R.R. 5, Box 1, Grand Island, Nebraska 68801
When I was a small boy living with my parents, one brother and
three sisters on a farm northwest of Grand Island in 1902, my
father was part owner of a steam engine and threshing machine. In
1904, at age 14, my job was to help pitch the bundles into the
threshing machine. I loved the smell of the smoke coming over
At age 66, I retired from working as a dairyman for the State of
Nebraska after 33 years. At age 72, I needed something to do
besides garden and yard work, so decided to build myself a small
steam engine, a replica of a 1912 Case engine.
The machine was built at John Bausch Welding Shop. Bausch
assembled much of the vehicle from scratch, including the boiler.
My good friend, Forrest Pence from Harvard, Nebraska, being a steam
and gas engine man, owns a lot of gas and steam engines and he
helped me a great deal and really got my engine running in ‘tip
top’ shape. He, being a restorer of gas and steam engines knew
where to get a lot of the parts I needed. Some of the parts are
new, such as the flues, as they came from Chicago. The rear wheels
are a part of an old grain binder built around 1912. The gear box
that helps turn the front wheels came from a Model T Ford. The
cylinder inside which moves the piston that turns the flywheel came
from Minneapolis. The all brass whistle was made by my friend, Ray
Jorgensen, from Dannebrog, Nebraska, and he placed the whistle on
the machine just a few weeks before he passed away.
I live with my wife, Marian, northwest of Grand Island. I have
two stepdaughters, four grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
They enjoy seeing the machine run whenever they come home to
visit.
20 HP replica of a 1912 Case built and owned by John. It was
built from 1974 to 1977.
I have a lot of fun with my machine and met a lot of new people
that have come to see it and enjoyed many hours of fun this past
summer.
I have been offered a good price for my engine, but it is not
for sale yet.
I am a fairly new subscriber to the Iron Men Album Magazine, but
I do enjoy each issue so very much and can hardly wait for the new
issue to arrive.
