Al Steffeck’s Machines

Al Steffeck, of Helena, Montana, who retired several years ago
from his snow plow sales business, has several machines which are
stored outside the headquarters of the company, now run by his son,
Jim. Our cousin, John Baucus at Wolf Creek, told us about him and
we interviewed him one sunny day last summer.

One of the machines is a steam roller, which Steffeck has had
for about 30 years. It was once owned by the City of Helena. He
traded a new Buffalo for it, then fired it up and ran it. It was
bought new in 1912.

Another of his pieces is a Russell, which he found locked up in
a barn in Kibby Canyon in 1966. It had never been out of the barn
since 1926, and had dust on it about two inches thick. But it had
the original paint on it, and had been run only 10 days a year for
16 years, threshing for eight or nine farmers who were neighbors of
the owner. ‘Then combines came and ruined things,’ Steffeck
comments.

Steffeck paid about $1,000, which was what the owner wanted for
it, and got the whistle, the original instruction book and all the
tools. He painted it black and used to run it every summer.

He also owns a Case, 1919 cross engine, with rubber tires. It
was used for thrashing. Case took it back on a trade-in, and
Steffeck bought it from Case for $50 about 1946.

An Erie, rounding out his collection, has proved a headache.
‘I got it for nothing,’ he comments, ‘and wish I had
looked at it better and left it. I had to put in all new flues and
still have to paint it. I have more money in it than I’ll ever
get out.’