SOOT IN THE FLUES

farm at about 8:00 a.m. Six miles and three hours, a full load of
wood and all but 75 gallons of water later, we were at the parade
lineup area. Once there we fueled up again, went through the parade
and then headed home. The girlfriends weren’t interested in
accompanying us the whole way home this time. We got home just as
the sun was setting, but the temperature outside was close to
freezing already, so it was necessary to drain all external
plumbing and maintain a fire all night. Thanks to my dad for
keeping the fire and therefore allowing me and my brother to get
back to the towns we lived in at that time.

‘That trip home was a definite learning experience on firing
with wood. That lesson was that you can’t climb the steep hills
if all you have is large (very) green chunks. Oh what we would have
done for a pile of pine 2 x 4’s!

‘Yes, I am walking beside my truck, and yes, the engine is
moving at this time. The picture was taken by my girlfriend’s
parents. This was the first time they saw my engine.

‘The Baker, picture #14, was also at this same parade and
was also driven there by Sam Kolva, the owner. Sam was 82 years old
at that time. It was Sam who gave me some of my first experiences
operating engines, most of which were roading from his place to the
Gratz Tractor Show and back. One time when the tractor show was
over, Terry and I drove his two Bakers (Sam’s son owned one,
also) home. Going up a fairly steep hill on the way home, I just
had to get off and walk alongside so I could hear the full bark of
those Bakers. Both of them were 23-90s and at least one was a
Uniflow.

‘Sam is one of the true old time steam men, having run
engines for a living.

‘If I had to come up with a caption for picture #15, I’d
call it ‘Finally Time To Play!’ This was taken at one of
Nittany Valley’s shows. If I remember right, this was the Case
Heritage show and the Nittany people wanted to run both a Case and
Frick threshing outfit at the same time. We volunteered this Frick,
of course. We ran into a little problem though. They only had one
long belt. The short belt would have put our stack right beside the
feeder on the thresher. To avoid this, we were, however, able to
belt up to the thresher over the rear of the engine. This was one
of Frick’s advertising points. Terry and I have done it
numerous times, from at our home sawmill out of necessity to sawing
at Williams Grove to the aforementioned threshing. I wish I could
have gotten a picture of this threshing scene, it was pretty neat
looking!

‘I’ll finish up with a shot to get everyone thinking
about spring and the coming shows. Picture #16 is ‘the best
seat in the house.’

‘Hope I didn’t put you guys to sleep, and I hope to see
some of your pictures in future issues. And Dave, I won’t be
upset if I see a picture of our Frick pushing that big Peerless of
yours out of the mud! I’ll leave it up to you to set the story
straight!’

Now for something a little out-of-the-ordinary: RUSS KASTEN, 815
N. Superior Avenue, Tomah, Wisconsin 54660, writes: ‘This is a
photo of ‘Engine Rock’ located in Monroe County, Wisconsin,
on top of Jacksonville Pass. This formation can be seen from
Interstate 90 east of LaCrosse, Wisconsin, at mile marker 36. Look
northeast to the top of the ridge. Best viewing is during the
winter when it’s least obscured by oak trees. Notice the
concrete repair. Gramp and the neighbor kids tried to chisel the
smokestack off in the early 1900s. Glad they didn’t succeed. He
said they also would blow a steam whistle up on that ridge. For a
boiler they used a five gallon bucket! He said they were lucky they
didn’t blow themselves up!

‘Currently I’m trying to get permission to install a two
inch steam whistle onto our steam plant where I work and I’m
meeting all kinds of resistance. I could sure use some backing from
fellow steam enthusiasts as to why we need a steam whistle. Perhaps
a history of whistles, emergency uses, etc. My best argument so far
is that a part of Americana will be passing us by if we don’t
make use of this whistle. Can some of you please respond and help
me on this venture?’

LOUIS PATTERSON, 308 W. Frisco, Blackwell, Oklahoma 74631
writes: ‘On the back page of the March/April issue you
misidentified two engines. You said that the Baker engine was on
the left and the Advance Rumely was on the right. But the truth is
the engine on the right is a Baker and the engine on the left is an
Advance Rumely. I love reading your magazine! Keep up the good
work!’

Oops, someone goofed! Whether it was us or we can blame it
on our printer, we apologize for the mixup, and thank Louis for
pointing it out!

From NANCY FOWLER, P. O. Box 102, Eaton, New York, 133340102 we
received an invitation for our readers: ‘Eaton Fire Department
was once the pattern shop for the Wood, Taber & Morse steam
engine works. Before Wood, Taber & Morse steam works, A. N.
Wood was the founder of this company here in Eaton.

‘We will be celebrating Eaton’s Fire Department’s
50th anniversary, an Old Hometown Day, and a steam show on July 13,
1997. It will be the first time in over 100 years that steam
revisited Eaton again. You’ll be hearing from us!’

LEO BARD, 25054 Lehigh, Dearborn Heights, Michigan 481251639,
says, ‘As a novice to engine ownership, I am turning to
IMA for some information.

‘I recently became the proud owner of what I understand to
be a rather rare engine. In the late fall of 1996, I purchased a
1910 ‘Leader’ from a gentleman in northern Ohio. The Leader
was built by the Marion Manufacturing Company of Marion, Ohio.
(Although there are letters cast into various parts of the engine
reading ‘The Ohio Tractor Mfg. Co.’)

‘Anna May Schwaderer, a generous collector from Marion,
Ohio, supplied photocopies regarding the Leader gleaned from a
publication, The Encyclopedia of American Steam Traction
Engines by J. Norbeck (1976). On page 169 of that book are two
photos of a 20 HP engine which, at that time, was owned by a Mr.
Charles Deeds, of London, Ohio. This is in fact the very engine
which I have purchased. How many people may have owned it between
Mr. Deeds and the fellow I bought it from, I have no idea. Whether
Mr. Deeds is still with us, I have no idea. If he is, I would
surely like to hear from him.

‘The Leader is a 20 HP simple, single, with a wet bottom,
butt-strap boiler. This engine seems to be in quite good condition
mechanically although some amount of work is needed. It does
however need extensive cosmetic help. Over the winter I have been
able to give it a lot of attention and in the coming summer I
expect it to run well and look pretty good, although the whole job
will take at least one more winter. In the near future I hope to be
able to take the engine to shows in the Michigan/Ohio area.

‘The information I would like IMA to help with is
in deciphering the bronze tag affixed to the boiler. While some
items are understood (lbs., sq. ft.), the rest is Greek to me. I
have enclosed a ‘rubbing’ of the plate, as there is a
symbol on it which I may not reproduce too well. The engine is said
to have been re boilered at some time and this may explain the 1936
date even though the engine is said to be a 1910. Any information
which you or any reader may be able to supply will be greatly
appreciated.

‘As always, I look forward to the next issue of
IMA, but the magazine is too skinny to last two months. I
would like to see more of everything, especially large, clear
photos of engines! (which by the way I will also supply pending
weather appropriate for getting the Leader out of the
barn.)’

R. DAYTON NICHOLS, 6128 Rt 5, Box 54, Stafford, New York 14143,
sent us this picture of a 35 HP Buffalo Pitts traction engine. The
advertisement it came from states: ‘A perfect road hauling
engine. A perfect plowing and harvesting engine. Will pull any
horse combined harvester. Will pull twelve 12-inch plows or more,
according to the condition of the soil. Burns straw, coal or wood
and full steam maintained with any of these fuels. Will carry 140
steam with entire safety. Tank holds 300 gallons of water. Takes
only ten minutes to fill it.’

Joe Steinhagen’s 25-85 N & S #11481 D.C. side mount
getting steamed up ready to unchain and unload for the Rose City,
Minnesota, Threshing Show in August 1996. Engine is now permanently
housed at the Rose City show (This year’s dates are August 9
and 10).

‘My name is JOE STEINHAGEN, of 11980 Kluver Addition Road
SE, Alexandria, Minnesota 56308. I’m trying to locate the
engines that were in the collection of my uncle, Joe C. Steinhagen
of Brooten and Dodge Center, Minnesota.

‘Uncle Joe died in the early ’70s, and so whatever he
had left at his time of death was dispersed, although a lot of it
was sold before he died.

‘When he died, I was in high school and the steam bug was 15
years away from biting me yet, but I do remember visiting him in
Dodge Center as a 10 year old riding on one of his scale models and
he was an old man back then already. None of his three children had
any interest in old iron and there is only one of them alive today,
so I’ve started the procedure of finding this stuff.

‘When the bug finally did bite me, I subscribed to the
popular steam magazines, then I started to buy back issues of these
also. When I read them, I always read the want ads because Uncle
Joe was advertising his equipment for sale in Iron Men
Album. I was amazed at the amount of engines he had. He ran
the ads during the 1960s, but he listed serial numbers and they
should still be around somewhere today.

‘I’ve met a lot of interesting people searching for this
stuff, and here’s what I’ve found so far: his 24 HP Kitten
#195 is now in Oscar Cooke’s Museum in Billings, Montana, owned
by the Cooke family; his scale Kitten engines, two of which were
built by him, were a real interesting search. I corresponded with
Jerry Kitten of Texas, and his friend, Toby Wetzel, owns one of
these (restored) and the other is owned by Willard Johnson of
Silver Bay, Minnesota.

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