LETTERS

Rushville, Indiana, this year and enjoyed ourselves very much with
five of the steamers out in the big field. I started running steam
engines at 12 years of age in 1887. My first was a 10hp. A & T,
horse guide, wood rim wheels with cast iron hubs. My next was a
Lansing, 4 wheel drive with chain gearing on transmission. My first
to own was a 10 hp. Frick.

We, here in Pekin, will celebrate the coming 4th of July (1956)
with two steamers in the parade, which will be the 126th
celebration on that date in this community. Come on over.

I’ll sign off with a Merry Christmas to you all. Your
brother in the steam ring

ARTHUR H. WELLER Pekin, Indiana

P. S. 126 years is a long time. I have attended 76 of them, this
1956 will be 77 times for meour crowds are estimated at 8,000 to
9,000 people. The parade in 1955 was one mile long. A.H.W.

ENJOYED MY FIRST YEAR

I surely have enjoyed my first year with the IRON-MEN ALBUM. It
was responsible for my trip to the Pontiac Reunion last summer.

I took my three oldest boys with me, ages 12, 10 and 8. Now the
oldest spent most of the day at the gun display. The second was a
real steam fan, in fact he was fortunate enough to drive one
steamer to the river and back. My what a thrill. My third boy just
enjoyed everything including the lunch counter and drinking pop
most of the time. I plan to take the little fellow, now age 5, who
stayed home with mother, next year.

CLAUDE WINGROVE Lincoln, Nebraska

QUITE ANCIENT 20 HP. CASE

Please find enclosed my check for another year of the ALBUM also
a photo of another engine I bought and brought home from eastern
Oregon. I found this one out in the ‘sticks’ where it was
used to run a sawmill. I tested the boiler and run it up to 170
cold water test. I had it hauled on a low boy truck about 135
miles. It is one the junk dealers did not get and had set for
between 12 and 15 years right out in the open. Some varmints had
gone in the exhaust up through the heater and had about a pail full
of sawdust inside the cylinder. So I had to take the cylinder head
off and take out the piston to get the sawdust cleaned out.

The rings were rusted solid so I poured kerosene and stove oil
on the piston and went to hitting the rings with a stick, finally
getting them loosened up. I had a bull dozer pull it out of the
canyon since we could not steam it up on account of needing some
work done on it first. It was a mountain road and there was no
brake on it, so I hooked a 2 ton truck behind to hold back when we
came to a hill. After some connive ring we got it to the home of a
friend where we loaded it on the low boy.

When I got it home I had a man hook his tractor to the old
engine and I wrapped a rope around the fly wheel and that was the
way we unloaded it. It is a 20hp. Case and quite ancient number
10955.

Coming home from the ‘sticks’ a limb hit the smoke stack
and knocked it off so I had to have that welded. Then I painted it
with aluminum paint so it would rust no more until I got it in the
shed. It is now in very nice shape. I think when the Case Company
quit making steam engines their number was about 35000 so you see
it is quite old. I believe about 1914.

I also have a Buffalo Pitts 1895 model half the number was
broken off. I look forward to getting the ALBUM wish I could afford
to go to all the reunions 7 threshing bees. Best regards to Elmer
and Earlene and more steam to the ALBUM.

W. E. WALSTON Willamette, Oregon

CASE ‘OLD SMOKY’

I received my first copy of your magazine today and enjoyed it
very much. Until recently I did not know there was such a magazine
published.

I am enclosing a picture of myself with ‘Old Smokey’.
This is a Case engine, 60hp., serial No. 34206, manufactured April
30, 1917. It was shipped August 22, 1918 to Craig, Colorado, and
used around there for various jobs until last August, when I
purchased it, reflued and overhauled it and now use it for
parades.

I also have a Kelly-Springfield road-roller and a Case 50 hp.,
serial 31007 

ROY TIDWELL 439 Terry St., Longmont, Colorado

NOT GOING TO LOSE ME

Am sending you my renewal as I want to extend my subscription.
No indeed you are not going to lose me for a subscriber as I think
very highly of the ALBUM and prize it as one of my most desired
magazines. Best wishes to all.

WILLIAM PETERSON Henderson, Illinois

NOTE FROM THE SECRETARY

Strange how we meet in this world. My father-in-law worked with
Mr. Peterson in Illinois more than 50 years ago. I have
corresponded with him.

KARL MR. NELSON IS CORRECT

In your Jan.-Feb., 1956 issue there is a correction by Wm. R.
Benda, R. D., Millan, Illinois, in regard to N. B. Nelson’s 3
Model steam engines, Case, Advance and Huber. Mr. Benda wrote in
his article that Advance never did make a 22hp. side mounted
engine. I would say Mr. Nelson is correct. If I am not badly
mistaken Advance made a 22hp. Single Cylinder side mounted engine
with a Lafever type straw burning boiler. There is a good photo in
the IRON-MEN Magazine of Jan.-Feb., 1953 issue sent in by Harry
Trego, Halstead, Kansas, my old home state and I think Mr. Trego
knows his engines. In T. H. Smith’s Album of American Engines
they are full of dimensions of Advance engines of 22 hp., also
plain photos, page 3, if Mr. Benda wishes to refer to them.

I have been operating and owned steam engines until about 1940,
starting in Kansas in 1900. Many different makes, the most number
of years with under mounted Avery’s. But always thought the
Advance one of the finest steam engines.

ELI BRENKMAN Pekin, Illinois

YOUR UNCLE DUDLEY GOES

Your Uncle Dudley goes to a few reunions here and there and I
sure do get a bang out of the different methods used in firing a
boiler. I have fired upright and horizontal engines for quite a few
years and seems as though all the firemen think of is smoke to take
a picture. Smoke will not make steam but will plug the flues. With
a cold boiler clean the grates, put in four or five shovels of coal
then put the kindling on the top of the coal, light your fire,
leave the fire door open about three inches till the boiler feels
hot to the touch and you will get steam in half the time it takes
some of the firemen I have observed.

C. W. BARD Corunna, Indiana

THEN SOMETIMES AGAIN

Please find my renewal enclosed as I like the little magazine
and read it from cover to cover and then sometimes again. I like
the nice pictures also. I run a 20hp. Russell Compound during
harvest for 5 years pulling a 30×50 Aultman Taylor separator. I
also owned a 10×10 Case engine with which I threshed as well as
doing a lot of logging and hauling. Now I own a portable sawmill
mounted on rubber which I operate with a Diesel engine. It is good
power but I like the steam much better. The Diesel is not so
dangerous from the fire angle and it is handier.

J. J. UHLEMKOLT Kuterville, Idaho

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