Lucknow Clock Restoration

[Lucknow Clock]

Hello All ,

I am new to this forum and new to clockmaking .

I am situated in the city of Lucknow , India . Acting on an article in the local " Times of India " newspaper , that , the powers that be ( local administration ) wanted to replace the non-functional mechanical clock in the local clock tower with an electronic display - a friend and I offered to repair the clock and preserve a part of our city's heritage.

Husainabad Clock Tower is one of the landmarks of Lucknow. Located adjacent to other historic buildings of this city, this clock tower is a perfect example to the artistic & structural skills available in Lucknow. Designed in the year 1881, Husainabad clock tower is adjudged as the tallest among all the clock towers in India with the biggest clock face .

The tower was designed by Roskell Payne in the Moorish style, it is 221 feet high and 20 feet square, built from 1882 to 1887 by the trustees of the Husainabad Endowment at the suggestion of the Deputy Commissioner in honour of Sir George Couper Bart. CS KCSI , the first Lieutenant Governer of the United Provinces of Oudh and NWP ( later renamed as the state of Uttar Pradesh in India). The trustees of Husainabad Endowment, administer the Husainabad and Allied Trusts set up as a religious and charitable institution by King Mohammad Ali Shah third King of Oudh under the 1838 Endowment before Oudh was annexed to British India .

The tower carries the biggest tower clock in India which was built by J.W. Benson of London in 1885 with 4 dials - 18 feet in diameter , five massive bells and a unique external lighting system for the clock.

Tragically the clock has stopped working in 1984 , attempts have been made since then to get it working , but it would seem that the attempts have come to a nought mainly due to the incapability of the local watch makers .

My friend is a mechanical engineer and I have been a seafarer for the last 32 years. We have been succesfully restoring vintage automobiles ( including repair/ fabrication of gears & gear trains ) , boat engines and other antique machines as a hobby for the last 12 years. We have offered our services free of cost for the project.

I came across this forum while surfing the net for data regarding our project and joined in the hope of assistance to overcome any hitches we may experience.

Regards
Chauhan

 

[gvasale]

Pictures of the clock, please.

 

[Burkhard Rasch]

Hallo,Chauhan,and wellcome to this message board of clock enthusiasts!Great idea to preserve an old mech.towerclock!Please post pics and ask questions here,there are many fellows willing to help!
Burkhard

 

[doug sinclair]

Many who follow this MB have experience in restoring tower clocks. Many of the skills and aptitudes you and your associate possess will come in very handy in achieving your goals. We look forward reports of your progress, and I am certain most of us who have been down this road will be glad to help where you need advice.

 

[Lucknow Clock]

Thank you all , for the warm welcome , will post updates once we begin the project - presently attaching the drawings which appeared in the "Engineering" magazine / papers in 1885 and the only original document availabl for the clock . Would anyone know where the "Engineering" can be accessed ?

 

[Lucknow Clock]

Hello All ,

I had disappeared from the forum as I did not have much to report , but, on 26th of October 2010 , we achieved a milestone when we regenerated the Great Lucknow Clock , exactly to it's original specification as per J.W. Benson and test ran the clock.

I will record our restoration process , towards which I start with an article from the " Times of India" .

 

[doug sinclair]

Thank you for the update. Many of us who lurk here have come the same route as you have. That being having rescued a wonderful old tower clock from the scrap yard. You are to be congratulated!

 

[John Hubby]

Chauhan, congratulations on your work to date and the success of getting the movement to operate properly. Do keep us updated on your progress with the striking mechanism, photos would be very much appreciated.

 

[Vineet Prasad]

Congratulations for the Great work. Please post some picutres of the clock as it looks after the restoration. How is the strike and chime train work going?