SOOT IN THE FLUES

I called Ed McComb, the district manager, to thank him. He told
me many parts are still available for older engines. They have been
building engines since 1902. He also said they are happy to provide
restorers with information, but to be of any help they must know
the serial number. Ed also said they have received requests about
suspected (old) engines and it turns out many of them were built in
the 1950s. Their address is Fairmont Railway Motors, Inc.,
Fairmont, Minnesota 56031.

Incidentally, my engine had serial number 41719H. It was built
December 18, 1929 for Northern Pacific Railroad in Jamestown, North
Dakota. It is a 2 cycle engine and runs in either direction.’
(Thanks Craig, I am sure some of the readers will be pleased with
this information.)

The following letter comes from MELVIN H. HELLWINCKEL, Luverne,
Minnesota 56156: ‘It’s been 10 years since I saw the Mt.
Pleasant, Iowa Steam and Gas Show, so I figured it was high time to
take another look. Much has changed and many rearrangements were
made since 1970.

The Mount Pleasant show has a magnetism about it that attracts a
very large crowd. This magnetism is generated by having a large
number of good exhibits in every department. When you walk through
the rows of steamers and tractors, you can’t help but notice
the once reputable and prominent names that are missing today.

I think the present manufacturers are doing a whale of a good
job of building machines to satisfy their prospective customers
wants and needs. Take, for example the Caterpillar Tractor Company
of Peoria, Illinois they make 16 different track type tractors
ranging from the 65 HP 03 to the 700 HP D10. The number of
different crawler and wheel machine models they manufacture totals
73. This does not include engines or generator sets.’ (And that
ends the letter seems like there should have been more, but hope
this information will be of use to some of the readers.)

RAY APRIL L, 310 S. Washington Street, Oconto Falls, Wisconsin
54154 has this to say: ‘I have a question to ask on page 47 on
the 1980 Show Directory it shows an old Case steam engine where is
the crank wheel and also where is the piston rod crosshead and
cylinder? I would like an explanation in the Soot in the Flues
column.

I would like to compliment you on the good job you are doing
with the Iron-Men Album. Sure enjoy reading it and always looking
for the next issue to come.’ (Thanks Ray, we are all happy you
enjoy it so much.)

On the unclassified photos of Jan.-Feb., 1981 issue we have this
communication from WALT THAYER, Box 2175, Wenatchee, Washington
98801: ‘No. 1 is a Case that was too heavy for the bridge. Hope
the enginer jumped in time. 2. Might be a Huron road roller not
sure of the maker. 3. Definitely a Case outfit. Tractor and
separator and possibly a Studebaker bundle wagon. Looks like
Western Prairie Country. 4. Rear wheels look like a Big Minnie but
that motor and fuel tank ?might be a Best, Holt or even a Big
Minnie (Minneapolis) not a steamer. 5. Sure was a tough log to
sawit flipped the whole rig upside down looks like a hardwood log.
6. Looks like another Case or Russell. 7. Hard to tell, but I’d
say a Case or Minneapolis.

Some more data pertaining to the unclassified photos comes from
DAVID GRAY, P.O. Box 7, Wood- bury, L.I., New York 11797. This one
is referring to only No. 2 photo of Jan.-Feb. 1981 issue: ‘I
always look forward to receiving my copy of the IMA and am
particularly interested in the unclassified photographs section and
the letters that these photos attract.

Coming, as I do, from England, I did not expect that I would
ever be able to contribute in the way that so many of your readers
do. I was, however, mistaken. The photograph depicted as #2 in the
January-February, 1981 issue of IMA is of an English steam roller.
It was manufactured by Aveling & Porter of Rochester, Kent and
I would think in about 1920, which would mean that it’s
manufacturers number would be around 9,500.

The engine is an 8-ton single cylinder slide-valve engine. The
boiler would be tested for 180 P.S.I.: its normal working pressure
being between 120 and 150 P.S.I.

From the style of the house depicted in the background of the
photo, I would imagine that the photo was taken in the Southeast of
England. The canopy on the engine is an all steel construction and
was the standard Aveling & Porter design which could be
purchased as an optional extra.

The motion covers or side plates which can be seen forward of
the flywheel positioned above the boiler barrel were mandatory in
England as was the solid flywheel for all steam rollers and steam
locomotives that were used on the highway. This was to prevent
horses from being frightened by the sunlight catching moving
parts.

These Aveling & Porter steam rollers in both the 8-ton and
10-ton models were extremely popular among the local politicians
and many towns and highway departments were equipped with these
rollers for the maintenance of the tar-sealed pavements.

Aveling & Porter were the major producers of road rollers in
England and their prices were most competitive. All these engines
were fitted with front roll and rear wheel water jets so that when
rolling pavements where hot tar had been laid, it did not stick to
the roll surface.

Unless otherwise stated by the customer at the time of ordering
a roller, Aveling & Porter rollers were painted a standard
color scheme. The body of the engine was an apple green. This
included the flywheel and rear wheel spokes. The perch bracket and
smoke stack were black and the front roll fork was a rust red. The
whole engine was striped with a ‘-wide black line with a narrow
yellow and red line on either side of the black line.

From a close examination of the photograph, this striping can be
seen on the side of the motion cover. As an estimate, I would think
that this particular photo may have been taken in the early 1960s
and the engine already in the hands of an enthusiast. From the
steam coming from the cylinder block, I would think that the engine
has a regulator packing leak.

Before I came to the U.S. three years ago, I myself owned two
Aveling and Porter rollers; a 10-ton engine built in 1922 and an
8-ton built in 1916. Both these are now in the hands of two steam
enthusiasts in England.

In closing I would like to congratulate the editor of IMA on the
new format for the back cover, this issue’s being a series of
photos showing the Rough & Tumble Reunion at Kinzers,
Pennsylvania last August. As usual, I was present at this reunion
and was delighted to have my son with me who was visiting from
England.

It may be of interest to members to know that I made a movie of
the Kinzers Reunion and will be showing it to my old club in
Bedfordshire in January, 1981 when I will be in England for a
visit.’

The next communication is filled with much information and will
be most welcome by many and it is sent by ROBERT L. JOHNSON, 4017
Park Avenue, Terre Haute, Indiana 47805 in reply to Edward Stauffer
of New Holland, Pennsylvania. ‘This was copied from one of my
old books Stationary Engineering:

THE DETROIT VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATORS

Steam and Oil SeparatorsA separator is an
apparatus designed to remove the water, oil, dirt and other
impurities from a current of steam flowing through a pipe. When it
is intended to separate the steam from the water, the separator is
placed on the main pipe leading from the boiler to the engine, and
as close as possible to the engine. When it is used to remove the
grease and dirt from exhaust steam before using as feed-water for
the boiler, the separator is placed in the exhaust pipe leading
from the engine to the condenser, or heater.

ClassificationSteam separators are divided into
two general classes, viz.: (1) Baffle plate separators; (2)
Centrifugal separators. In the first class, the steam comes in
contact with the baffle plates placed at right angles to its
direction of flow, thus sharply changing the direction of flow of
steam. In a centrifugal separator the steam is given a whirling
motion in flowing through the apparatus, and by this whirling
motion the water is separated from the steam.

ActionThe principle of all separators depends
on inertia. Since water or oil is much heavier than steam, their
inertia is much greater than that of the steam. Consequently when
the current of steam comes in contact with the baffle plate, the
steam changes its direction with ease, but the heavier particles of
water or oil, by reason of their inertia are dashed against the
baffle plate, thus separating them from the steam which flows on to
the engine.

Figure 1 illustrates a common form of a horizontal and vertical
centrifugal separator, which is known as the Detroit Separator.

ConstructionIn the horizontal style as shown in
Figure 1 the steam enters through the inlet and is deflected
downwards by the curved arm, and water and any impurities are
thrown partly by gravity and partly by centrifugal force into the
well of the separator. The purified steam is drawn off through the
outlet from the top of the separator. Drainage is accomplished
either by means of an automatic steam trap, or by hand through the
outlet valve whenever the water gauge indicates that it is
necessary.

The above also applies to the vertical style, the steam entering
from above is deflected by the curved partition shown in the
sectional cut. This partition has a trough on the lower edge to
catch any water that may collect on and run down the sides of the
partition. The vertical separator is not intended to be operated
with an ascending current of steam.

THE BUNDY STEAM AND OIL SEPARATOR

ConstructionConsists of a cast iron flanged
body and a catch basin or receiver flanged to the body at the
bottom. A nest of baffle or separating plates are placed in the
body at right angles to the direction of steam travel. These plates
are set staggered. They consist of upright columns with interior
channels and cup-like openings to catch the water of condensation.
The steam describes a zig-zag or winding course as it passes
through this nest of plates from the intake side of the separator
to the outlet side.

OperationWhen used as oil separators to extract
oil from exhaust steam, the separator is placed as close to the
engine as conditions will permit, the intake side being the face or
front of the separating plates. As the steam passes through the
nest of plates, the oil which it contains, and which is held in
suspension, becomes entangled with the plates, is collected by the
small cups, and passes down through the channels, dropping into the
catch basin or receiver. A tapping in the bottom of the receiver
permits the connecting up of a waste pipe through which the oil
passes off, either by gravity or through a suitable steam trap.
This separator is designed to have the side cover plate removable
by taking off the bolt heads, swinging it to one side, thus
permitting the interior separating plates to be taken out by hand
for the purpose of cleaning. It is recommended that these plates
should be cleaned about once each fortnight, immediately following
the installation of the separator, and at intervals as may be
required at other times. Where necessary, separators will be
provided with the removable cover plate flanged to the top of the
body. In some plants there is not sufficient room to take the
plates out from the side, in which event they should be removed
from the top.

THE COCHRANE SEPARATOR Horizontal and Vertical Forms

ConstructionA single baffle plate facing the
inlet opening, presenting sufficient surface for the impingement of
all the particles of liquid traveling in the current ribbed
vertically to prevent the side travel of the separated liquid ports
are placed one at each side of the baffle, and these combined, of
an area exceeding that of the entering pipe the opening into well
being free and placed directly in front of and underneath the lip
of the entering pipe, so that when a large quantity of liquid comes
it will pour directly into the well. The well being entirely below
the course of the current, and the current not being discharged
into it, the liquid taken out will not be disturbed until it rises
to the level of the bottom of the main, when the separator simply
becomes inoperative without the current having the opportunity to
drive out or to pick up and carry over the stored liquid. The
chamber on outlet side of baffle is closed to well, the drainage
for condensation from this chamber being led to well through an
internal drip pipe.

The Vertical FormIs the equivalent of the
horizontal form, modified in design and construction to meet the
conditions due to the different direction of the current viz.:
upward or downward flow instead of horizontal while retaining the
same principles of separation.

In the lower left hand corner of figure 3 is shown a section
view of this separator.

The following missal comes from LEWIS A. WRIGHT, R.D. 2,
Cortland, New York and has much information on several subjects:
‘I have been a subscriber to the IMA for quite a few years and
I get a lot of pleasure reading it and reliving the days when I was
growing up in the Midwest with the old steam threshing rigs and the
huge one and two lunger tractors. I am 81 years old now and for two
years my wife and I have not been able to attend any steam shows
because of having to have surgery, but we hope to be able to fire
up the old motor-home and take in some shows next summer.

In the Jan.-Feb. issue of IMA a picture in the unclassified
photos caught my eye. The engine pictured in #3 is a Stevens,
manufactured in Auburn, New York. One of the two identifying
features is the high steam dome on the rear of the boiler and the
cylinder on the extreme front. The steam was carried to the
cylinder through a pipe inside of the boiler, the same as in a
railroad locomotive. This was done to keep the steam as hot as
possible before it went into the cylinder. The other feature is the
iron guard under the connecting rod and crank disc wheel. I have
never seen this make of engine pictured or even mentioned in any of
my albums or magazines (Floyd Clymers included) and I have never
seen one at the many steam shows that I have attended. However,
there is one here in central New York. It was owned and restored by
Mr. Bob Daniels of Jamesville, New York and is now owned by Mr.
Lawrence Hitchcock of Levanna, New York and was shows at his last
two shows. I suspect that it is the only one of this make left but
I would like to hear from any of your readers who have one or know
of one. This engine is not to be confused with the A. Stevens
engines and threshers made in Marinette, Wisconsin.

The tractor in picture #4 is a 1916 60-90 Twin City and #6 is of
course a good old Case.

In past issues of IMA I have seen several accounts of boiler
explosions and in not one of them have I read the most probable
cause. In my years of firing railroad locomotives we received some
very strict instructions as to how to handle that bugbear of all
firemen and engineers, the foaming boiler, or as it was called on
the railroad, working water. In one account it told that they had
fired up the engine and all of a sudden the water all turned to
steam and just as soon as they got the pump working, the boiler
exploded. This was typical of the actions of too many of the
inexperienced operators of steam engines. Our instructions were,
NEVER under any circumstance ever try to get water
into a foaming boiler. Injectors and inspirators heat the water to
some degree and water that is pumped through an exhaust heater is
quite hot but nowhere as hot as a foaming boiler, and its
introduction into the boiler causes a severe hammer that no boiler
will withstand. The odd thing about foaming water is that it will
allow the firebox sheets to become red hot and it will show water
at the tri-cocks but it will not blow the fuse plugs. The one,
first and only rule is DUMP THE FIRE, although I
have heard of instances where the fireman smothered the fire with
fresh coal and averted an explosion.

In the May-June 1980 issue there is an article and pictures of a
boiler explosion where the firebox and flues are nearly intact, but
the boiler barrel is ruptured at the seam. This is purely the
result of a severe hammer.

This foaming is caused by foreign materials in the water such as
dirt, lime deposits and vegetable matter and I have heard that a
tablespoon full of milk will make a boiler foam like a bubble bath.
I can well believe that because when I was about 17 years old I was
hauling oat bundles to a large Case outfit that was threshing for
our next door neighbor. I was unloading into the separator when the
owner and engineer blew the whistle to stop pitching and he tied
the whistle open and he had a wire on the safety valve lever which
he tied open. Then when the separator cylinder cleared, he shut
down the engine, opened the fire door, grabbed the shaker bar and
started dumping the fire while the water boy raked it out of the
ash pan onto the ground. He then told the water boy to dump the
water that he had in the wagon back into the stock tank and drive
to a creek about a mile away and get a tankful of clean creek
water. He drained all of the water from the engine tanks and when
the boiler pressure got down to ten or fifteen pounds he slowly
opened the blow-off valve and blew every drop of water from it. The
water boy was nearly two hours getting back with the load of water
and by that time they thought that the boiler was cool enough so
they could start to fill it, as the creek water was quite warm.
When the water showed in the glass, they shovelled the fire back
into the firebox and they had steam up again in no time. We
didn’t lose too much time as it all happened about noon, so we
unhitched our horses, watered and fed them and ate our dinner.
Investigation led to the fact that when the hired man took the milk
out of the cooling tank in the milk house that morning, one of the
can covers popped off and he spilled some milk into the cooling
tank which overflowed into the stock tank where they got the water
for the engine. Had that engineer obeyed the impulse of most
engineers and firemen and grabbed for the injector or pump valves,
in all probability some of us would not be here to tell about it.
He said that he knew the instant that the foaming started by the
sound of the exhaust, he knew that it was belching water.

By the time that I went to work on the railroad they knew the
causes and cures for it so we did not have any trouble with it, but
in the early days of steam they had plenty of it. Every locomotive
on our road was taken into the shop every thirty days and given a
complete boiler wash and if any amount of scale had collected on
the firebox a boiler maker would go over the inside of it with an
air hammer to loosen it so it could be flushed out. Also a whole
pound of caustic soda was added to every tender full of water to
soften the lime and neutralize any foreign material that might be
in it.

In the days before boiler inspectors and licensed engineers, it
must have been all anybody’s life was worth to work around
those old engines when the only washout that they got was the
blow-down at the end of the season. When the mud in the mudring got
up above the level of the grates and the scale got so thick on the
firebox sheets that the water could not get to them to cool them,
the plates got red hot and bulged so it was either a new firebox or
the junkyard and all too many of those old engines were scrapped
right, as you might say, in their prime of life. After the
introduction of acetylene cutting torches and electric welders it
was possible to cut out the bulges and weld in new plate and stay
bolts but those repairs did not allow the original pressure to be
carried.

An interesting thing happened to me one day when I was called
out at noon to fire a way freight. Our engines were mostly 65 ton
4-6-0 dual purpose super heaters with 6′ drivers and Pilliod
valve gears. They would pull a fair sized freight train and they
would snake a heavy milk train at 75 miles per hour where the track
permitted.

I got there a little before the engineer and as the steam
pressure was down, I raked up the fire and put on some coal and
left the blower on while I went to the boiler room and pump house
to fill my water can. I chatted for a few minutes with the fireman
and when I got back on the engine I looked at the steam gauge and
it was 15 pounds over the blow-off pressure and still going! I shut
off the blower and air pump, locked the fire doors open and started
one of the inspirators. Then I pulled the whistle wide open and
tied it. The roundhouse foreman and several men came on the run and
when the foreman jumped on deck, I pointed at the steam gauge. He
took one look and ducked out onto the running board to look at the
safety valves. The boiler had been given a wash out and a
hydrostatic test that morning and the clamps had been left on them.
He opened the relief valves on the steam chests and cracked the
throttle and we succeeded in getting the pressure down to where a
mechanic could remove the clamps. The head mechanic was home sick
and nobody knew who was responsible, but I was commended by the
road foreman for my quick thinking. My grandfather fought most all
through the Civil War with the second Minnesota Regiment and I have
often heard him tell that the soldiers were often called on to help
rebuild railroad tracks and repair the rolling stock and sometimes
even operate the trains. As a boy he started his threshing
experience by driving the jerk-mule on a twenty muleteam combine
and later operating a portable engine on a threshing outfit.
Because of this experience he was often called on to run a
locomotive. He said that in those days foaming boilers were a
common occurrence and caused many explosions. They had to get their
water wherever they could get it and sometimes it was nothing more
than thin mud. None of those engines had injectors. The water was
pumped into the boilers with either a cross-head pump or one that
worked from an eccentric on the rear drivers. I have heard him tell
that if they had to wait for any length of time at a station they
would have to uncouple the engine and tender from the train and run
it back and forth to get water into the boiler. How about those
good old days!

The following letter and picture is sent by GRAHAM R. CLEGG,
P.O. Box 408, Young, N.S.W. 2594: ‘I have been referred to you
by the Smithsonian Institute as a possible source of information on
the Birdsall Engine and Thresher Company of Auburn, New York. We
restore antique steam engines and have recently acquired the
Birdsall shown in enclosed photograph. It is quite a small engine
of perhaps 5 or 6 tons and restoration has already begun. We are
seeking any information of any kind, especially photo copies of any
surviving catalogues etc. in an attempt to correctly restore the
engine and to establish its date of manufacture. We would also like
to contact any other owners of Birdsall engines in the United
States. I look forward to hearing in due course.’ (Fellas, ban
together and get those letters to Grahamhe’s anxiously waiting
to hear from you.)

I’m nearing the end of the column for this time and I’d
like to leave you with another parable from Well-springs of Wisdom
by Ralph L. Woods called ‘Spiritual Blindness’. A man who
had spent all of his time making and hoarding money found himself
in a most disturbed and unhappy state, and went to a minister for
counsel.

The minister, who knew the man rather well, picked up the Bible,
pointed to the word ‘God’ and asked, ‘Can you see
that?’

‘Certainly,’ replied the man with annoyance.

‘All right,’ said the minister as he picked up a coin
and placed it over the word ‘God.’ ‘Can you see the
word now?’

The man did not reply immediately, but presently he said,
‘Yes, I understand now.’ (Nuff said.)

And in closing, how about these words to
ponderPrejudice is being down on what we are not
up on. A Grudge is too heavy a load for anyone to
carry. Mellancholy is the pleasure of being sad.
Trouble is like an ugly doglooks worse coming than
going. Bye Bye love ya all and have fun getting ready for the
reunions.