South Crofty Mine Robinsons Engine House 3: The final page in this series.
This contains images all taken on the upper floor of the engine house, or to give it the correct name “The Bob Loft”.
South Crofty Mine Robinsons Engine House 3.1 – Taken with a wide angle lens this shows the Bob loft. The beam is in the centre of the image. Also the stairs leading down to the middle chamber are on the right.South Crofty Mine Robinsons Engine House 3.2 – The great beam of the engine, this alone weighs 38 tons.South Crofty Mine Robinsons Engine House 3.3 – The door in the weatherboarding leads out onto the Bob platform.South Crofty Mine Robinsons Engine House 3.4 – This is why Engine Houses were built to last.The whole weight of the beam is concentrated on this balance point, directly onto the stonework of the Bob wall.South Crofty Mine Robinsons Engine House 3.5 – The balance point of the beam, it is an amazing example of Cornish engineering.South Crofty Mine Robinsons Engine House 3.6 – The balance point looking inwards at the “Indoor” end of the beam.Cornish Mine Images 3.7 – A detailed image of the balance point arrangement. The whole weight of the beam is concentrated here.Cornish Mine Images 3.8 – The ornate balance point, this is where the beam pivoted. The reservoir in the front would have been filled with oil.Cornish Mine Images 3.9 – Looking up above the beam into the roof area.Cornish Mine Images 3.10 – When I last saw this the beam was covered in a thick coating of grease to protect it, all this has been cleaned off.Cornish Mine Images 3.11 – Another detailed image of the indoor end of the beam.Cornish Mine Images 3.12 – Looking down towards the top of the piston which is attached to the beam.Cornish Mine Images 3.13 – This is the indoor end of the beam. Some of the weight is supported by the timber frame resting on iron uprights in the floor.Cornish Mine Images 3.14 – The external housing of a large hand winch attached to the floor.Cornish Mine Images 3.15 – It still has the original chains, this would have been used for maintenance on the beam and engine.Cornish Mine Images 3.16 – This image is taken looking through the beam to the floor below.
The remaining images on the page are taken on the Bob Platform. This is where the outdoor part of the beam was maintained. Also it’s a great view.
Cornish Mine Images 3.17 – Outside Robinson’s Engine house, this was taken on the bob platform. The outside of the beam is pointing towards the headframe over New Cook’s Kitchen Shaft of South Crofty Mine.Cornish Mine Images 3.18 – The makers name in raised lettering on Robinson’s Engine beam, “SANDYS VIVIAN & CO, HAYLE 1854”.Cornish Mine Images 3.19 – Finally looking up at the sheave wheels on top of the 77ft high steel headframe over the shaft.
Many thanks go to Lizi O’Hara for arranging this for me.
