Whatever you do, do not get in Kory Anderson’s way.
It’s not that Kory is a malicious sort. But words like reverse, retreat, stop and surrender are not part of his vocabulary. Instead, his passion is fueled by a high-octane formula of plain, old-fashioned determination.
For much of his life, Kory has been consumed by the thought of a Case 150hp Road Locomotive. “The 150hp Case steam engine was built as the largest steam traction engine of its time, but all we have left are the stories and a few pictures,” he says. “Ever since I was a little boy, I’ve been fascinated by it.”
Few people know much about the largest steam engine Case constructed. Only nine were built from 1904-07 and not a single one is known to survive. Even in the small group of people who’ve actually heard of the Case Road Locomotive, there were skeptics. Over time, the massive engine began to look suspiciously like a myth to some — but not to Kory.
For most folks, childhood dreams fade quickly. Only rarely do they take root and grow, and even more rarely do those dreams become reality. So when you read in this issue of Farm Collector the story of Kory Anderson’s creation of a correct, authentic, working replica of a 150 Case Road Locomotive, you will know you’ve got hold of something special.
I’m not going to rain on writer Loretta Sorensen’s parade. She did a terrific job with this article, and you’ll enjoy settling in with it. Nor am I going to ramble on about time and money spent in pursuit of a dream, or the mechanical genius it took to bring this marvelous thing into being.
But I will say a thing or two about dreams. They are as fragile as gossamer and as strong as steel. They are nonsensical to many but set a steady course for others. They cast some onto the shoals; they lift some to unimaginable heights. And it is not all that often you see one realized. With this issue of Farm Collector, I hope you’ll enjoy a close look at one man’s dream brought to life! FC