History – The story of an engine

In pride of place in the Kauri Museum at Matakohe is what is thought to be the largest surviving Davey Paxman portable compound engine in the world. This rare engine (Paxman No. 20428) was built in Colchester, England, in 1921. James Paxman, the company’s founder, was a talented engineer. He built up the Paxman engineering works with the assistance of two financial backers, brothers Henry and Charles Davey. Established in 1865, the company rapidly expanded. They employed more than 1000 men in 1901 and over 2500 in the 1960s. Initially, the company supported the farming and milling industries of Great Britain and abroad, but as these industries declined, they changed to producing different machinery and equipment. In the 1920s, Paxman was the leading manufacturer of steam engines and mining equipment. In 2005, the business was purchased by the German company MAN B&W.

Paxman No. 20428 has an engine rating of 20 NHP (Nominal Horse Power) and was the largest portable engine produced by Paxman. While the Paxman catalogue offered 25 NHP and 30 NHP models, these were not portable. The 20 NHP engine was designed to have a maximum working boiler pressure of 140 psi (pound-force per square inch, or working pressure) and it was this work capacity that attracted the attention of the Public Works Department in NZ.

The works department placed an order for the portable engine with Davy Paxman agents on 13 May, 1920. The machine was shipped to New Zealand in October 1921 and sent to the Public Works Department in Tauranga. From 1922 to 1927, the engine was central in construction of the North Island’s East Coast railway. From 1927 to 1930, it was used at a sawmill in Waikoau, milling timber for the Napier to Gisborne railway. From 1930 to 1936, the Davey Paxman lay idle until it passed into private ownership, and George Mills and his sons used the machine to drive their sawmill at Ashley Clinton, in the Hawkes Bay. Mills looked after the Paxman and kept it well maintained.

In 1987, the engine passed to the Forest Service, which shifted it to Rotorua where they planned to display it as an historic item. However, this never happened.

In 1990, the engine was gifted to the Kauri Museum. It was stored for a couple of years, but then a group of steam enthusiasts undertook its restoration. This project was completed in June 1998, and it has been on display at the museum since November 1998.

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, helping with the maintenance and restoration of the museum’s machinery, please contact Marion Walsh on 021 823 944 or email marion.walsh@kaurimuseum.com