Wilesco D2 steam engine
Published 2023-01-14
I purchased this little steam engine as a Christmas gift for myself a few years ago. These are handmade in Germany out of brass by small German toy company called Wilesco. This particular model is the smallest one they offer (called the D2) and is what's known as an oscillating steam engine, meaning that the cylinder and piston oscillate on a pivot called a trunnion. The main body is called a port block and it has two holes bored in precisely measured locations, one is a steam feed that is fed by the boiler and the other is an exhaust outlet that vents to the atmosphere. As the cylinder oscillates it will align its own single port with the two ports drilled into the port block. First it will align with the feed port and steam will enter the cylinder and push the piston back, by the time the piston hits the bottom of its stroke the cylinder will have also rotated upon it's axis and have aligned its port with the exhaust outlet and the momentum of the flywheel will cause the piston to push out the old steam and the cycle will reset. This style of steam engine is very popular with toy models due to its simplicity and ease to manufacture compared to the more mechanically complex double-acting style of steam engine, which features a sliding valve that eliminates the need for the oscillating action of the cylinder. When filled to the proper level and given enough time to warm up, it'll spin very happily for about 30 minutes!
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