Route 1, Norwich, Ohio 43767
Approximately five years ago I heard of this engine in Canada,
the engine with the broken gear. More about the broken gear later.
Little did I realize at the time that I would someday own this
engine.
In the summer of 1974 an ad appeared in the I.M.A. A 25 HP
Saskatchewan, Canada. In corresponding with Mr. Scott, I learned
this was the engine with the broken differential gear. Anyhow, I
decided to go to Canada to look at this engine. That was where I
made a mistake or I thought I did. You guessed it. I came home the
owner of engine #15899.
In October of 1974 the engine arrived at its new home in
Norwich, Ohio. I started in on the restoration. It had more things
wrong with it than were right. Worst of all, it had been robbed of
about every small part that belonged to it. No plumbing, stack,
bearing caps, eccentric caps or connecting rod brasses; all were
gone. I got the boiler, wheels and the gears, such as they
were.
I have a G – S 25 double No. 16327 which I used to make parts
for the #15899. This really helped. The pattern shop started making
patterns. As soon as I would get a few patterns, it was then a trip
to the foundry and then to the machine shop. Then those parts were
put on. I then waited for more parts to be finished. And so it
went, very slow and not much progress the first year.
I got the stack parts all on it, the front smoke box door and
ring, and then the main bearing caps. Next, I poured the new
crankshaft bearings, put on the new crank brasses and then put the
valve linkage all back together. The governor was rebuilt and the
new flues installed. This engine had been a straw burner, so I had
all new grates, hangers, fire door, etc. to put on it.
Everything was taking shape pretty well except the broken
differential gear. It seems that sometime in the past somebody had
attempted to tow this engine. Since they could not pull it, they
decided to use a sledge on the differential gear. How many years
ago or how long this engine had set, would be anybody’s guess.
I know the birds had made a hatchery out of the boiler. It was
completely filled with hay, feathers and everything else birds use
for nesting material. That was a job to get that out. It isn’t
completely clean yet.
After much thought and discussion it was decided to take the
good differential side gear and pinion off the #16327, 25 HP
double, which shows very little wear, and head for the foundry. The
head molder thought they could pour the new gear off the original
without making a pattern, which was quite a saving. This they did
and the new gear came out just like the original. This was the last
big hurdle or obstacle in the restoration. I felt that now the job
was almost complete. I had a little machine work to do on the new
gear and some fitting to do. It all went together and fits tighter
than the original did, I expect. I poured new babbitt in the
counter shaft bearings and built up the left hand pinion and recut
it so it is like a new gear too. Every bearing that could be poured
or rebuilt and every pin or key has either been built up or
replaced.
Finally, with a new paint job, new tanks, new bunkers and a new
canopy and all the other new parts, the big day arrived. On
Saturday, October 23,1976, we had a steam-up at our farm. Herb
Beckemeyer of Champaign, Illinois, had the honor of being the first
one to fire and pull the throttle on old #15899 which had been
silent for all these many years. No one knows for certain how long.
It has some ‘bugs’ in it, but to have come so far and to
have had so much done to it, it really performed beautifully. Now
to get it completely ready for the 1977 steam show circuit!
I want to take this opportunity to thank the following people
who helped me in this big job:
The Carl Weidman Pattern Shop, Orrville, Ohio
The White Foundry, Hillsboro, Ohio
W. E. Arnett, Haviland, Kansas
Ralph Melby, Dalton, Minnesota
Jack Burrows, High River, Alberta, Canada
The Slabe Tool Company, Cambridge, Ohio
William Fisher, New Concord, Ohio
The Muskingum Tool and Die Company, Norwich, Ohio
The Eureka Machine Company, Sugarcreek, Ohio
John Holp Sr., John Holp, Jr, EdMattis, Lewisburg, Ohio
Lee Watts, South Zanesville, Ohio
Floyd Brudevold, Valley City, North Dakota
Herb Beckemeyer, Champaign, Illinois
Ewart Deering, Vancouver, British Columbia
Brock’s Welding Service, Zanesville, Ohio
John Griffeth, Carrollton, Ohio
Helen (wife) and Martha (daughter)
Richey. Buddy – family border collie who camped in the shade of
the engine lending support but no real help!
