Hey Machinery Company, Baldwin City, Kansas
Enclosed find a check for another years subscription to the
ALBUM.
I am also sending a few pictures that you may want to use at
some time in your ALBUM. The pictures were taken during a parade on
May 11, 1954 at Baldwin, Kansas, which is on the Old Santa Fe
Observation.
The engine is the same Peerless you saw here in Baldwin about
four years ago. It is a 14-40 mountain engine as you described it.
The engine has been restored as nearly as possible to its original
condition. About all that is missing is the canvas around the edge
of the cab. To enable the engine to operate on the paved streets
without removing the lugs, wooden blocks were placed between the
cleats and the rubber tread of large airplane tires were wrapped
around the wheels. The crowd cheered as the engine puffed along.
They were always making motions to blow one of the six whistles
which ranged from a small peep to a large railway locomotive
whistle.
The next morning after the parade, the Kansas City Times had a
picture of it on the front page. The editorial said ‘There were
cheers for a 45-year old steam tractor shown by the Hey Machinery
Co., and manned by the owners, Will Hey and his sons, Bill Hey Jr.,
and Lester Hey.’
The picture, dated September 25th, was taken during a second
parade at Lawrence, Kansas, in connection with the 100-year
celebration of the City of Lawrence. The entire parade was several
miles long. Again the Old Steam engine caused more excitement than
any other item in the parade.
You can have the pictures dated May 11, but I would like to have
the others returned sometime as they were taken by other people and
given to me.
By the way, the Whiskers in the pictures were the real
‘McCoy’.
