Our 75 hp Case engine. Art Erickson and Ryan Doschadis, joint
owners, left to right. Alex McDonald of Welmont, South Dakota, at
the controls. This engine has 36 inch drive wheels, a special plow
engine, has done a great deal of plowing in Western Montana. Then
it was hauled to Central Minnesota. In 1910 this engine was bought
from A. J. Smith of Little Falls, Minnesota by the present owners.
Lloyd Michelson and Ora Hills, a wonderful job of restoring has
been done. See those rivets shine !
This engine was bought new in Illinois and did its last
threshing in 1936. In 1940 it was brought to Indiana and has
constantly powered the mill for the past twenty years.
Today it is ‘barking’ over a Frick, 4 Head-Block mill
and a 60′ saw.
I mounted it on a Crosley chassis. I cut the differential open
so I could get a sprocket in for chain drive direct from engine,
which makes it operate just like a locomotive. I was lucky to get
an oil pump too, so all I have to watch when driving is the water
and gas pressure on the burners which makes it very simple to
drive. The water supply tank is about 12 gallons which lasts me
about 2 hours.
I can get steam in about 15 minutes which makes a demonstration
very easy. I have been in 4 parades this summer. The largest one
was the Cherry Festival at Travers City and I sure enjoy driving
it.
1 have attended the Rough and Tumble Reunion at Kinzers, Pa.,
and the National Threshers Association, Montpelier, Ohio.
I top the scales at 210 and my buddy Donald Smith is even larger
in the shoulders, but we got to where we could ‘Hot Rod’
through the 11′ by 15′ oval hole like a cat.
With all the safety talk lately I would like to add that I was
taught the safety in a boiler is in the fireman, the keeping of the
fuse safety plug in crown sheet free from mud scale and a good
working pop valve. And plenty of water at all times.
I just don’t see how a boiler can blow up if the crown sheet
fuse plug is cleaned 2 times a year, and a pretty good pop
valve.
If the fuse plug is clean and the water gets low, that is a big
show to see all of the steam blowing from the fire box, yet you
have saved a set of tubes and an explosion if someone pumped water
in on the red hot flues. I hope someone will take up where I left
off on safety experience and in detail. Also I hope some boiler
inspector will tell us more on how to tap a stay bolt and tell if
same is broken if it does not have a tell-tale hole like a train
engine boiler.
This is the largest of my four small steam engines and boilers
that I have built. This is one I had at New Centerville, Pa., the
last season. I built engine, boiler, clutch and governor. I made
patterns, got them cast at the foundry and machined them myself.
The boiler is 13′ in diameter, 66′ long and 5/16 material.
Firebox is 17′ long, 17′ high, 9′ wide and has 5 2′
flues. Was tested to 300 lbs. cold water pressure. Carries 125 lbs.
steam. It is not a Code Boiler. I wrote the Department of Labor and
Industry about specifications on building the boiler. It will be
two years in February and I haven’t had a reply yet.
Now for the engine it is 3 bore and 4 stroke. The flywheel turns
over about 8 times to the drivers one time. The rear wheels are
automobile wheels and the front are boat trailer wheels and are
mounted on rubber. It is a sort of a mixed up affair. It has a
Frick frame, Frick clutch, Case reverse and Baker water tanks,
differential from a Pontiac auto, brake from a Studebaker auto and
is a chain drive. It also has a cross-head pump which I built. The
outfit weighs 2140 lbs. empty.
FROM THE DAYS WHEN STEAM RULED … Steam engines such as this
1920 Port Huron model were once the latest thing for power on
American farms, but today have become so unusual that they are
objects of study and curiosity. Members of Mrs. Pat Schwirian’s
class in applied science at University High School went to the Guy
Myers farm near North Liberty to see Mr. Myers’ machine and
watch him demonstrate it. Kept in top condition, the steam engine
is operated for some feed grinding at the farm and at various fairs
each year.
Recently I happened to meet an old Rumely man, Mr. Fred McClain
of Xenia, Ohio. I was having trouble timing my tractor so he came
over and fixed it in no time at all. Mr. McClain attended Tractor
School at La Porte, Indiana over 40 years ago, and apparently the
passing years have not dimmed his memory.
Mr. McClain loaned me a picture (above) that I thought you might
like to print. It is Mr. McClain’s 10-20 Rumely doing a fine
job of turning over some pretty high brush and weeds. This picture
was taken in the early twenties. He added a full cab and stack
extension which he said worked very well. I built my boy a model of
a 15-30 Rumely and plan to take it to the 1961 meets.
I especially enjoy the ‘Sparks from Old Plugs’ section
as I am particularly fond of the old gas burners.