Corliss Steam Engine, 1892

This engine was designed by George Henry Corliss and built by his Corliss Steam Engine Company. The unique Corliss valve gear made this engine more efficient than others and the design was widely copied. We believe this is the only engine built by the Corliss Steam Engine Company that is running under steam today.

This is a girder frame engine constructed in 1892. A noteworthy feature is the wrist plate that drives the valves. This consists of a cast spider instead of the more commonly encountered disc or spoked wheel. The use of bold curves in the various parts of the engine is also a characteristic of engines produced by the Corliss Steam Engine Co. A careful study of this engine suggests that its original crankshaft was replaced by a disc crank by its owners, the Stratton Co. The disc must have been heated in a furnace and then shrunk on the crankshaft with two compression collars; a remarkable achievement by mechanics working in the remote areas of Maine. The engine also got a new Franklin Machine Company cylinder in 1926.

This engine was installed in a mill in Stratton, Maine that made made turned wood products. It ran for a long time and was only taken out of service when it’s cylinder head accidentally blew off. The engine has been restored to run on steam.

Stratton Manufacturing Company New Cylinder
Our Corliss Steam Engine got a new Franklin Machine Company cylinder in 1926