Well, I haven’t even gotten the Thanksgiving Turkey yet, and
here I am wishing you all the best for the Holidays and the
forthcoming year that’s what happens when you’re in the
publishing business you can’t wait until the time is here to do
these things. By the time you get the magazine you will no doubt be
busy as ‘Santa’s elves’ preparing for the Holidays but
this is the January February issue and that means we leave another
year behind and start climbing the next year’s hill. The years
are flying by so fast and then working with the magazine we are
always working several months ahead Hey, this makes us older
faster, doesn’t it?? I’ll figure that statement out later,
but right now I have some letters to share with you.
Have a problem letter here entitled New Engineers Need Help and
Advice-‘Problem 1. We bought this double cylinder steam engine
and brought it home by low-boy. We filled it with water and fired
up. On running the engine the valves leaked lots of steam and made
a rattling noise. The question is: How does one grind valves on
this engine and what would the clearance be and is this set with a
cold or hot engine? Problem 2. If we pull this engine real hard it
does smoke real bad out of the exhaust. Question: Does this mean
that we have excessive piston ring blow by or is a thing like that
0. K.? Problem 3. When we get this thing fired up, there is an
object on top that opens up and lets steam out. Question: Why such
a gadget? Problem 4. We would like to get more road speed out of
this engine, but the motor only turns 250 rpm. Question: Is there
an adjustment somewhere we could set up to increase the speed? This
engine sure does drive different than a gas tractor. Boy, is it a
slow mover! Problem 5. We cannot get this engine to idle at all. We
close the throttle and it just stops. Question: Where on this
throttle is the idle adjusting screw? We can not locate it. Problem
6. How in blazes does a person keep water in these things. The
fellow told us to fill it with a garden hose, fire up and run till
we have about an inch left in the glass and then shut off. We have
to wait almost a day before we can put water in again as we hooked
our garden hose to it while the steam was up and when we turned on
the valve to put water in our hose blew up. What are we doing
wrong??? The fellow also told us to take those oblong plates out of
the boiler to wash it out. Why did the company cut them that way as
being round would look so much nicer? It could be we do not
understand steam engines.’
What’s that Fellows? You’re calling names, I can hear
you not everyone knows as much as you do about engines. I have my
own opinion about this letter, but I was wondering if anyone cared
to answer I have a feeling any engineer with a little experience
knows the answers, but then I wonder if there are really problems
like this with real answers that would help a real new engineer OR
maybe I’m dumber than I think and there isn’t even a
problem here. Anyhow let’s see what happens from this and
maybe, just may be I’ll tell you who wrote it. AND maybe you
fellows from Illinois can guess who wrote it!
Okay Guys, that’s enough lashes-please stop and I’ll
never do it again!! I’m talking about the picture on page 55 of
November-December 1972 Album. I went and put my 2c worth on the
caption because Archie Stevens didn’t give me any caption for
the bottom picture and I’ve had two complaints about it Yes,
Fellows I can see it isn’t the same engine NOW. Golly, Men,
just ’cause I’m a veteran with the Magazine doesn’t
mean I really know my engines any how I think I’ll just tell
you I did that on purpose to see if anyone noticed the mistake
LARRY R. CASKEY, R. D. 1, Box 90B, Orrville, Ohio 44667 would
like to know if you have any information on an 8 HP McNamara engine
pictures or stories in what issue of Iron-Men or books or any
information at all. (I know this is an engine we don’t hear too
much about, but it seems to me we did have a picture or write-up on
it at some time or other am I right, Fellows? we have no index on
pictures used, so it is rather hard to check up).
Following are some interesting facts sent to us from MILES LUSH,
R. R. 2, Knox, Pennsylvania 16232 thought you might be interested
in all this information.
To find the speed of a piston in feet per minute: Multiply the
length of the stroke by revolutions per minute, divide this product
by 12, and multiply quotient by 2result is the answer.
Doubling the diameter of a pipe increases its capacity 4
times.
A gallon of water weighs 8 1/3 lbs. and contains 231 cubic
inches.
A cubic foot of water equals 7 gallons and weighs 62 lbs. which
equals 1728 cubic inches.
Each nominal HP of a boiler needs 30 to 35 lbs. of water an
hour.
Cubic measure231 cubic inches equals 1 standard gallon; 1 cubic
foot equals 4/5 of a bushel (approximate).
Liquid measure31 gallons equals barrel; 2 barrels equals 1
hogshead.
Cloth measure2/4 inches equals 1 nail; 4 nails equals 1 quarter;
4 quarters equals 1 yard.
Dowlais Iron Works (England) Furnaces 8 feet in diameter, 16 to
18 feet tall, 1300 tons of forge iron a week. Engine
non-condensing, 55 inches in diameter by 13 feet stroke of piston,
60 lbs. pressure of steam, cut off at 1/3 stroke. Valves are 55
inches in diameter. Boilers, 8 cylinder flues internal furnace 7
feet in diameter and 42 feet long, having 1 flue 4 feet diameter.
Grates 288 square feet, flywheel 22 feet, and weight 25 tons.
Blowing cylinder 144 inches in diameter by 12 feet, stroke 20
r.p.m., blast 3 lbs. per square inch. Discharge pipe 5 feet round
and 420 feet long. Exhaust valves 56 square feet, delivery 16
square feet. (taken from old book)
Steam Power Models, 7924 Depot Road, Ashtabula, Ohio 44004 is
another place to write for steam engine models. This address
belongs to Jean Metcalf and he says he and his wife and four
children have been to many shows this year and had seven running
engines to display perhaps you remember them?
ROSS M. CARDIFF, Brussels, Ontario, Canada sends us this missal
perhaps you will be able to help him ‘I wonder if any of you
may be able to help me out. Sometime ago I had an ad published
regarding the whereabouts of a 30-60 HP Eagle tractor which was
built by the Eagle Manufacturing Company of Appleton, Wisconsin
many years ago. I was badly disappointed as I had no luck, had no
results. I was wondering if any of you readers have ever had the
pleasure at any time in the past to see one of these tractors.
I have had a 20-45 HP twin cylinder Eagle now for quite a few
years and it still runs good. We drove a 36 x 48 Waterloo grain
thresher fully equipped with self feeder, Ebersol make, high grain
elevator and straw cutter. We use a 32 x 50 with a twin cylinder
Model R John Deere diesel tractor. We swath the grain with a 10 ft.
John Deere grain binder, power take off driven, and bale it with a
hay baler. We load it on the wagon from the baler then take it to
the barn wagon from the baler and take it to the barn. The bales
are placed on a bale elevator and carried up and dropped into the
self feeder of the grain thresher. This system works very well. You
have your straw cut and it is blown up into the straw mow in the
barn and the grain into the granary, all in one operation.
There used to be a man by the name of H. Porter, 1205 8th
Avenue, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada have an ad in your magazine
that he could supply catalogs of tractor photos of over 2000
engines, so I sent and got some pictures of certain tractors, but
he did not seem to have any information on Eagle tractors.
I’m sure we have had at some time some pictures on Eagle
tractors, haven’t we? If any of you men have any information on
the Eagle, please write to Ross. It seems he really is having a
time getting anything on this Eagle tractor.’
DON MESSING, R. R. 2, Box 30, Sidney, Nebraska 69162 would like
to correspond with owners of Herschell-Spillman engines. He is
interested in the history of the company that made them, and how to
tell the age of the engines that still exist. They are engines used
with merry-go-rounds and related equipment. (I’m sure
you’ll get a few letters on this, Don. Don’t let me down
Fellows!)
That’s about it for this time, my good friends, and although
this magazine is for the first two months of the New Year, I must
again wish you a Blessed Holiday Season and a bright year coming
up. I guess we all want to say ‘Oh New Year of 1973, what do
you have in store for me? ‘Well remember, what the future has
in store for you depends largely on what you place in store for the
future Think about that in all ways Bye bye and God Bless!
