23405 E. 2200 North Road Odell, Illinois 60460
No. 11118 running power-eater at the National Threshers Reunion
in Wauseon, Ohio. John Haley is running the engine.
I sure have been enjoying the good articles in the latest
issues, so I thought I’d better take my turn and contribute
something again.
My tale begins with the continuing story of the 1910 25-75 Case
I bought from Russ Gelder a few years back.
I started with the boiler and engine and have now added wheels
from North Dakota, some gears from Wisconsin, levers from the upper
part of Michigan and miscellaneous parts from around home. The
missing parts list isn’t completed yet, but is much shorter
than when I began. This has been a fun and rewarding project so
far, and if I don’t end up selling it first, maybe it will be a
complete and running engine soon.
I thought I might need to let it go when we decided our family
had outgrown our current home, but we moved to our new home last
April and the 75 is still here. I guess we will see if I finish it
or someone else gets to do it.
The next part of my tale is the story of how a 1902 20-60 Case
came to live with us. Ralph Noggle in Wisconsin had advertised this
engine a few years ago. Jim Russell from Oblong, Illinois, a good
friend of mine, was looking for an engine so, after a phone call to
me to see if I had time to go look at engines, a trip was planned,
and a few days later we were headed for Wisconsin. Jim’s dad,
Bob Russell, came along since he too is infected by ‘steam
fever.’ He owns a very nice 50 Case. Well, we got to
Ralph’s and looked the Case over pretty closely, and on the way
home Jim was asking me what I thought. I told him it would make a
nice engine, especially since the boiler was so good. As the trip
home went on, the conversation turned to my 18 HP Russell and how
much Jim would like to have an engine that shared his last name.
I’m sure Jim knew that I really have a fondness for Case, so
when he said what a nice pair the 20 Case and the 75 I have been
restoring would make, a deal was in the making. I’m not sure
who was more excited, Jim or I, but I do know we each ended up with
a good engine. Yes, that’s right, Jim bought the Russell and I
got the 20-60 Case from Ralph’s.
After I got the 20 home, the first thing I did was fire it and
try her out. It really is a fun engine to run. The list of things I
have done to it include: rebuilding the reverse, some new gears,
new smoke stack, new platform, tank and varnished oak sides. I
also, with the help of my wife Sue and son Graham, cleaned and
painted it from front to back. We have shown it at three or four
shows already and really enjoy every one of them.
Well, this is the end of this tale for now, but I’m sure
there will be more in the future. The Lord truly has blessed me
with a beautiful family, a great hobby and friends to share it
with.
