Keeping a MASSIVE Ancient Steam Engine Running

[00:00:00]Long before electric motors powered every machine on the factory floor, entire industries depended on a single source of energy, steam.

[00:00:09]Every morning began with coal fires, boiler pressure, and the careful work of the engine man whose job was to keep the heart of the factory alive.

[00:00:20]Inside the boiler house stands not only a newer boiler, but also an older double flue boiler built by the firm Piet Beth in 1885.

[00:00:34]Next door lies the engine house, where the steam produced in the boilers is converted into mechanical power by the steam engine.

[00:00:42]The steam engine is the heart of the factory. It not only drives the weaving machinery, but also supplies heat to the factory buildings and generates electricity through a connected dynamo.

[00:00:52]For this reason, it requires constant care and maintenance.

[00:00:56]As a trained blacksmith, Gerhard Burgers is responsible for far more than the power plant.

[00:01:08]In the factory's own forge, he manufactures replacement parts for machinery and carries out repair work.

[00:01:14]Alongside a forge, many early textile mills also maintained a carpentry shop.

[00:01:31]During the early years of industrialization, entirely new machines were often designed, built, and improved within these workshops according to the needs of the factory owners themselves.

[00:01:44]Through a system of transmission belts, the forge's blower, furnace equipment, and other workshop machines are powered.

[00:02:02]>> But, back in the engine house, the focus remains on the machine that transformed industry.

[00:02:08]Ever since the English engineer James Watt developed the cylinder steam engine in the 18th century, steam power had conquered manufacturing, shipping, and railways alike.

[00:02:19]Within the steam cylinder, pressure energy is transferred to the piston rod.

[00:02:24]Through a crank mechanism, this motion drives a massive flywheel.

[00:02:32]The engine seen here is a horizontal steam engine with a bayonet frame, built in 1901 by the firm Ehrhardt & Söhne of Rheydt.

[00:02:44]A centrifugal governor regulates the fresh steam entering the cylinder from the boiler.

[00:02:52]Characteristic of engines with long strokes is the extended rear piston rod guide.

[00:03:04]This engine, too, reflects the pride factory owners once took in the design of their power plants.

[00:03:23]The engine house features an ornamental tiled floor and an elaborate roof truss construction.

[00:03:31]It is now the lunch break.

[00:03:37]Gerhard Burgers gradually shuts off the steam supply to bring the engine to a halt.

[00:03:43]Even after the power is cut, the great flywheel continues turning for some time before finally coming to rest.

[00:03:52]Once a year, during the annual inspection, the entire power plant must be shut down. Inspectors from the technical safety authority dismantle the machinery to check for signs of wear, cracking, or other material defects.

[00:04:09]Because both the boilers and the steam engine operate under constant high pressure, meticulous maintenance is essential to prevent dangerous explosions.

[00:04:18]Among the machinist's daily responsibilities keeping the steam engine properly lubricated.

[00:04:24]Anton Klar, formerly a professional truck driver, assists in the power station.

[00:04:48]Maintaining the engine also means constantly cleaning its moving parts.

[00:04:52]In earlier years, even polishing the machine room floor was considered part of the machinist's duties.

[00:05:05]After the lunch break, Gerhard Burgers uses a long iron bar to turn the flywheel forward by one tooth on the starting gear.

[00:05:26]The machinist can now open the live steam valve and bring the power plant back into operation.

[00:05:32]At first, he opens the valve only slightly, allowing the engine to build up speed gradually before reaching its full output.

[00:06:30]>> The factory's electrical generating equipment is housed within the engine room as well.

[00:06:34]The generator is driven through the transmission system.

[00:06:37]The great flywheel of the steam engine sets a network of belts, pulleys, shafts, and smaller wheels into motion.

[00:06:49]If this craft had disappeared completely, we wouldn't even know what we lost.

[00:06:54]If you want more stories like this, support Unearth by liking this video and subscribing. And tell us in the comments, what forgotten craft should we uncover next?

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