There are times when the Sandstone Heritage Collection turns up an item that was placed in storage many years ago and inadvertently forgotten! Recently a visitor to Sandstone was being shown around the shed containing our unrestored 2ft gauge locomotives and rolling stock when they came across an open “B” wagon containing a large amount of machinery, some large, and some small, but obviously one machine.
Our next information sheet for the Stationary Engine Museum, compiled by Keith Simmons, is for the Climax Fire Pump.
Sandstone has had a large Ruston Stationary engine in the “to do” line for many years and now, thanks to the assistance of Danie Pretorius, Curator of Sandstone’s Stationary Engine Museum, this magnificent engine is to be rebuilt for eventual use as a pumping engine for an irrigation system at Sandstone.
Thanks to the efforts of Danie Pretorius and his team, our Stationary Engine collection at Sandstone has its own museum. If you search for “Stationary Engine Museum” on the Sandstone website your first document listed will be the stock list. https://www.sandstone-estates.com/index.php/stationary-engines-62/43-stationary-engines/3512-the-stationary-engine-collection
Keith Simmons has been a regular visitor to Sandstone for many years and assisted us with some of the technicalities of our web site when we moved service providers and webmaster some years ago. He has a passion for Stationary Engines and has brought his small Stirling Engine to many events at Sandstone including Stars of Sandstone 2019 and our recent Easter Steam Festival. The attached PDF from Keith describes the Stirling while the attached photo illustrates the size of the Stirling, Click here and enjoy the read!
In July 2021 we featured the 1939 Dennis Trailer Pump as we acquired it, see The Dennis Fire Pump Trailer. (sandstone-estates.com)
It has now been totally restored by Janki Palmer and his team at Sandstone and is now ready for display. Have a look at our photo gallery to see the pump in all its splendour.
We could do with some help if any of our readers have information as to what decals would have been on the pump, other than the brass “Dennis” badge, as we have no reference for this. If you can help, contact Dave Richardson on
In January this year we published a list of our Stationary Engine Collection, see: The_Stationary_Engine_Collection.pdf (sandstone-estates.com)
Our pride and joy is the National Engine from 1935.
This recently acquired item was subject to a search by the Dennis Society in the UK and we thank Tim Stubbs for his efforts. The details of the pump were provided by Laurence Spring at the Surrey Heritage Centre in the UK who hold all the records of Dennis who were based in Guildford in Surrey in the UK. The company, famous for its fire engines, closed in 2007.
Stationary Engines are often overlooked compared with more impressive exhibits.
The smaller examples at Sandstone have their own dedicated Museum situated in the main complex and set up from scratch by volunteer Curator, Danie Pretorius and his energetic team. They have brought together all the stationary engines previously stored in various locations at Sandstone. Pride of the collection however is the National Engine, situated away from the main Stationary Engine Museum, at the Waenhuis. It drives the original generator system that supplied electricity to Hoekfontein Farm. Few visitors fail to notice the distinctive thump-thump from its exhaust when it is running.
Stationary engines have been the backbone of rural existence since the early 1900s, powering water pumps, generators and numerous other pieces of equipment and machinery requiring an independent power source, prior to the general availability of electricity.
The preservation and restoration of stationary engines is a worldwide activity and leads to much exchange of information between enthusiasts, the Sandstone team is no exception.
Click here to view : The Stationary Engine CollectionThe Stationary Engine Collection
Sandstone is always on the lookout for items under threat and it was with great delight that we received a letter from Sean Brown of Singisi Forest Products donating two old portable steam engines that stood outside their sawmill gates in Weza, Kwa Zulu Natal, some 50kms east of Kokstad, and were to be scrapped. The initiative is thanks to a good friend of Sandstone, Brian Collinge, who discovered their pending fate and negotiated the donation.
At this moment in time the details of the type and age of the two portables is unknown as records are not available however we shall be examining them in great detail when they arrive at Sandstone.
