines and technologies essential to the start of the industrial revolution in the early 1800s. This engine was used for twelve years to drive two side paddlewheels on the Thames transport ship "Endeavour" starting in 1828. In an oscillating engine the piston rods are connected directly to the crankshaft, and the engine cylinders are secured by trunnions in the centre, allowing the cylinders to pivot back and forth with the rotation of the crankshaft. This means it only operates at a low pressure. The real one is quite large, with the height of the cylinder and extended piston rod about the size of a person.
The model comes with a paddlewheel, but it looks awful in comparison with the engine, so I discarded it. All paints are acrylics by Vallejo and Tamiya. The Tamiya silver was the worst silver metal paint it has ever been my misfortune to use, and it was scrapped and washed off using GreenWorks cleaner in a few seconds. The metal was then painted using Vallejo burned iron, and the piston rods rubbed with a silver powder. All brass parts are done with Vallejo 998 Bronze. It was a fun Covid-19 project. I thank Fearless Leader for the kit.
