Traction Engines and Threshing Machines
Reeves Engines
Moving on to old steam traction engines, I behaved well and
never sent a single Reeves picture last issue. This time, I am
sending a bunch. Three are copies of pictures of 25 HP
Reeves cross-compound Canadian Specials (although separate
engines) from the Daniel (Jrs files at Denton, Mont.
Photo #1 shows the Swager Brothers pulling disk plows with their
Reeves, while Photo #2 shows a Mr. Dietrich from Moore, Mont.,
pulling the Eppers’ Store from north of Denton to Denton.
Denton was a new town in 1913, created by the Milwaukee Railroad
extending their line from Lewistown to Great Falls. Mr. Eppers must
have wanted to be where the action was. The Schrader Reeves in
Photo #3 is threshing in that same area.
I have a question for Lyle Hoffmaster and Melvin Pierce. Photo
#4 of a Reeves and steam lift plow located at Bozeman, Mont., has
me nearly stumped. It has every appearance of a 25 HP
cross-compound, except that it has an exhaust pipe on the right
side. It appears to have 76-inch tall driver wheels and 16-inch
wide front wheels, which I didn’t think were available on the
20 HP double-simple, which is the only thing it could possibly be.
Lyle, Melvin – what do you think? This is from a circa 1909 Reeves
plowing catalog.
Photo #5 shows an early 32 HP cross-compound owned by Banks
& Featherly of Dillon, Mont., pulling a 12-bot-tom Reeves steam
lift plow.
Yaeger Photo #6 Early Reeves 32 HP cross-compound owned by
Poindexter & Orr of Dillon, Mont., pulling a Reeves steam lift
plow.
In Photo #6 another early 32 HP cross-compound owned by
Poindexter & Orr of Dillon, Mont., is pulling a Reeves steam
lift plow. The gentlemen in suits must have something to do with
Reeves & Company. These are also from a Reeves plowing
catalog.
Yaeger Photo # 7 32 HP cross-compound Reeves owned by Miller
Plowing Co., Buffalo, Mont., pulling disk plows in front of a
Rumely pulling disk plows
Photo #7 shows a 32 HP Reeves owned by Miller Plowing Co. of
Buffalo, Mont., pulling disk plows in front of a Rumely pulling
disk plows.
Photo #8 is also from the Reeves plowing catalog. It shows an
early ‘states’ type 40-120 HP (the later Canadian Specials
were 40-140 HP) Reeves engine pulling a 16-bottom Reeves steam lift
plow. It is owned by the Mielson-Geddis Farms in Idaho. This is the
only 40 HP Reeves I have ever seen with this high arch, short
radius type of top on a Reeves cab. The ‘states’ engines in
smaller horsepower sizes had this same short radius. The Canadian
Special engines of smaller horsepower sizes had a longer radius on
their canopies. Any other picture of 40 HP Reeves engines I have
seen have all had a flatter cab top, like the smaller horsepower
Canadian Special engines have.
Photo #9 shows the late Justin J. Hingtgen standing beside the
right driver wheel of a 32 HP Reeves double-simple Canadian
Special, number 6813. The picture was taken in the 1950s at the
Kolar farm near Moore, Mont., by the late Walter Mehmke. Reeves
number 6813 is the only 32 HP, double-simple Canadian Special
extant.
Yaeger Photo #9 Justin J. Hingtgen and Reeves number 6813, 32 HP
double-simple Canadian Special, the only one extant, sometime in
the 1950s.
I had the privilege of meeting Justin at a 1958 steam show near
Cedar Falls, Iowa. Justin had hauled his 9 HP Case to the show and
the elderly gentleman Justin had operating it let me and my friend
Dean Bellinger take it around the show grounds. It was quite
exciting for a couple of boys ready to start high school. Justin
died an untimely death at 50-some years old, and had amassed quite
a collection of steam engines.
If you have a photo or a comment for Soot in the Flues, please
send it along to Iron-Men Album, 1503 SW 42nd. St., Topeka, KS
66609-1265, or e-mail: rbackus@ogdenpubs.com
