22343 Lemoyne Road, Pemberville, Ohio 43450.
I would like to report on the revival of the National Threshers
Steam Engine Economy Run, but first a little background.
The old A. D. Baker prony brake that the National Threshers used
for years wasn’t being used anymore and needed repairing. So a
few years ago, Steve Lash away and I repaired the brake and learned
enjoyment operating the brake and hearing the different engines
bark. We use it at the National Threshers and Five Points Shows
where we have had a lot of good help operating it.
We started thinking about operating an economy run like they did
years ago when Leroy Blaker was president of National Threshers.
Tracy Powers and I looked through old IMA’s and came up with
some guidelines by discussions with older engineers and
experimenting before the show.
Results Of The Economy Run Of Steam Traction Engines
At National Threshers Assn. Reunion At Montpelier, Ohio June 22,
23, 24, 1961
Owners Name
Make of Engine
H. P. Rating
HP. Load At Brake
Lbs. Of Coal Used
Lbs. Of Water Used
Lbs. Of Coal Hp. Hr.
Lbs. Of Water Hp. Hr.
Lbs. Of Water Eva Lb. Coal
Engineer
National Threshers
Port Huron
19-65
49.50
172
1500
3.47
30.01
8.71
LeRoy Blaker
Percy Sherman
Baker
23-90
59.40
196
1758
3.30
29.59
8.96
Percy Sherman
William Benner
Baker
21-75
42.3
194
1294
4.58
30.59
6.66
William Benner
Walter Knapp
Port Huron
19-65
40.75
122
1216
2.99
29.84
9.97
Walter Knapp
LeRoy Blaker
Port Huron
24-75
57.96
204
1704
3.51
29.39
8.35
Sawmill Engine
Irel Ashbaugh
Minneapolis
20-60
46.15
250
1840
5.41
39.87
7.36
Irel Ashbaugh
Dean Sounders
Port Huron
24-75
49.20
204
1344
4.14
27.32
6.58
Dean Sounders
LeRoy Blaker
Port Huron
24-75
61.5
184
1538
2.99
25.01
8.35
LeRoy Blaker
At Montpelier, Ohio June 24, 1960
John Holp
Advance
20-60
45.20
268
1472
5.93
32.56
5.49
John Holp
At Montpelier, Ohio June 24, 1955
LeRoy Blaker
Case
22-65
65.00
240
2092
3.75
32.25
8.73
Blaker
At Alvordton, Ohio October 13, 1956
LeRoy Blaker
Port \ Huron
24-75
| 57.78
130
1346
2.25
23.35
10.35
LeRoy Blaker
Results Of The Economy Run Of Steam Traction Engines
At National Threshers Assn. Reunion At Montpelier, Ohio June 23,
24, 25, I960
Owners Name
Make Of Engine
H. P. Rating
HP. Load Brake
Lbs. Of Coal Used
Lbs. Of Water Used
Lbs. Of Coal HP. HR.
Lbs. Of Water HP. HR.
Lbs. Of Water Eva. Lb. Coal
Engineer
John Holp
Advance
20-60
45.2
268
1472
5.93
32.56
5.49
John Holp
Wilford Bunyea
Harrison Jumbo
20-65
47.2
304
1691
6.44
35.8
5.56
A. H. Shear
National Threshers
Port Huron
19-65
50.22
234
1582
4.65
30.5
6.76
Peter Bucher
LeRoy Blaker
Port Huron
24-75
57.65
133
1164
2.32
20.2
8.75
LeRoy Blaker
Percy Sherman
Russell
25-75
61.12
218
1752
3.57
28.66
8.03
Percy Sherman
Raymond
Baker
21-75
65.05
376
2080
5.8
31.94
5.26
Louis Fork
Results of the Economy Run Of Steam Traction Engines
at National Threshers Assn. Reunion Aat Wauseon, Ohio JUNE 23, 24,
25, 26, 1988
Owners Name
Make of Engine
H.P. Rating
H.P. Load at Brake
Lbs. Of Coal Used
Lbs. Of Water Used
Lbs. Of Coal HP. HR.
Lbs. Of Water HP. HR.
Lbs. of Water Eva Lb. Coal
Engineer
Tracy Powers
Port Huron
19-65
46.9
172
1431.8
3.66
30.5
8.34
Tracy Powers
David Schramm
Russell
20-60
50.6
311
2112.2
6.14
41.7
6.79
David Schramm
Lashaway Family
Frick*
16-50
35.1
213
1668.2
6.06
47.5
7.84
Jim Lashaway
Ed Hurd
Keck-Gonnerman*
22-75
52.1
344
1320.9
6.6
50.7
7.68
Ed Hurd
Howard Miller
Russell
6-18
13.75
115
816.2
8.36
59.36
7.10
Howard Miller
David Schramm
Russell
20-60
50.2
230
1926
4.58
38.36
8.37
David Schramm
Lashaway Family
Frick*
16-50
40.8
369.5
1976
9.05
48.4
5.35
Steve Lashaway
Howard Miller
Russell
6-18
10
79
614
7.9
61.4
7.77
Howard Miller
David Headley
Sawyer Ma
20-60
32.3
215
1288.8
6.6
39.9
6.04
David Headley
* denotes double cylinder
At the show the economy run worked well but there are variables
that affect the outcome such as how hot the weather is, the
temperature of the feed water in the barrels, how much horsepower
the test was run at and other things that the engineer tries to
control.
We ran a warm-up period for approximately fifteen minutes and
then ran the test for a half hour at about three-quarters of the
rated belt horsepower or whatever horsepower the engineer
preferred. We took horsepower readings every five minutes. The fire
and water level was checked at the beginning and end of each test.
The tests would be more accurate if they were longer, but at a show
you don t have time. But then again, everyone had the same
handicap.
Considering we have been ‘sitting around scratching our
heads’ here in Ohio, we think we compared pretty good with the
old results.
Notice the difference of the old tests and ours, remembering
that some engines won’t compare as well in the tests due to
reduced boiler pressure which drops the efficiency of the engine.
On the whole, we used more coal and water per horsepower/hour but
our pounds of water evaporated per pound of coal were pretty
close.
Tracy Powers did very well with his Port Huron. His results show
how much a jacket and compound cylinder can help. I was better
prepared for my second test and the water was warm in the barrels
so my results improved. It is interesting how well the double
cylinder engines did except where Steve Lashaway experimented by
trying to run more horsepower and the engine economy dropped. Next
year we hope to get more engines and some different makes of
engines to test.
The economy run is a good test of engine mechanical restoration
and an engineer’s ability to fire economically as they were
intended and not just ‘pouring on the coal.’ I am sure we
will all get better with more practice.
I would like to thank all my friends at the Five Points Steam
Threshers Club and the National Threshers Association that helped
with the test. I’m sure the old timers that got us involved
with this hobby would be pleased to know we are still trying to
carry on.
