We are really in the throes of Winter as this publication goes
to pressand that means many of you are long past the shows and
reunions, but already I can picture you with that gleam in your eye
as you put forth efforts to bring a rusted piece of equipment into
a thing of beauty. Remember beauty is in the eye of the beholder
and while they may not be beautiful to the everyday crowd that has
not been bitten by the ‘steam bug’ they are really precious
gems to the builder or refinisher. Keep plugging and before you
know it, spring will be here with the anticipated events leading
into the summer attractions. And just as spring turns dead sticks
of wood and plain barren ground into beautiful buds, flowers, thick
grasses and woodsy plants and shady trees so will the artistic
ability of many of you shine forth as you so proudly load up the
machinery and head east, west, north and south to the many shows
and museums and rallies and you succumb to the feeling ‘Oh, all
that work was really worth it,’ and a joy to remember and gaze
upon on into the years.
And referring to the above I just came across this What is hope?
Hope is wishing for a thing to come true. Hope is wanting something
so eagerly that, in spite of all the evidence that you’re not
going to get it, you go right on wanting it. And the remarkable
thing about it is that this very act of hoping produces a kind of
strength of its own. Norman Vincent Peale. (I don’t know about
you, but I think that fits very well into the hopes and
determinations you folks have in creating beauties from the past
forgotten itemsseems it just was right for me to relate this to
you). Also, I just came across this writing by Frances Louise
Medlin taken from the Guidepost Treasury of Hope:
TRIBUTE TO A TREE
‘Last night a slight north wind that seemed no more than a
gentle puff took the apple tree down. It’s lying prone and
wilted now, still heavily laden with its last mellow
fruit.’
‘For weeks we have known its days were numbered. Its gnarled
trunk was infested with a decay that would not be controlled and
yet, again this April, it delighted every passerby with the
profusion of its delicate pink-white blooms, followed by apples
that soon grew to the ‘picking stage.’
‘Over the years its spreading branches have been a veritable
haven for the small boys and girls of the family, who along with
their elders feasted many mornings on apple jelly for breakfast and
apple pie for dinner.’
‘Yes, we shall miss our apple tree with a deep and abiding
poignancy, and yet, we are grateful indeed for the lessons that the
life has taught us the uncomplaining bearing of one’s daily
load, the quiet courage of doing one’s duty even under physical
stress, the necessity for giving to the world all of the beauty and
goodness that are ours to share.’
I read this with interest and it brought to my mind an incident
that happened to us this summer. We do not have a lot of trees, but
when we moved here ten years ago there was an apple tree right
outside our kitchen window, and it produced beautiful fruits for a
number of years, large gorgeous apples that I understand had grown
this way from grafting two kinds of apples. They were green and a
beautiful pink on top turning to shades of red also. Well a couple
of years ago it did not bear fruit any more. My husband and our
youngest son, Tom, 25, said more than once, ‘We’re just
going to have to cut that apple tree down,’ and for a couple of
years I would change the subject and tell them how I loved that
treeit was very misshapen, leaning far over to one side, but to me
it had character and I did not want to see it go.
You know, trees have a life the same as we do, all made by our
Creator and I believe the tree heard the remarks of the men
hereabout. Well, one day I noticed that after several years of
non-growth, miraculously, the tree put forth buds and grew in a
splendid manner, the branches reaching out seemed to say ‘Just
look at me now,’ the apples were gorgeous many of them weighing
over a pound. Well, one day we had a heavy rain for a day and night
and as I looked out the window, next morning, there was our
beautiful apple tree, which had fallen through the rain being so
heavy and leaning as it was pulled the big roots out with a few
side ones to the ground, but oh my, so heavily laden with
scrumptious apples. It had been a few years since I had made
applesauce and apple pies, (not only because there were no apples,
but due to health conditions I could not have done it.) BUT did we
make use of those gorgeous fruits from our God! We gave several
bushels away to our friends and I like to think that the tree after
hearing it might meet its death with a saw decided to go out of
this world ‘in a blaze of glory’ and there are many of us
this winter that will share the delicious pies and applesauce from
the beautiful gnarled tree. Yes, it was cut down by a saw, a hand
saw and an electric saw, but not yet giving up the ghost. It will
warm the hearth this year of a dear friend and send up its
delightful aroma of apple tree wood. At least now, the tree was
dead and not put to its demise while it still had such beauty and
life. I thank you, God! I don’t know if anyone else feels as I
do, but I had a good feeling of it going away with such a dramatic
ending. And I believe many of you folks understand what I am trying
to say.
And now on to the interesting letters which come from our
Iron-Men Family please keep the communications coming. Don’t
think you can’t do it, you are the backbone of this
publication. I am happy to type, edit, peruse and enjoy as I
prepare your gleanings of the past.
An interesting letter and request comes from LARRY D. VAN
DEMARK, 209 N. Grimes, Carl Junction, Missouri 64834. He writes:
‘I stopped at a ‘used equipment yard’ and it was full
of old mining equipment. While there, I bought a Gardner Duplex 4
1/2 x 3 x 4, boiler feed pump, serial number 24318, at a very good
price.
‘Also, while at the same place, I spotted and bought two
small steam turbines. The only identification on the two turbines
is the nameplates on the governor housing: Coppus Engineering
Corporation, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA. Type TF V9, Nozzle 12,
HP 2.7, RPM 2900. Turbine #1 Machine No. 53T358. Turbine #2 Machine
No. 53T359. The turbines are identical and have consecutive serial
machine numbers.’
‘The steam inlet is 3/4 inch pipe, the exhaust is a 2 inch
pipe. Looking in the exhaust part, I can see two fan blades of a
cup type blade.’
‘I have restored two reciprocating steam engines and one
Duplex boiler feed-pump. But restoring a steam turbine is something
very new and a little foreign to me.’
‘If anyone knows anything about the Coppus Engineering
Corporation of Worcester, Massachusetts, I would certainly
appreciate any information.’
‘If any of the IMA readers ever worked on or restored a
small steam turbine of the type I have described, please let me
hear from you. Keeps the steam up!’ (Please, if you can help
Larry get some data off to him after all you are brothers in the
same hobby, and I’m sure you all like to help each
other.)’
Brian Krog, RR1, Box 124, Lake Benton, MN 56149 sends this photo
of a 20 HP undermounted Avery at an early Mt. Pleasant show.
Sometime back, we received a phone call in the office, and then
a note from ROBERT S. DART of 1024 A Brixton Court, Sterling, VA
22170. Robert is a teacher who works with students and model
engines. His question was how one could tell the actual horsepower
of an engine from which a model was made. We referred the question
to Paul White at Rough and Tumble which is nearby Stemgas. Paul did
some research and found a formula for projecting this information.
It goes like this:
P = Pressure, Lb. squared
A = Are of Piston, In. squared
L = Length of Stroke
N = Strokes per Minute
PLAN divided by 33,000 = ind. HP.
We thought we would pass this information so that it could be
used by anyone else who may have a model engine derived from an
original of unknown HP. And we are indebted to Paul for his
help!
BILLY M. BYRD, 369 S. Harrig Street, Madisonville, Kentucky
42431 is a regular contributor to IMA and we get personal items
from Billy too. I thought I would share this with you. This was
written in early November: ‘How is everything up north?
It’s beginning to get cold down here. I have finished at
Chattanooga, Tennessee for the season.’ (Many of you probably
know, and for those that do not, Billy works at the Tennessee
Valley Railroad Museum for quite a few months out of the year, and
he runs an engine there, which I’m sure keeps him quite
happy).
‘Last month the L & N Historical Society had their
convention at Chattanooga and did we have a time! We had a night
photo session, and I let all I could ride the engine. We had a
banquet and they started showing N C & St. L, Southern, C. of
Ga. L & N and TAG steam and diesel slides at 8:00 p.m. and it
lasted until 3:00 a.m. I cut out at 11:00.’
‘There were two L & N men on the engine and my former
boss. I ran the Shepard last Sunday in a Veteran’s Day Parade.
‘Will run it December 2 and 9 in the Christmas Parades, then
will put it to bed for the winter.’
‘I’ve been sawing wood with the 1/2-size 65 Case, but
have already put it away. I’m sending in a death notice for the
Golden Roll. (See page 25.) I’m sorry it is written in longhand
but don’t have a typewriter and if I had one, I wouldn’t
know how to use it.’
‘Things were hectic here for awhile. My wife had triple
by-pass heart surgery September 25th, but has gotten along
fabulously. We are thankful for that.’
Billy tells us, and I’m sure he would mean it for each of
you, ‘I hope you and yours are fine and that you have a Happy
Thanksgiving and a Joyous Christmas. Take care now, because I care.
All the best, Billy.’ I certainly think that is a neat ending.
(Received this picture of Billy and it is really good and thought
you might want to see it, too).
JACK MULFORD, R.D.#1, Box 8894, Lodi, New York 14860 comments:
‘I need information about the geared water-feed pump on my 65
HP 1915 Case traction engine. Are the suction valve seats pressed
or screwed in? If pressed in, how are they removed? Any help in
this matter will be appreciated.’
Here is a letter we all should be interested in, as it comes
from one of our future steam engine men. ‘My name is JOSHUA
NACE, 5540 Board Road, Mt. Wolf,, Pennsylvania 17347. l am 13 years
old. Since I was 7, I have been interested in steam engines. The
only engine I ever had a chance to run was Harry Bechtold’s
1921, 9×10 Frick, owned by the late Harvey Hoffman. Now, I would
like to get the Iron-Men Album at my house. I take them to school
some times and in Science I get chances to explain different things
about steam engines. I am going to try to write up a story on the
late Harvey Hoffman’s engine.’ (Great, Joshua, and we are
so glad to hear from youmaybe you could inspire some of our long
time IMA friends to write some more stories also. Without more
articles and stories the Soot in the Flues will no longer send up
that black smoke. Also, perhaps your letter will be an inspiration
to a lot of fellows your age to just write in and express your
views or your ambitions and stories. I know there have to be more
young men your age interested in steam.)
I had a real nice ‘chat’ on the phone recently with ED
LARSON, R.R. 1, Box 64, Milan, Kansas 67105. He was commenting on
how much the articles and items put in the IMA help him and a lot
of others. Ed is one of the younger steam enthusiasts at age 29,
but hopefully will be a regular contributor to our Soot in the
Flues, and again I hope he inspires the other men who have such a
wealth of information on this fascinating hobby to get those
letters rolling in to Anna Mae(I’ll be glad to translate them).
The following is our first letter from Ed Larson.
‘I am sending you a picture of my 1920 18 HP Advance Rumely
Universal steam engine #15228 which I restored this past year. I am
surely thankful that Chady Atteberry exposed me to the steam bug a
couple of years ago. I received a lot of help on my engines from
fellows like Dale Wolff, who went on the ‘engine hunt’ with
me, Joe Harper, who paints wonderful decals for my bunker, and
Harold Ottaway, who had an Advance steam gauge and an original tool
box.’
‘My engine will make her first show at the big Rumely Oil
Pull Expo at Pawnee, Oklahoma on May 4, 5, 6, 1990.’
‘You know there are so many wonderful people in our steam
hobby. But we ‘younger folks’ owe a great deal of gratitude
to men like Harold Ottaway, Lyman Knapp, Ivan Burns and yes, the
youngster of the lot, Chady Atteberry. If it weren’t for these
fellows going against the ‘normal’ thinking of society and
saving these engines and tractors from the scrappers, there would
be nothing left for us today except pictures in books.’
‘We think we catch heck from neighbors and family members
today; just think what it was like before collecting was
fashionable. Not to mention the knowledge we have acquired from
these fellows. I hope to repay these men some day for what they
have done for me, by passing it all along to the next
generation.’
‘Ivan Burns and Chady Atteberry put a lot of time and effort
into our steam school at Pawnee. Without their efforts, I doubt
Steve Dunn, Dale Wolff or myself would ever have owned a steam
engine. And at Pawnee we have more with the engines than just a
‘smoker’. We have both Prony brake and drawbar horsepower
testing. Also the steam games on Friday evenings. And when it comes
to the steam games on Friday evenings, I think of our old friend
Web Mooney of Nortonville, Kansas. Web says, ‘Engineers in
separator setting contest always put on a show; sometimes it’s
a disgusting one, but always a show.”
‘Well, enough of my talk, I just wanted to thank these good
friends and remind all my fellow collectors to always remember and
appreciate what these men went through and did for us so we can
enjoy our hobby today.
‘My picture is of the 1920 18 HP Advance Rumely Universal
#15228 in the belt on the Baker fan.’
‘I have taken your magazine for several years and needless
to say, I enjoy it very much,’ writes MYRON EASTES, 7156 Twin
Oaks Drive #E, Indianapolis, Indiana 46226.
‘I am enclosing a picture of a little engine I bought and a
small model Baker fan I made. I feel that many of your readers, who
like myself, love steam but live in an apartment, or have limited
space and cannot have anything bigger, would be interested in this.
The engine has a single action cylinder, but bolted to the fan runs
and sounds very realistic. I run it everyday that I don’t work.
The cigarette pack is to show its relative size.’
These pictures and letter come from RUSS ABENDROTH, Route 1,
Greenville, Wisconsin 54942. He writes: ‘Enclosed are two
pictures. No. 1 (left) is a 40 HP Case at the Calumetville Engine
Show. This was their first show. The engine belongs to Wymon
Beotcher. Standing on the platform is Wymon’s son, Carl. Carl
invited me aboard to steer, while he ran the throttle and moved it
to another spot at the show.
‘Picture No. 2 (right) is of John Sell and his 1/4-scale of
a 65 HP Case engine and his threshing machine. I was water boy,
coal shoveler and all around engine tender to keep things going.
‘
This winter’s project is to make a small water wagon as I
had many long hauls with a small pail for water.
‘Also enclosed is a small clipping from the local paper.
They always have their history column of what happened in 1889, 100
YEARS AGO. The clipping reads: ‘Looking BackDon Mendyke of the
Post-Crescent staff Steam Threshers a Problem, from the Appleton
Post, October 1889. ‘Steam threshers have been playing havoc in
many parts of the state this fall. Although few accidents have
occurred from explosions many have resulted from sparks from
smokestacks, and considerable property has in consequence been
destroyed. As the fall has by no means been a dry one, it is rather
difficult to give a reason why so many more fires than usual have
been caused by these engines.’ (Remember this was
1889).’
And now, dear friends, time to end my visit with you this time
and as expected, I leave you with these: One today is better than
ten tomorrows Patience surpasses learning The good you do is not
lost, though you forget it False friends are worse than open
enemies And here is a good thought for each of us SEND ME Dear
Father, to the hopeless ones, that are in such deep need, And have
no one to turn to, They need one friend to heed. Oh comfort and
uphold them, And draw them close to Thee, And if there is no one to
guide, Dear Lord, send me, send me. (Written by Rosina Stallman.)
God bless each one of you. I love you all and would like to hear
from you. Good or bad comments, let me know!
