‘This is an Avery. The Avery’s are impressive. The
cylinders are underneath the boiler instead of over it. This makes
the boiler really high, and that’s probably why the Avery’s
look so huge. The cylinders were placed underneath the boiler and
close to the ground to make it easier to mount the belts for
operating implements and more convenient for repairs. This
apparently was a mixed blessing. Being close to the ground, the
moving parts were exposed to more dirt, and this may have
contributed to wear. Unlike most engines, the Avery has two
cylinders, and this gives it a distinctive, ‘smoother’
sound.
‘I saw a half-scale Avery once. It was cute. It is also the
only half-scale traction engine I ever saw doing useful work. It
was operating a sawmill and having no trouble doing so.
‘Something else they do at steam shows to work the engines
is threshing. Sorry I can’t identify either the engine or the
thresher in this picture.
‘I was wondering why they always put such a great distance
between the engine and the implement. A shorter distance would
require a shorter belt. And why do they always put a half-twist in
the belt? It’s not to reverse the direction of rotation,
because the engine will run either way. A couple of helpful readers
sent some explanation. The door to the firebox is usually
positioned upwind to improve the draft to the fire. This puts the
thresher downwind, which increases the possibility of creating a
fire in the straw from sparks from the engine flue. Putting a lot
of distance, and hence a long belt, between the engine and the
thresher mitigates this problem. Additionally, the increased weight
of a longer belt reduces slippage. The long belt can also smooth
out transients in the engine speed so they don’t get to the
implement; however, steam engines run quite smoothly, so this is
more important for later gas-powered tractors like the two cylinder
John Deere. The twist just helps keep the belt on the pulleys.
photos by Mark Corson:an 8 HP Gaar Scott, 1864 10 HP Gaar, 1870
10 HP Gaar, 8 HP portable, 1870 portable, and an 1865 8 HP
portable.
‘Our show dates this year are June 5 and 6 for the Swap
Meet, August 14 and 15 for our annual show.’
Recently one of our subscribers paid us a call and brought us a
couple of old magazines with some articles of interest in them.
BRENT MUSSER, JR. of 192 East Black Creek Road in East Earl,
Pennsylvania 17519 brought us a copy of Rural New Yorker
and Pennsylvania Farmer. We’re reprinting one of the
articles from Pennsylvania Farmer (see ‘Buried Treasure’
elsewhere in this issue). On the previous page we show an old Frick
ad which appeared in the issue of Rural New Yorker.
Major Co. Threshing Bee 1998, Fairview, Oklahoma. Road building
with Dale Wolfs Nichols and Shepard: Steve Dunn also on the engine.
Chady Atteberry on grader; Jerry Toew also on the grader.
LaGrange, Indiana 1998: Richard Neeley’s 1917 16 HP Port
Huron. Richard is from Marshall, Michigan. Photos by Mark
Corson.
We are fortunate to hear from our friend MARK CORSON of 9374
Roosevelt Street, Crown Point, Indiana 46307, who always takes such
remarkable photographs! So, we’ll finish out the column this
time with a collection of Mark’s fine work, taken at several
shows last summer.
Remember that we are hoping to hear from YOU for our next issue.
If you don’t like to write, send us photographs, and if you
don’t like to take pictures, just drop us a line! In the
meantime, here’s hoping that the last year of the 20th century
will be a happy and prosperous one for all of you out in Engine
land!
Steamcerely,Linda and Gail
