SOOT IN THE FLUES

‘I must say I miss Anna Mae!’

‘Mighty Power & Weight’ is how J. D. BROOKHART, 429
West High Street, St. Marys, Ohio 45885 headlines this little
piece. ‘These three photos are shown to remind us to use care
when operating our beloved steam and gasoline engines. In the
‘Good Old Days,’ when these heavy iron workhorses were in
daily use, the operators learned, sometimes the hard way, that they
could be powerful but also dangerous.

‘The steam engine blown asunder at a lumber mill is a bleak
reminder that we are dealing with a great deal of power, which if
not tended to properly, can be dangerous. At a steam show when
I’ve shared this photo with someone, they usually step back
about 10 feet from the steam engine they have been watching. The
Reeves shown halfway into the box culvert is a reminder of the
enormous weight that we are dealing with. A number of county roads
over the years were closed by a steam engine too big for the wooden
culverts. It looks as if this engine survived, but the water wagon
is a loss.

‘Another photo shows a bridge which fell victim to the
weight of a steam engine.’

‘At every steam and gasoline engine show each engine should
be constantly tended, small children should keep their distance
from fly wheels and gears, and no one should be permitted to
mistreat or abuse an engine by ‘hot rodding’ it. If you
aren’t roping off your area for protection from the viewers,
you’re making a mistake.’

Our final letter for this month comes from LARRY CREED of RR
#13, Box 209, Brazil, Indiana 47834. Larry sent us copies of four
photos, described as follows: