SOOT IN THE FLUES

We have a letter from ARLEN G. OLSON, P.O. Box 118, Plenty,
Saskatchewan, Canada SOL 2R0. (Welcome Arlen and glad you
wrote).

‘This is the first time I have ever written to your column
and I hope some of your readers can help me. I have been interested
in steamers for some time now and am particularly interested in
valve and reverse gear. I am fairly familiar with the more common
types with well known names such as Woolf, Grimes, Springer and
Reeves radial-type valve gear, Russell shifting eccentric, the
Stevenson link reverse, etc. Awhile ago, though, I was reading in
Jack Norbeck’s Encyclopedia of Steam Traction Engines and
discovered two names I have never heard of, the Miller and Arnold
reverse gears. Could anyone out there explain how both the Miller
and Arnold reverse gear worked on simple single-cylinder engines?
If anyone can, you can drop me a line, or better yet, write an
article about it.

Also, I would like to know how the Baker reverse worked. I have
diagrams of the cylinder and valve assembly but no idea how the
reverse itself works (the part back on the crankshaft). It seemed
to be highly rated and used on railroad locomotives a lot. There
also seems to be a lot of controversy as to which kind was the best
(giving nearly equal cut-off on both the back and the return stroke
in both forward and reverse motion). I have heard it said that the
Reeves performed this as nearly perfect as humanly possible, but I
would like to hear the opinions of experienced engineers now. Could
make for good discussion. Which one is best or were they equal? On
merits or even power and economy?

I have been taking your magazine for nearly two years now and
enjoy it very much, particularly this column. Any information will
be greatly appreciated! (Sounds like a fairly new member for our
family of IMA. Do hope you can help him).

‘Grandfather’s Bird sell engine and clover huller, fed
by hand straw carrier. I think this picture was taken in South
Solon, in the fall of the year; the men have coats on and the
leaves are painted on the trees. He was a great old man to hull
clover all winter.’

THOMAS STEBRITZ, 1516 E. Commercial St., Algona, Iowa 50511
sends this letter to the family of IMA: ‘Gene Drummond had an
interesting letter in the last issue of the Iron Men Album. I
personally stumbled on the so-called formula he speaks of back in
the early fifties. I owned a 1919 65 HP Case from 1949 to 1980 and
the serial number was missing, the system was approximate as I
found out.

E.C. McMillan of Kansas stopped through here one late fall in
mid-fifties on the way to Racine, Wisconsin. He took along the
boiler number from my 65 Case (No. 23433). I wrote to the Case
Company in 1950, but they wouldn’t help me other than send me a
copy of the boiler scratch sheet.

Well, ‘Big Mac’ rattled a few dishes so to speak and
they accommodated him my Case 65 was numbered 34592, built in
1919.

It has been my experience that at least on the engines with the
long smoke box, the serial number was steel stamped on the smoke
box near the brass plate. On my engine the figures were visible
yet, but illegible. Some boilers had these figures rusted off.

I wondered how many Case owners know that the side crank engines
had the date that they were built stamped onto the cylinder,
however this practice was discontinued after 1913 with the new
style engines, my 65 had no such stamping.

I can’t agree with Mr. Drummond about cobbling up an older
Case to pass it off for a newer model, it’s not possible, too
much difference, however the last 60 Case and 75 Case both sported
steel smokestacks put on by the company.

Apparently, we have quite a number of Case fans who don’t
seem to know that the 60 Case and 75 Case were to be discontinued
after 1913. My late father told me all about this years ago, but
it’s borne out in the book of numbers.

The new line of Case engines followed the design of the 80 Case
which was first built in 1911. The contractors bunkers were smaller
and had the draw-bar underneath, and the wheels, shafting and
gearing were all heavier and stronger than on the old line of
engines.

The 60 Case was not built in 1914, 1915, 1916. Some 75 Case
engines were built in 1914, none in 1915. They made a good comeback
in 1916 and 1917 and forty 75 Case engines were built in 1922.
There were about 200 Case engines built in 1917 and 1919 and then
the 60 Case again got the axe forever.

The 60 Case and the 36’x58′ thresher was considered the
most popular Case rig. Well in 1914 the Case Company tried to push
the 65 Case paired with the 36’x58′ thresher. Steam plowing
was fast disappearing about then and thresher-men couldn’t see
spending about five to seven hundred dollars for an engine with
plow gears to pull a thresher down the road.

The coming of the tractors for plowing ironically gave the 60
and 75 Case a reprieve from an early grave.

That was an interesting account about the so-called
one-of-a-kind Case engine, that Mr. Thomas Lee wrote in the
Sept./Oct. IMA.

I know where there is a 20 HP trunk compound, center crank Case
built in 18%, No. 6559 that has similar wheels and smokestack. The
wheels are equipped with the ‘Moore’ grouter and the
smokestack is equipped with a spark arrester and was made entirely
of cast iron.

The last center crank engine and the first side crank engines
apparently had the new style clutch developed on them at the same
time, and the center crank had a new style six spoke clutch
wheel.

I wonder how many Case experts know that the company
experimented with the upside down Woolff gear on the center crank
Case.

A man named George W. Morris was somehow associated with the
Case Company in the late 1890’s into the 1900’s, and the
Case Company built some big engines for him and he later built some
machinery at Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Another photo from Harlyn Hoppcs (see preceding page). ‘I
would think this picture was taken around 1900 in Landers Co. Looks
like my Uncle Frank Eyler on the Russell engine. The machine
belonged to my grandfather, Landers Eyler, who passed away in
1938.

My late father told me that he saw some drawings of various new
machines that were patented back around 1900, in some publications,
and one drawing was of the side crank spring mounted Case steamer,
patented by George W. Morris who assigned the patent to the Case
Company. It is quite possible that George Morris could have
designed the mystery engine also.

The caption with the drawing of the side crank made no mention
of the name Case.

‘Big Mac’ McMillan of Kansas in 1956 wrote a very
comprehensive article about the legendary 150 Case road locomotive.
It was printed in Engineers & Engines. According to his
research at the factory with the help of some Case people, eleven
Case boilers were built, three tractions were built, one was not
recovered, but apparently the other two were shipped back to the
factory and scrapped and the boilers were sold as skid boilers,
which was the likely fate of the eight remaining boilers. The Case
Company put serial numbers on skid boilers.

You say that this is old news, well now for the proof. My 1917
original Case repair book for the side crank engines lists a
complete line of repairs for the first side crank engine built.

It mentions the 150 Case but the only repairs are listed for the
boiler proper, nothing else, and the description is 150 H. Skid. So
there you have it; the Case Company speculated that the first side
crank spring mounted engine was still around in 1917, but they knew
the 150 Case engines weren’t because they had no repairs listed
for them. How can someone argue with this?

The Case was a homely engine, however, too bad it didn’t get
a chance to redeem itself.

To some people, Case could do no wrong, yet they are quite
willing to believe that six more lemons were built like the first
three 150 Case. Big Mac’s research could find no evidence that
the gearing was redesigned, and that says it all.

Our Case expert from Canada made some inconsistent remarks about
the first Case 32 HP, about the design of the two-speed being
similar to that of the 150 Case and he remarked that after several
engines were built, the single speed was adopted and the two-speed
was dropped.

The Case Company built a two-speed in a new design and
apparently were satisfied with its performance because they listed
it as optional equipment in 1909 yet on the 32 HP.

My late father fed me a lot of valuable information about the
steam engine as I grew up. He was that one in a hundred persons
that really liked all steamers, not because they were current. I
have quite a few numbers of engines he knew of up to 90 years
ago.’

Here is a chance for someone to help out a fellow enthusiast as
BOB SORRENSEN, JR., 255 West Laurel Road, Bellingham, Washington
98226 writes: ‘I am writing to obtain information on a boiler
that I own. The boiler is a vertical fire tube 48’ in diameter
having 140, seven foot two inch tubes. The tubes are expended and
beaded, the stay bolts taped, riveted and drilled. The shell
firebox top and bottom tube sheets and all external brackets are
electric welded.

The construction company that I acquired this from I assume had
purchased it from some government surplus agency. The boiler is
still coated inside as well as outside with Cosmoline. Stamped
above the firebox door in ‘ block letters is the following:

Anyone who is aware of the meaning of this, I would appreciate
the information. The pressure rating, date and builder I am aware
of and only those.’

This letter came: ‘To Iron Men Album Subscribers thought
they might be interested. I was just old enough to be ‘the
Hired Man’.

‘8 or 12 HP Frick belonging to Mr. Harry Baker and Sons.
Doing a threshing job for Col. Hewitt on the Hill Farm at Freeport,
PA about 1920.

Engine backwards to keep sparks off barn roof and lessen fire
hazards. If the picture were larger you could see George Baker
feeding the thresher. The thresher was a 22 x 36 Clark Williams
wind stacker. Is that a Ford or a Chevy truck? I don’t
remember. Thresher was on right side of barn floor. Would say that
it would be quite a job to back that next load of sheaves into the
barn on the left side. That’s the next load parked in front of
the engine. Truck was the water wagon.

I remember a remark by one of the Baker boys, Kenny, I think,
that the 8 HP Frick didn’t have quite enough power for the job.
The 12 HP did.’ This letter was signed: The Hired Man, 41 N.
Charlotte St., Johnstown, PA 15900.

This letter comes from BLAKE MALKAMAKI, 10839 Girdled Road,
Painesville, Ohio: ‘I would like to know if anyone has any
information or suggestions on building a dynamometer or prony brake
for deter-mining horsepower.

‘I was considering using a hydraulic pump for the load. A
belt pulley would be attached to the pump shaft. The load could be
adjusted using a globe valve installed parallel to a relief valve.
The oil would then go through a cooler of some kind, then to a
tank. The pump, with an arm attached, would be allowed to rotate on
bearings. The end of the arm would be rested on a scale. By
measuring the weight applied to the scale, the length of the arm,
and the rpm of the pump, the horsepower of an engine should be
determined.

‘Using the formula:

HP=2 pie nPr
       33000

Pie = 3.14159; n = r.p.m.; P = lbs. force on scale; r = radius
or length of arm in feet.

‘I don’t know what type or size pump to use. What size
pulley? Piping arrangements? Pressure to run? R.P.M. range? Length
of arm or scale? Oil volume and cooling? Is this idea even
feasible?

‘I would like to make this whole unit portable, so that it
could be taken to shows and used to determine the horsepower of any
size traction engine, or even small tractors or gas engines.’
(So there you are, fellow gas buffs, see what help you can be to
your buddy.)

1900 German hot air engine made by Joseph Fast, part of a
collection of 6 German and 24 other makes of hot air engines owned
by Al Cropley, 4807 Lake Washington Blvd. S., Seattle, WA
98118.

Word comes from TED ESTY, whose letter appeared in the
January/-February 1989 column. Ted was pleased with the response he
got in regard to his questions about steam generating systems. He
has recently changed his address, and apologizes to those trying to
reach him at his former location. His new address and phone number
are: Ted Esty, HC #1, Box 278, Posey, California 93260;
805-536-8203.

In closing I’d like to print this small poem might cheer you
up and maybe you could pass that cheer on.

THE WORD OF GOD

For feelings come and feelings go, And feelings are deceiving;
My warrant is the Word of God Nought else is worth believing.
I’ll trust in God’s unchanging Word Till soul and body
sever For, though all things shall pass away, His Word shall stand
forever.

And that’s something to hold on to, folks. And here’s a
teaser: Don’t criticize your wife’s judgement see who she
married! Have a wonderful season, folks, and keep in touch. Love
you!