Chief Engineer, North Jersey Museum of Power and Steam Inc. 29
Marshall Avenue Little Ferry, New Jersey 07643.
Many Iron-Men Album readers will have an interest in a project
being carried out by a unique group of students at a New Jersey
high school.
The stationary engineering class of the Bergen County Vocational
has come to be known as the ‘engine room project’.
This ambitious project consists of the installation, restoration
and regular operation of 4 steam engines in the school’s boiler
room.
The 4 engines, all rescued from local plants are now fully
operational with cosmetic restoration now underway.
The oldest engine, #1, was built in 1896 by the Donegan &
Swift Company of New York and formerly drove a lineshaft in a
Maywood, N.J. factory. This engine is of the classic ‘bottle
frame’ type with steam admission controlled by a simple slide
valve.
#2 engine formerly drove a forced draft fan for the Hackensack
Water Company in the Oradell pumping station and is a vertical
single cylinder machine. This engine was built by the Clarage
Company and is equipped with piston valve gear.
Engine #3 is a 2 cylinder vertical marine engine equipped with
Stephenson reversing gear. This engine was built by the B. F.
Sturtevant Company and rescued from a partially sunken New York
Harbor tug in 1980.
The #4 engine narrowly escaped the scrapper’s torch. This
engine is a 2 cylinder type equipped with ‘rocking’ valve
gear and was built by the Combustion Engineering Corporation as a
stoker drive for the Central Railroad Company of New Jersey and was
used in the line’s Jersey City powerhouse. Due mainly to the
understanding efforts of a railroad official the engine was removed
a mere 2 hours before the scrapping crew arrived!
All four engines and many other pieces of steam driven equipment
will be in operation during the annual Open House on Wednesday, May
13, 1987 from 7-9 PM and the stationary engineering students would
like to invite any interested Iron-Men Album readers to visit and
enjoy the sights of live steam at work. Cameras are welcome! The
Bergen County Vocational Technical High School is located at 200
Hackensack Avenue, Hackensack, New Jersey, 07601. Telephone:
201-343-6000.
For a Bow Two picturesThis turbo generatory set
formerly served on board a Merritt Chapman & Scott floating
derrick and has been completely overhauled.
This 30 HP Avery under-mount #4019 is owned by the Drummond
Brothers. The photo was taken at the 1980 Mad River Steam Show in
Urbana, Ohio.
