Wiles Junior Cooker

[Tony Smith]

Originally Posted by Phil Waterman

Hi

Been reading the thread and waiting for someone to post a picture.

Cheers Phil

You've been waiting long enough, Phil.

Here are some photos from the online catalog of an auction held today. The Wiles Junior cooker had an in-date boiler certificate and was certified to 100psi, seller claimed that it was one of only 3 such certified boilers, but I suspect that may have been Victoria only.

For those interested, the Cooker made AU$9000 plus buyer's fees. I know there were at least 2 MLU'ers interested in the bidding, but don't who got it.

[Tony Smith]

The same auction also has the remains of a second cooker.

It still retains it ARN plate, reading 162998.

Looking at the AWN 126 listings, there is a Copperplate notation next to this batch of numbers. Can anyone decipher it?

[Mike Cecil]

'Allotted to ORD2 for Trailers Cooker'

Did the auction happen to list the boiler numbers, Tony?

Mike

[Tony Smith]

I don't think the 2nd cooker included the boiler, it was not visible in the pics.

Neither item description included a boiler number, but the boiler certificate shows 2 numbers: 2632 and BIA B19078. Do either of them sound like the original format?

[Mike Cecil]

2632 is about right for a Wiles Junior: thanks Tony.

Burning the midnight oil again, Tony?

Mike

[Tony Smith]

Up early for a Sunday morning, aren't you? The sun never sets on MLU!

[Mike Cecil]

Alarm goes off at 6. Sundays are like every other day around here. Morning coffee = check the email, check the forums, check several news feeds, head along the passage to the office....

2632 is the highest boiler number I have heard of - the next is 2492 on ARN 163114. But it is close enough to be the original boiler, as the records I have for the Juniors have very few boiler numbers recorded, and there are enough of them to reach 2632 at least. Wiles boilers, unlike the chassis/equipment numbers, appear to be a simple progression, so adding up the Seniors, statics and juniors, and possibly the spares, it easily comes to 2632.

Mike