[SEL] Wow ! Quite a find.

[Ron Frost]

Jerry, At the risk of sounding stupid, What is a roller mill's product?

 Ron Frost    http://picasaweb.google.com/ronfrost217/MyPhotos     Collector of other peoples cultured merchandise

--- On Thu, 5/20/10, Jerry Evans <jerrye at databak.co.za> wrote:

From: Jerry Evans <jerrye at databak.co.za>
Subject: [SEL] Wow ! Quite a find.
To: sel at lists.stationary-engine.com, stationary-engine at oldengine.org
Date: Thursday, May 20, 2010, 4:28 PM

Hi all you Guys 'n Gals out there in preservation land,

         From past posts some of you probably remember that one of my 
favourite places is "Sandstone Estates":
<www.sandstone-estates.com>

         Well !!! Look what they just got. A fully equipped, historically 
significant, roller mill factory.

This factory is situated in Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape Province of 
South Africa and dates to the 1880's. Grahamstown was the most important 
town in the area accupied by the original 1820 British Settlers and the 
area is still "very British".

         The mill is centrally situated in the City of Grahamstown 
(Grahamstown qualifies as a "city" by virtue of the fact that it has a 
Cathedral) and as too often happens today, the ground is just too valuable 
and the "developers" have got in.

         The whole Mill House came up for auction last week and Sandstone 
bought it at a bargain price.

         It consists of a 4 level milling operation all driven by an 1880's 
(sometime) Crossley Suction Gas engine via lineshafts. There are 4 Roller 
mills included as well as ALL ancillary equipment.

         By prior arrangement with the owners and auctioneers the complete 
building (due for demolition), including the roof and woodwork (floors & 
roof trusses) as well as all tools, all documents etc. formed part of the 
"Lot".

         Well, I cannot describe everything in this post - go and have a 
look yourselves:

<http://www.sandstone-estates.com/index.php/agricultural-heritage/41-agricultural-heritage/971-16th-may-2010-sandstone-heritage-trust-bids-successfully-on-phoenix-mill-in-grahamstown>

         If this link "wraps" then copy the part between the <> brackets 
into your browser.

         I do not have confirmation on the price apart from a newspaper 
article someone sent me but it was a bargain. I'd rather not mention it on 
a public forum at this time but suffice to say that if Arnie (or a few 
other list members) gave up his "beer money" for a year it could have been 
theirs.

         Of course it is going to take many times this amount to dismantle 
it, move it to it's new home at Sandstone and re-erect it but you can read 
all about that on the linked page above.

         It appears that my friend, Andy Selfe, may be tasked with this 
"job" which will probably take a few years. (But Sandstone does get a "move 
on" with projects like this). I hope that I'm invited to the "Start Up".

         While you are on Sandstones site have a look at this page which 
says a few nice things about me:
<http://www.sandstone-estates.com/index.php/railway-heritage/39-railway-heritage/976-sas-and-sar-lettering>.
         (Please forgive the unashamed "ego bashing". It's really nice when 
customers go to this amount of effort to say "thanks" for a job done. 
Whenever I do work for them I get a personal letter from the "big boss" 
thanking me for my effort. Not too many businesses do that anymore and it 
is well appreciated - makes me try harder next time.)

         He (the owner/"big boss") also owns a farm in the UK:
<http://www.pertwood.co.uk/> The pretty girl on the front page is his 
daughter Tamara.

         All for now, enjoy the links.

Keep the revs up (or down)
Jerry Evans
Near Johannesburg in Sunny South Africa.
Etched Brass Engine Plates made to order:
<www.oldengine.org/members/evans/plates/index.htm>  

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