‘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
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:
#1: This steam outfit was owned by Sam Tucker of Harmony, IN. He
was a prosperous thresher man and is standing directly in front of
the threshing machine feeder with hands on his hips.
#2: Same outfit, left hand view. Sam threshed a 20 mile circle
from home. Anyone got a guess on the make of engine? (I’m
betting Gaar-Scott.)
#3: Small threshing rig owned by Sam Tucker. Engine looks to be
an Advance.
#4: Sam Tucker’s sawmill at Turkey Run State Park area,
before it was made an Indiana State park.
Well, that’s it for our letters for this issue. Please keep
them coming, and the pictures, too! While you’re out on the
road this summer going to steam shows, drop us a line and send us
some snapshots from your travels-our readers would love to see
them. And don’t forget to send us your questions and
observations on restorationSoot in the Flues readers have always
been a great help to one another.
Try to ‘keep your cool’ in these sweltering summer
months!
Steamcerely,
Linda and Gail
