RD #1, Box 456 Nichols, New York 13812
My records show that my Frick 6′ bore x 9′ stroke double
cylinder engine #21659 (boiler #14774) was shipped to the Town of
LeRay-Evans Mills, New York (as sales order #6906-B) on March 12,
1921. It was used on a stone crusher.
1921 Frick double cylinder traction engine now owned by Kirk
In 1937, Mr. Ernest G. Wetterhahn bought the engine and moved it
to La Fargeville, New York, where he rented it to the township
which also used it to run a stone crusher. It was brought home to
Mr. Wetterhahn’s every Fall to be cleaned and stored for the
Winter months. This went on until 1942. It was then purchased
around the early ’50s by Mr. Ransome Wright of Parrish, New
York. It then sat out many years of disuse until I purchased it in
January 1974. I loaded it on a trailer on April 14, 1974 (my 31st
birthday) to bring it home to Nichols, New York, where much time
was spent restoring it to its original form the roof was almost
completely gone, letting the elements take their toll. The only
thing I have not put back on as yet are the side ‘contractors
tanks’ (water tanks). As this engine has a ‘New York
Standard’ boiler it was never out of the state until I began
taking it to East Smithfield, Pennsylvania for the Bradford County
Old Timers show every year in August.
The steam locomotive headlight that is now mounted on the front
of my engine also has a bit of history. It is off locomotive #232,
the last steamer on the Delaware Lackawanna & Western R.R.
whose fire was dropped for the last time on July 13, 1953.
