Picture taken in 1926 and is my new Threshing outfit on the W.
M. Stephenson farm 3 miles north of Ireland, Texas. This was my
third outfit. I have owned 7 complete outfits since 1900. I made my
last run in 1955. I saw over a million bushels of grain go through
the 7 threshers I owned in my life. I am 78.
Webster Mooney, Nortonville Kansas spent nearly 5 years spare
time in building this size 20-75 Rear Mount double Nichols &
Shepard engine. Overall length 5′; width 28′; height
34′; rear wheels 18′ x 6′; front wheels 10 x 3′;
firebox 6′ x 11′; Boiler barrel 8′ x ‘ thick Shelby
seamless tube; rest of boiler ‘ thick; cylinders 1-5/8 x 2’
stroke. I bought the gears, steam gauge, a few valves, bolts and
nuts, etc. Solomon Boiler Works at Moberly, Mo. built the boiler.
All the rest I built myself.
It steams nicely on wood or coal and is built very rugged. I
have built a hydraulic belt drive dynamometer which one of the
pictures shows the engine belted to it. The engine has pulled this
for a half hour at about three fourths or more of its power and
stayed right at it.
My twin cylinder Monarch road roller, manufactured at Groton,
N.Y., in 1923. It is the last Monarch in the state with a current
inspection certificate. We had it in operation at our first annual
Reunion of the N. Y. S. E. Association. The four day reunion
attracted over 15,000 spectators, who enjoyed the usual reunion
activities, plus the added attraction of the Pioneer Museum. This
museum was started about five years ago by Mr. Fred Wolfsberger who
is now past 90 years of age.
Highland, Illinois 1961 Show It is steeper than it looks as I
was looking down when I took it. Amos Rixman is steering with his
hay hat. I have forgotten whose Keck-Gonnerman engine it was hill
about 125 feet long up through the trees. Generally they have a
short ramp, but this one took off up through the trees much to
everyone’s surprise and made it. Several cars tried to make it
and failed.
Picture of a steam plowing outfit breaking prairie sod at
Garrison, North Dakota, McLain County, in the year 1906 . This
outfit is a 30 h.p. Minneapolis engine pulling 9-14 inch breaker
plows and was owned by my brother-in-law, Mr. Charles Nau. Charles
Nau is on the plow and on the engine Tom Wilson is firing and I am
at the throttle. I was 19 years old at that time.
