R. D. 1, La Grange, Ohio
Pictured is a 1927 Baker ‘2175’ owned and driven by
Laurel Runals, Diagonalrd, RD La Grange. Runals was accompanied by
a ‘crew’ of R. Buckingham, Roger Moore and an assortment of
Runals and Buckingham children.
The Baker, like similiar engines at one time was the ultimate in
power to drive the threshing machines, to separate the grain from
the straw and chaff. In the western states where planting was done
in larger fields the steam engines were used to pull big gang plows
and other equipment.
The ‘2175’ is part of a collection owned by Runals. The
group includes another steam engine (a Case 50), 4 Rumley Oil-Pull
tractors, a ‘1020 Titan’ and several other old small
engines. The ‘2175’ rated 75 horsepower on the belt and 21
horsepower on the drawbar. It of course has steel wheels with lugs
on the pulling wheels. Gears for propelling it and the pulley can
be seen under the fly wheel. It featured ‘Armstrong power
steering,’ in that it took a strong arm to spin the wheel that
wound up the chains that turned the front axle to steer the rig.
‘Crusing speed’ over the road was about 2 miles per
hour.
Runals uses the big engine only for exhibitions such as the
Lorain co Fair and steam engine men’s reunions. There are few
steam engine men left but it doesn’t take long to draw a crowd
of other interested people when a blast of the multi-toned whistle
is let loose.
