Mission Accomplished
Dream becomes reality in half-scale Case steam engine
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Gerald Lee’s half-scale Case steam traction engine.
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I would like to share a story about achieving a
42-year-old dream - owning my own steam traction engine. This story
begins in 1965 when my parents took me to the National Threshers
Reunion in Wauseon, Ohio. For as long as I can remember I've had a
strong interest in old iron, whether it is antique automobiles,
tractors or steam locomotives. But the trip to Wauseon introduced
me to something I had never seen before - steam traction
engines.
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My interest and knowledge of steam was fostered by my uncle,
Ralph Lee, and by attending many reunions at Wauseon over the
years. As I studied traction engines, I realized large storage
space and heavy equipment were required to own, maintain and show
the engines. Concerned about the logistics of owning a full-size
engine, I began to notice some of the exhibitors were bringing
scale model engines to the shows. I saw this as a practical answer
to achieving my steam experience: I would build my own half-scale
steam traction engine. However, I would have to wait 35 years to
have the resources to achieve my dream.
Setting the stage
In 2000, I found myself in the position to realistically pursue
that dream. However, my shop lathe and milling machine were too
small for such a project and I knew just enough about welding to
know I had no business building my own boiler. My first step was to
find a set of plans. Through an advertisement in Iron-Men
Album, I obtained a set of half-scale Case engine plans from
Lloyd Creed. Armed with that road map, I began to search for a
builder to construct an engine, which became a challenge. My wife,
Vicki, pointed out an advertisement in Live Steam for
Steam Age USA, which was right in my own backyard.
The day after Thanksgiving in 2003, Vicki and I went to Cypress,
Texas, about 30 minutes from our home. There we met the owners of
Steam Age, Raymond and Valerie Pennell. After several hours talking
about steam, and viewing the scale live steam locomotives Ray was
constructing, we set plans in motion to begin construction of my
half-scale Case steam engine.
Over the course of several years, starting in the spring of
2004, steel was ordered for the boiler and wheel rims and delivered
to Steam Age. The adventure had begun. The boiler was finished and
tested in June. The boiler, as it turned out, was the easy part of
the project. While the boiler was being constructed, I ordered a
set of castings for the engine from Lloyd and had them shipped to
Texas so they would be ready to be machined after the boiler was
finished.
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