Source
Joseph Evans & Sons, Pump Makers, Wolverhampton, England.
Catalogue"A" Steam & Air-Operated Pumps, July 1947 Edition issued to and obtained from the now closed Beckton Gas Works, North Thames Gas Board.
Description
This pump is a floor standing horizontal double acting pump. Drive from the steam cylinder to pump is through the kite and connecting rod arrangement using the flywheel mounted on a crankshaft for momentum. Reversing gear was optional, fitted to clear the pumping end of material that could solidify. The pumping end can also be steam jacketed to assist in pumping very viscous liquids such as tar. This type of pump became well known in gas works and also found very large application for high viscous pumping duties in tar distillation plants.
Construction
The steam cylinder is of cast iron construction with a steam D-type slide valve operated by an eccentric from the crankshaft. The steam piston is cast iron with spring rings. The piston rod is steel and cottered to the kite. The crankshaft is made of steel, carried on two adjustable bearings in the main frame. The flywheel is weighted to ensure smooth working.
The pumping end is cast iron, incorporating pump barrel and housing for piston valve. The piston valve is of a cylindered type operated by an eccentric on the crankshaft lubricated by the material being pumped. Reversing gear is optionally fitted. The cast iron bucket has cast iron rings and suction and delivery air vessels are provided. the piston rods are made of steel.
Range
There are a few versions of the reliable pump, the two versions that apply to the Gas Works and Tar Distillation industries are the 680 and 685.
- 680 general duties such as water with spring operated disk valves.
- 685 with reversing gear, optional steam jacketed pumping end, eccentric operated liquid piston valve and optional Pickering governor page 1, page 2.
- 686 is the same as the 685, but suitable for thick liquids, which may contain obstructive matter.
- 690 high lift applications, with outside-packaged ram type pumping end for gritty water (mines).
- 692 for general pumping and steam engine duties simultaneously, or engine duties only.
The specification of the 680 and 685 versions are shown below.
| 680 General Duty | 685 Reversing Jacketed | ||||
| Size SteamxPumpxStroke |
Gallons / hour (water) |
Max Flywheel Speed (R.P.M.) |
Size SteamxPumpxStroke |
Gallons / hour (water) |
Max Flywheel Speed (R.P.M.) |
| 4"x2"x4" | 570 | 105 | 4"x2"x4" | 480 | 90 |
| 4"x3"x4" | 1280 | 105 | 4"x3"x4" | 1100 | 90 |
| 5"x3"x6" | 1650 | 90 | 5"x3"x6" | 1460 | 80 |
| 5"x4"x6" | 2930 | 90 | 5"x4"x6" | 2600 | 80 |
| 6"x3"x6" | 1650 | 90 | 6"x3"x6" | 1460 | 80 |
| 6"x4"x6" | 2930 | 90 | 6"x4"x6" | 2600 | 80 |
| 6"x4"x9" | 3260 | 67 | 6"x4"x9" | 2930 | 60 |
| 6"x5"x9" | 5100 | 67 | 6"x5"x9" | 4580 | 60 |
| 6"x6"x9" | 7340 | 67 | 6"x6"x9" | 6600 | 60 |
| 7"x4"x9" | 3260 | 67 | 7"x4"x9" | 2930 | 60 |
| 7"x5"x9" | 5100 | 67 | 7"x5"x9" | 4580 | 60 |
| 7"x6"x9" | 7340 | 67 | 7"x6"x9" | 6600 | 60 |
| 8"x4"x9" | 3260 | 67 | 8"x4"x9" | 2930 | 60 |
| 8"x5"x9" | 5100 | 67 | 8"x5"x9" | 4580 | 60 |
| 8"x6"x9" | 7340 | 67 | 8"x6"x9" | 6600 | 60 |
| 8"x6"x12" | 7340 | 50 | 8"x6"x12" | 6600 | 45 |
| 8"x7"x12" | 8990 | 50 | 8"x7"x12" | 8900 | 45 |
| 8"x8"x12" | 13050 | 50 | 8"x8"x12" | 11700 | 45 |
| 10"x6"x12" | 7340 | 50 | 10"x6"x12" | 6600 | 45 |
| 10"x7"x12" | 9990 | 50 | 10"x7"x12" | 8900 | 45 |
| 10"x8"x12" | 13050 | 50 | 10"x8"x12" | 11700 | 45 |
| 12"x6"x12" | 7340 | 50 | 12"x6"x12" | 6600 | 45 |
| 12"x7"x12" | 9990 | 50 | 12"x7"x12" | 8900 | 45 |
| 12"x8"x12" | 13050 | 50 | 12"x8"x12" | 11700 | 45 |
| 14"x8"x12" | 13050 | 50 | 14"x8"x12" | 11700 | 45 |
| 14"x9"x12" | 16520 | 50 | 16"x8"x12" | 11700 | 45 |
| 16"x8"x12" | 13050 | 50 | - | - | - |
| 16"x9"x12" | 16520 | 50 | - | - | - |
Collection
There are now eight Joseph Evans Reliable steam pumps remaining in the collection.
- Reliable horizontal 4x3x4, Type 680, No.19435, 1916, Beckton Gas Works
- Reliable horizontal 4x2x4, Type 685, No.26900, 1929, Bedwas Coke Works
- Reliable horizontal 4x3/2½x4, Type 680, No.30934, 1938, Caerphilly Tar Plant
- Reliable horizontal 4x3x4, Type 680, No.31812, 1940, Beckton Gas Works
- Reliable horizontal 4x3/2½x4, Type 685, No.32212, 1941, Oldbury Works, MTD
- Reliable horizontal 4x3x4, Type 680, No.69724, 1962, Beckton Gas Works
- Weir Reliable horizontal 4x3x4, Type 680, No.322125, 1964, Beckton Gas Works
- Reliable horizontal 5x4x6, Type 685, No.18949, 1914, Beckton Gas Works
- #Reliable horizontal 4x2x4, Type 685, No.24247, 1924, South Wales Gas Works
- #Reliable horizontal 4x3x4, Type 680, No number, (~1968), Manvers Tar Plant
- #Reliable horizontal 5x3x6, Type 685, No.19473, 1916, Llanbradach Coke Works
- #Reliable horizontal 6x6x9, Type 685, No.37673, 1949, Pontypool Gas Works
- # These four pumps are now relocated at The Internal Fire Museum, West Wales
- $(Reliable horizontal 8x5x9, Type 686, No.12011, 1905, Beckton Gas Works - now at the Museum of Power, Langford, Essex).
#Reliable horizontal 4x2x4, Type 685, No.24247, 1924, South Wales Gas Works
4" steam cylinder, 2" pumping cylinder with 4" stroke and 24" diameter flywheel-double acting.
This pump was acquired in August 2004 from a scrap merchant who was supplying skips to the former Industrial & Maritime Museum in Cardiff Docks following their removal of surplus items for scrapping. The pump was found to be in a very poor and damaged condition with many parts missing, probably as the result of poor supervision during previous efforts at dismantling. The pumping cylinder flange was broken and a large section missing, both eccentric blocks rims were also damaged and the reversing mechanism broken beyond repair. Finally one web of the crankshaft had been bent.
This presented a huge challenge for restoration. The crankshaft web was heated to dull red in a large lathe and carefully straightened. Many new parts have been fabricated, including all piston and valve rods and a new extended cylinder cover to incorporate a facility to fix a long bolt from the end of the pumping cylinder cover to the chassis. Replacing the broken cylinder flange without the broken part would have been very difficult. A new reversing eccentric was located and fitted, along with new eccentric straps.
This pump is very similar to No 26900, the main difference being 26900 is not fitted with a reversing eccentric. It has been fully restored and runs very well on compressed air. It has since been relocated to Internal Fire Museum in West Wales .
Video (6.3MB 10s) :Running on Compressed Air - Left View
Video (6.5MB 10s) :Running on Compressed Air - Above Right View
Size: 4" steam cylinder, 2" pumping cylinder with 4" stroke and 24" diameter flywheel, double acting and fitted with twin eccentrics. Woodall Duckham Ltd, purchased this pump in 1929 for the new Bedwas coke works, Trethomas Monmouthshire and used it for internal transfers and the loading of crude tar into road and rail vehicles. From 1939 when Caerphilly Tar Plant opened, Bedwas tar was sent to Caerphilly for distilling. Bedwas coke works closed on 23 December 1986 and this pump was purchased for £10 from the demolition contractors in March 1987. Upon stripping it was found to be well worn, and the valve rod in the steam chest had been eroded to half its original thickness, due to the action of wet steam impingement. A replacement rod has been manufactured and many other parts have been replaced with original spares obtained from the stores at Caerphilly upon closure. Although the pump is complete and in working order it did not run well on compressed air. Close examination confirmed significant wear to the steam cylinder bore. The latter was found to be lipped and slightly oval. In October 2013 the cylinder was re-bored along with other items under contract with the Mid-Hants Railway Engineering Services in their superb workshop.
A new oversize piston block and rings were made along with gluing and screwing a new brass plate onto the wearing surface of the "D" slide valve to bring the latter back to its original depth. Upon re-assembly the pump was found to run very well with very little compressed air. It is the smallest of the" Reliable" steam pumps manufactured by Evans being of 4" stroke, other pumps in the series were manufactured with either 6", 9" or 12" stroke. This particular pump is not fitted with a reversible eccentric. Video (6.2MB 10s) :Running on Compressed Air - Left View Size: 4" steam cylinder, 3" pumping cylinder, (fitted with a 2½" liner) with a 4" stroke and 24" diameter heavy duty flywheel, double acting. It is fitted with a reversible eccentric and a second disc flywheel for a governor. This pump was supplied to the Midland Tar Distillers tar works located in an arm adjacent to the bottom lock of the Titford Canal at Oldbury Junction on the old Main Line between Wolverhampton and Birmingham and probably used as a tar feed pump to the distillation plant. The last load of tar delivered by canal was in 1966; tar distillation ceased in February 1972. Many of the steam pumps were saved and this pump has been recently acquired, June 2021, from Ken Vine of Ramsgate. Upon stripping it was found to be in a good condition with little signs of wear, possible this pump was only used as a standby? All the individual components are original, each cleared stamped with the serial number, found on both cylinders, flywheel, crankshaft and the chassis with an undamaged brass plate. The pump was dismantled for tranport and the restoration process started by cleaning, painting and re-assembly. Upon testing with air, the valve was found to be by-passing preventing slow and efficient operation.
Examination found a significant groove on the valve port face, so the opportunity was taken to remove the cylinder and to mill smooth the said surface. This was carried out
locally by Lamb Engineering of Salisbury. Upon re-assembly and testing, this pump ran smooth and slowly, probably the best runner of the collection, confirming how important it is to
maintain the valve faces, as well as the bearings and pins. In Dec 2022, a 3/4" Pickering Governor has now been retro-fitted. The steam inlet pipework had to be modified to provide a suitable
off-set to line up the governor pulley with the disc flywheel for the belt drive. This pump originally had the provision for driving a similar governor. Initially upon testing on compressed air,
the pump tended to "hunt", but by increasing the spring tension this has been minimised and the pump now runs well. It is the second smallest of the" Reliable" steam pumps manufactured by Evans being of 4" stroke, and fitted with a liner, twin eccentrics with one reversible and complete with both air vessels and
a Pickering Governor. 4" steam cylinder, 3" pumping cylinder, (fitted with a 2½" liner), with 4" stroke and 24" diameter heavy duty flywheel-double acting This pump was supplied new to the Caerphilly Tar Plant in 1938 as the standby reflux pump for the No.2 distillation unit. It was fitted with a Pickering governor driven from a second smaller disc flywheel on the crankshaft. The pumping valves are of the butterfly or poppit type, being spring-loaded and the piston block runs in a stainless steel liner of 3" outside diameter and 2½" internal diameter. This pump remained in service until the end of tar distillation at Caerphilly in December 1985. Early in 1986 this pump was donated by Thomas Ness Limited to the Welsh Industrial & Maritime Museum, Cardiff Docks as a typical small industrial steam pump used in the Welsh Gas, Coke and By-Products Industries. In 2004 this pump was also found dumped in a skip outside the Welsh Industrial & Maritime Museum in the same skip as No. 24247 (see above). It was complete, although the Pickering governor had been removed and the governor flywheel had been broken. Unlike coal tar, which acts as a metal preservative, crude benzole is a powerful solvent and degreaser and the pump had seized solid with rust after 20 years of inactivity. The pump was carefully dismantled, cleaned and has been fully restored to working order. New piston rods have been made, but otherwise most other parts were salvaged and reused. Restoration was completed November 2006, but it did not run very well. Examination has found that the cylinder bore has worn along with deep grooving to the valve face. The cylinder has since had the valve face re-milled,
meanwhile a new oversized piston block and new rings have been made. The pump now works much better with greatly reduced air consumption - as vast improvement. Using this pump's original disk flywheel, suitably repaired, a 3/4" Pickering Governor has been retrofitted returning it to the condition as originally supplied to Caerphilly Tar Works in 1938. (Jan 2023) The similar reflux pump from No 1 distillation unit, No 30933 was acquired by the late Chris Evans of Pickering, Yorkshire in 1987 and has also been fully restored. Size: 4" steam cylinder, 3" pumping cylinder with 4" stroke and 24" diameter flywheel-double acting. This pump was acquired from Jim Newnham in 2006 where it had been stored under cover for many years following its rescue from Beckton Gas Works along with 3 other similar pumps.
19435 is one of the earlier versions confirmed by the open base to the chassis. Upon stripping it was found to be in remarkably good condition; the only new parts required being pins for the kite and steam valve rod.
The eccentric block however, has been repositioned in the feather key position to improve alignment, requiring the eccentric strap to be reversed to provide the required off-set as shown in the photos. The flywheel is numbered 28120, but the pumping cylinder is unmarked. As with all Evans pumps, parts are interchangeable and often become swopped around during maintenance. The pump has been fully resored, tested on compressed air and found to run well. As with Pump No.32212 above, the crankshaft has an extension with a keyway for a governor flywheel so the opportunity has been taken
to retro-fit a 3/4 " Pickering Governor and disc flywheel. Increased the tension of the governor spring has enabled this pump to run slowly and smoothly on air without hunting. Size: 4" steam cylinder, 3" pumping cylinder with 4" stroke and 24" diameter flywheel-double acting. This pump was acquired from Jim Newnham in 2006 where it had been stored under cover for many years following its rescue from Beckton Gas Works along with 3 other similar pumps.
This pump is incomplete as the pumping cylinder is missing. The original pump piston rod was bronze and was stolen along with the pumping cylinder before the pump was collected from Beckton.
One of the air bottles is numbered 28763, the steam cylinder numbered 40308, but the flywheel is numbered 31812 and Evans works plate No. 31812 was found loosely wired to the chassis;
for these reasons this pump will now be known as No.31812. Upon stripping and examination the kite and small end bearing were found to be very worn and the apertures in the kite worn to an oval shape.
The small aperture was milled out to remove the ovalness and a new steel insert made and glued in place. A new small end bearing made and a crescent shaped piece of lead sheet inserted around
the kite pin to take up the gap. Without a pumping end a temporary steel gland keeper was made to locate the piston rod gland. Upon re-assembly the pump ran well on air. In March 2023 it was decided to transfer the pumping end cylinder from Weir Reliable, No. 322125 and convert this pump back to a complete Reliable pump along with a Pickering Governor; it still runs well on air. Size: 4" steam cylinder, 3" pumping cylinder with 4" stroke and 24" flywheel-double acting. This pump was acquired from Jim Newnham in 2006 where it had been stored under cover for many years following its rescue from Beckton Gas Works along with 3 other similar pumps. It was assembled and sold by
Weirs using Evans Type 680 castings, following the acquisition of the Joseph Evans reciprocating pump section by Weirs in 1962 from Pulsometer. The Weir works plate is shown in the photos and displays the Weirs of Cathcart Glasgow Logo.
During restoration the original Evans Serial number was found stamped on the chassis and steam cylinder, No. 59144. This tends to indicate that Joseph Evans had partially assembled unsold pumps held in stock at the
time of the buy out. Although probably the newest of the 4 pumps, this one was found to be in the poorest condition. Alignment was poor and 3mm had to be ground off the side of the kite casting to improve clearance. New steam
piston and valve rods made and a new slide valve and kite pin fitted. Again, to further help alignment, the eccentric block has been shifted along the crankshaft to the feather key position and a good second
hand set of eccentric straps fitted. The pumping cylinder is stamped MB 62165, tested 50lbs, and dated 18.8.64. The pump has been fully restored, tested on compressed air but even after much tweaking it still ran with a slight vertical jump as it turned - this must be an alignment problem but to date still
unable to fully eliminate it, possibly the centre line of the crankshaft bearings is slightly out compared with the centre line of the piston rods? For this reason it was decided, March 2023,
to transfer the pumping cylinder from this pump to 31812 - see above. The temporary gland keeper to locate the piston rod currently on 31812 has been re-used on this pump in order to
give support to the piston rod and enable the pump to turn. Size: 4" steam cylinder, 3" steam jacketted pumping cylinder with 4" stroke and 24" diameter flywheel, double acting. This pump was acquired from the second-hand store at Avenue Tar Plant, Wingerworth Chesterfield in November 1988, where it had been dumped along with many other steam pumps for several years. It was taken back to Caerphilly Tar Plant for temporary storage and then to Wiltshire in 2011. The pump has since been dismantled, cleaned, repainted and restored to its present condition. The crankshaft however has not been forged but has been machined with the following identification marks stamped on the crank webb. ME 92988/13, 029258, 68/1415, 12 - 11 - 68. The pump was designed to transfer liquid pitch and is fitted with a steam gland between the body and the pitch pump, the latter is steam jacketted, marked with a typical Evan's E casting mark and the whole unit mounted on its own base plate. This particular pump is not fitted with a
reversible eccentric; it has since been relocated to Internal Fire Museum. Size: 4" steam cylinder, 3" pumping cylinder with 4" stroke and 24" diameter flywheel, double acting. This pump was acquired from Beckton along with the other Reliable pumps from Jim Newnham in 2006. Before collection could be arranged the bronze liquid piston rod and valves were stolen, resulting in most of the cast iron cover plates missing. These have been replaced with MDF look-alike versions. The pump has been restored to its present condition. The steam cylinder has no identification number stamped on it so this cylinder has been retained on this pump. The connecting rod, eccentric block and strap are original Evan's parts, although the banjo has been badly worn from a loose kite pin and has since been sleeved. This particular pump is not fitted with a reversible eccentric; it runs well on compressed air. Size: 5" steam cylinder, 3" pumping cylinder with 6" stroke and 30" diameter flywheel, double acting. This pump was purchased by the Chemical Engineering Company in 1916 for the new Llanbradach tar and coke works north of Caerphilly in the Rhymney Valley, S Wales. At an unknown date (early 1930's) the pump was transferred to Bargoed where tar distillation was centralised up until 1939, when the new tar works at Caerphilly came on stream. After the war, this pump along with other equipment, was transferred to the Caerphilly site where it was installed initially on effluent disposal and finally on caustic soda duties, following the commissioning of the new naphthalene plant in 1962. In 1982 the naphthalene plant closed and the pump fell into disuse. The cylinder was removed in 1985 and used on a similar pump following frost damage. The remains, including the base plate were recovered in 1991 and transported to Essex. In 1996 the original cylinder was reunited with the pump enabling full restoration to be completed. This particular pump is fitted with a reversible eccentric. It has since been relocated to Internal Fire Museum. Video (6.7MB 10s) :Running on Compressed Air - Above Left View Size: 5" steam cylinder, 4" pumping cylinder with 6" stroke and 30" diameter flywheel-double acting. This horizontal Evans is a very early example. It originally came from Beckton Gas Works and has been out of use for many years. The pump is assembled, by individually bolting both cylinders and crankshaft bearing pedestals on to the common flat bedplate. An additional interesting detail is that both piston rods are threaded and screwed into the kite, adjusted and held by locking nuts. In the early 1900's this detail was changed to a cotter fixing with slotted piston rods and kite. Compared to more recent manufactured 6" stroke pumps, this method of fixing has resulted in a smaller kite and connecting rod. This pump was acquired from the Jim Newnham in June 2006 and is under restoration. In October 2013 the steam cylinder was re-bored and re-faced under contract by the Mid-Hants Railway Engineering Department and re-assembly has now commenced. New piston block, rings, bearings and eccentric straps have been made. The pump has been fully restored but requires so much air to run that consideration is being given to inserting a Nylon liner to reduce the bore. Size: 6" steam cylinder, 6" pumping cylinder with 9" stroke and 36" diameter flywheel, double acting. This pump was one of a pair installed in 1949, to transfer crude gas works tar from the new continuous horizontal gas retorts under construction at Panteg, Pontypool. The plant worked until the early sixties using coal as its feedstock, to produce towns gas for the Newport undertaking of the Wales Gas Board. The retorts were closed down following the construction of a new gas reforming plant that used naphtha oil as its feedstock. This plant also on the same site only ran for about 4 years when it too became redundant, but this time because of the advent of North Sea (Natural) Gas. In 1972 the remaining equipment was offered for sale prior to demolition. The 2 pumps were purchased by Thomas Ness for use as spares at their tar distillation works at Caerphilly for the price of £30 each, plus £3 (VAT @ 10% in those days!). No. 37672 was used for spares, whereas 37673 was installed as a replacement for 30898, the No 2 Daily Products pump worn out after 33 years of continuous use. 37673 was acquired from Caerphilly following closure of the tar works in 1986, along with the steam cylinder from 37672. Unlike 30898 this pump is fitted with a liner. The pump has been fully restored and runs well on compressed air. This pump has now been relocated to Internal Fire Museum, and regularly runs on steam on open days. Evans horizontal reliable pump No. 30898, size 8x6½x9 was scrapped many years ago, but the steam cylinder survives in the Museum of Power, Langford as a 'donation pot'. Size: 8" steam cylinder, 5" steam jacketted pumping cylinder with 9" stroke and 36"diameter flywheel, double acting. This pump was originally used at Beckton Gas Works, but had been unused for many years until acquired by its previous owner. It is an early design with the steam cylinder, pumping cylinder and bearing pedestals individually bolted onto the common bedplate, unlike pump 18949 this pump employs the later method of attaching the piston rods to the kite using cotters. In June 2006 it was acquired from Jim Newnham. It has since been donated to the Museum of Power at Langford, Essex where it is currently in covered storage. 
Reliable horizontal 4x2x4, Type 685, No.26900, 1929, Bedwas Coke Works
Video (6.8MB 10s) :Running on Compressed Air - Right View
Reliable horizontal 4x3/2½x4, Type 685, No.32212, 1941, Midland Tar Distillers, Oldbury Works, Wolverhampton
Reliable horizontal 4x3/2½x4, Type 680, No.30934, 1938, Caerphilly Tar Plant
Reliable horizontal 4x3x4, Type 680, No.19435, 1916, Beckton Gas Works
Reliable horizontal 4x3x4, Type 680, No.31812, 1940, Beckton Gas Works
Weir Reliable horizontal 4x3x4, Type 680, No.322125, 1962, Beckton Gas Works
#Reliable horizontal 4x3x4, Type 680, No number, ~1968, Manvers Tar Plant
Reliable horizontal 4x3x4, Type 680, No.69724, 1962, Beckton Gas Works
#Reliable horizontal 5x3x6, Type 685, No.19473, 1916, Llanbradach Coke Works
Video (6.3MB 10s) :Running on Compressed Air - Right View
Reliable horizontal 5x4x6, Type 685, No.18949, 1914, Beckton Gas Works
#Reliable horizontal 6x6x9, Type 685, No.37673, 1949, Pontypool Gas Works
$Reliable horizontal 8x5x9, Type 686, No.12011, 1905, Beckton Gas Works
