Eldorado, Ohio
There is a very large brick building standing in Richmond,
Indiana built in 1870 that was used as a casket factor, belonging
to Mr. Robert Watt. A 100 H.P. Corliss engine built by Hoover,
Ownes, Rentschler Company of Hamilton, Ohio, Serial number 2276 was
put in about 1935 and ran a generator until the mid ’40’s
fireman and coal.
In the fall of 1972 we looked at this pile of iron, gave the
owner a $50.00 check and told him we’d move it within 30 days.
We did. A little slave labor was involved but, two of us dragged it
about 100 feet across the floor with chain falls to a large door.
We conned a fellow with a log hauling rig and a cat with forks to
put this thing on his truck and haul it about 15 miles to its new
home. I am sure the owner never really believed we could move 7
tons of iron and brass, but he knows better now. It is now in the
slow process of restarting. There is not a lot of wear, but rust is
bad in a damp basement. The beast has a 12′ x 30′ cylinder
and flywheel is 110′ x 14′ face. It has the largest
governor I’ve seen, weighing over 300 lbs. with about 8′
balls.
We have located a 25 H.P. Scotch Marine boiler we hope will roll
the thing over at least for a good idle. It is planned to be put in
a new building of its own for showing and playing by late summer of
1973. Sometimes plans don’t work but we are trying.
It will be great fun to watch the thing run again. It is at the
north end of Eldorado, Ohio in the Texaco Station for those
interested in seeing part of the past live again.