SOOT IN THE FLUES

In the breast of a bulb
Is the promise of spring;
In the little blue egg
Is a bird that will sing;
In the soul of a seed
Is the hope of the sod;
In the heart of a child
Is the Kingdom of God.

William L. Stidger

Maybe I did not put this in the proper words I wanted to get
across, but I’m sure you do understand what I am saying. And I
know your plans, thoughts, engines, and all related show items are
now growing from the bulb stage into the beautiful flowers of
accomplishments that will be displayed at the upcoming shows and
festivities.

And as often, I’d like to share another gem from the
Wellsprings of Wisdom by Ralph L. Woods entitled
TRIFLES:

A friend once called on Michelangelo just as he was putting the
finishing touches on one of his great works of sculpture. Some time
later the friend again visited the great artist and, to his
astonishment, found Michelangelo still at work on the same statue
but with no obvious difference so far as he could determine.

‘Have you been away since I saw you last?’ he asked the
artist.

‘By no means,’ said Michelangelo, ‘I have been
retouching this part, and polishing that, softening this feature
and strengthening that muscle and so on.’

‘But,’ said the visitor, ‘these are only
trifles.’

‘That may be,’ said the artist, ‘But bear in mind
that trifles make perfection, and perfection is no trifle.’

‘Reading your column is like getting a letter from
home,’ writes CARL A. LATHROP, 108 Garfield Avenue, Madison,
New Jersey 07940. ‘Familiar faces turn up now and again along
with some new names that usually have something of interest in
their lives to share with the rest of the family.’ Some time
ago there was an article in IMA about the Bergen County,
New Jersey, Vocational Technical High School and their collection
of operating steam memorabilia under the direction of Frank
Vopacek. Here is an update.

‘On October 22, 1990, the school was deeded Morris County
Central locomotive No. 385. This 2-8-0 had been built by Baldwin in
1907 for the Southern Railway.’ From there it went to the
railroad nearest to my heart, the Virginia Blue Ridge Railway, as
their No. 6 only to be sold to the tourist carrier, Morris County
Central. When the MCC went belly-up the old boomer ended up on the
ledger of the Delaware Otsego Corporation, a short-line holding
company, and was assigned to their New York, Susquehanna &
Western.

‘Delaware Otsego had considered rehabilitating this steam
engine and had it surveyed by the Rome Locomotive Works, primarily
a diesel rebuild shop now, but still with steam capabilities.’
Its restoration had to compete with the importation of a Baldwin
K-7 that had been exported to China after World War I, but now was
rebuilt by the Chinese and available at $150,000 delivered to the
U.S. Delaware Otsego, however, elected to have a 2-8-2 of these
called J. David Conrad class built for them like the two imported
last winter.

‘But, back to No. 385, what to do with her.’ When we
stopped building traction engines and railroad locomotives and
reciprocating stationary steam engines, we stopped educating the
young in that craft. Not so at Bergen County, for old No. 385 now
sits on a short length of track between the river and the athletic
field within sight of the steam classroom. The students will hone
the edge of their craft getting the old girl under steam again.

‘You have to wonder why a hard boiled, profit oriented
corporation in jungle warfare of the railroad business would give
something like that to a school. Well, that is a story in itself.
Back around 1976 a group of railfans bought an 0-6-0 from the
Virginia Blue Ridge Railway and started a tourist line operating on
an abandoned section of the Ulster & Delaware RR tracks out of
Mickle Bridge, New York. Walter Rich, then studying to be a lawyer,
was the sparkplug of the group. Like the oak from the acorn, that
venture grew until today it is the Delaware Otsego Corporation with
Rich as President and CEO, that’s why. A little bit of water
under the bridge has made a lot of steam.’

‘FELLOW IMA READERS, HELP! Restoration of the 22 Gaar Scott
nearly complete. Desperately seek information on whereabouts of an
original Gaar Scott smokestack. Now using Port Huron stack and
having a problem maintaining proper draw for the fire. Can’t
get up steam up. Send information to: Kingman Engineering, ATTN:
JOHN SCHROCK, 703 Curtis Street, Mason, Michigan 48854. Thank
you!’ (Come on Fellas and Engine enthusiasts, if you can
help in this matter, please let John hear from you). Chevrolet
Corvette.’

HARVEY GLOEGE, Box 158, Glenwood, Minnesota 56334 writes this:
‘Since you welcome articles to be published (we surely do) in
your IMA publications, please find a photo enclosed of my
60 Case steam engine pulling a decorated float in our 1957 parade,
put on annually by our city of Glenwood, Minnesota. There was an
estimated crowd of 100,000 people viewing the parade. I still own
this engine that’s me running it. And that is my two year old
grandson on the float sitting in a miniature Chevrolet
Corvette.

And Harvey sent a personal note which I would like to share with
you all ‘Allow me to let you know that I have enjoyed
IMA very much over the years. You have published several
articles and photos I sent in of this Case steam engine and of
other pictures sent in’.

‘I especially appreciate your good writing in your Soot in
the Flues.’ It’s always ‘good stuff.’

‘I’m semi-retired from our family auto business. I’m
82 years of age, but still love this steam engine related
business-Love ya!’ (Thanks Harvey, love ya too and all the
IMA families.)

‘While looking over the issues of Iron Men Album
one wonders why more happenings of past years are not sent in to
publish,” writes PERRY WILLIS, R.D. #3, Louisville, Ohio
44641. He continues, ‘Surely lots of people can recall their
younger years. I do.’ (PLEASE TAKE NOTE IRON MEN
FAMILYwe realize over the years there have been many
letters, articles, pictures etc. sent in from you folksvbut please
those of you who haven’t written to this publication (and those
of you have), dig down into your file of knowledge of more stories
or pictures or any items of interest).

‘I had to quit school at 15 years of age to do all the field
work until my father came home from his job.’ We rented a 142
acre farm and took care of another farm of 80 acres for a total of
222 acres. One must remember this was before tractors and combines.
It was a heartwarming life and neighbors were neighbors.

‘I was one of the older children of a family of 13, and the
burdens fell on the older boys and girls. I went to CCC Corps in
1939 to help pay the bills and help the family.’ We received
$30.00 per month; $22.00 was sent home and we existed on $8.00 per
month. After serving 18 months, I returned home to the farm. I
worked for the neighbors for $1.00 per day. I also dug coal for
fuel at home for the stoves. I dug coal for two months for four
tons of coal and coal was $2.00 a ton. That was an average of .50
per week for six days work.

‘A boy today would never sacrifice his young years as most
of the older men had to do over the years’.

‘I cut timber and mine props, threshed at all the neighbors
and filled silos also.’ We husked corn at home and at the
neighbors. All hand work, but those days are long gone. Today it
seems most of your neighbors will not even say hello to you.

‘I visit the areas where my younger years were spent. I am
welcomed at the houses.’ Yes, these were the pioneers who did
with practically nothing to develop our nation. I am proud I was
raised and helped everyone and shared our lives and labors.

‘We had an unusual spring; weather conditions and crops
planted were way off schedule.’ The American farmers can blame
no one for the trouble of bankruptcy, but themselves. They buy
expensive machinery and farm prices haven’t changed much in the
last 50 to 55 years. You cannot make a silk purse out of a
sow’s ear. No way!

The shows are done for this season. I wait for the coming year.
I will help at the shows and help exhibit the engines, sawmills and
machinery. My wish is for more younger men to take an interest in
the shows. If not, the shows will be hurt. There are less older men
each year and we need more help at the shows. It is very well
accepted and we compliment them for work done.

‘We have lost three old-timers in this area that did much to
start these shows.’ God bless them for work they have done.

‘I will close wishing everyone everywhere success and good
health and happiness.’

‘Safety at the shows and fellowship never hurt anyone.
That’s life!’

This ad from a 1919 National Geographic magazine was sent to us
by Denver Weiland, RR 1, 9820 Bragg Rd., Bellevue, OH 44811.

RAY MILLER, Mount Eaton, Ohio writes: ‘I enjoy IMA
very much and read it from cover to cover.

I became interested in steam power about fifteen years ago. I
started going to steam shows and really became fascinated by those
old steam traction engines.

Needless to say, my interest became such that I desired to own
one of those old engines.

About two years ago my dream became a reality. I was able to
purchase a Baker 23-90 traction engine. I have had it to a number
of different shows, and have had great times with it. Also, I want
to say that the people I have met in my association with steam are
a fine group of folks.

‘Just wanted to share a few of my thoughts. Keep on printing
your fine magazine. I look forward to it each issue and read it
thoroughly.’

‘Thanks for such a great magazine! ‘ writes DEAN LEHRKE,
1927 Telephone Road, Fort Mill, South Carolina 29715.

‘I’ve never written before but now’s the time to get
out the pen and paper.’ It seems that IMA readers are more of a
family than merely subscribers to a magazine.

‘Perhaps a family member out there in Reader Land
might share my special steam interests and would care to
correspond.’

‘I am researching the fascinating history of 18th & 19th
century steam engines and vehicles.’

First of all, does anyone know if Apollos Kinsley’s steam
carriage was successfully tested in Hartford, Connecticut in 1787?
Did Nathan Read build a full size steam carriage in Salem,
Massachusetts in 1790? And for Canadian readers, did Robert
Fourness and James Ashworth successfully run their three cylinder
buggy in Halifax in 1788?

‘Are there any Oliver Evans fanatics out there?’ I would
like to know if any photographs were ever taken of his
‘grasshopper’ steam engines, and if any of his 50 odd
engines built between 1801 to 1819 are still in existence? There is
a legend he built some portable engines and also agricultural
engines, even as Richard Trevithick did around 1812.

Are their any Wallis Farmer’s Friend traction engines from
1849-50 around anywhere? Are there any Archambault ‘Forty
Niner’ portable engines still existent?

I haven’t seen any I.C. engines running on gasifiers or
crude oil vaporizers at any engine shows yet. Does anyone have an
authentic 19th century or World War vintage gasifier?

‘In Sweden, there were over 75,000 tractors using them
during World War II.’

‘Finally, can anyone help me find the book on Abner
Doble?’ I have tried unsuccessfully via the American Steam Car
Club and the British Steam Power Journal, neither of which seems to
be around anymore.

‘Does anyone have one of the International experimental
steam tractors of 1922 that they might show us a picture and give
us a story?’

‘If there’s anyone out there interested in this
‘wacky stuff, please write me. Thanks!’ (Well, Fellows,
there are a lot of questions to be answered, not all on steam
engines, but steam related machines. Perhaps some of you will enjoy
writing to Dean.)

In reference to page 11 in our January/February 1991 issue, we
published a request from a subscriber who was seeking information
on Mason Kipp oil pumps for steam engines. Unfortunately, we failed
to include the name and address of the reader so that you could
respond to him if you have such information.

The request came from OAKLEY The Pioneer Acres Show at Irricana,
Alt a., August 1988. This is the rear view of a Rumely 20 HP D.S.
It has a butt strap boiler. A real strong built steamer for
plowing. Ron Carry of Calgary, Alta. is the proud owner. Photo
courtesy of the late Arlo Jurney.

The Pioneer Acres Show at Irricana, Alta., August 1988. This is
the rear view of a Rumely 20 HP D.S. It has a butt strap boiler. A
real strong built steamer for plowing. Ron Carry of Calgary, Alta
is the proud owner. Photo courtesy of the late Arlo Jurney.

ELLICKSON, 1029 Ellston St., Colorado Springs, CO 80907.
Specifically, Mr. Ellickson asked:

‘Do you have information regarding the name and address of
the company making the Mason Kipp? I need to contact that company
for parts.’

Mr. Ellickson had referred to an ad in the back pages of the
book Rough and Tumble Engineering for the Mason Kipp oil
pump. He had heard from other steam engine owners that the pump and
parts are still being manufactured.

We don’t have any knowledge of current name or address of
the firm doing this, and hope that someone who reads this request
will write both to Mr. Ellickson and to IMA so that all
may become informed!

We apologize for the omission in our previous column.

CONRAD MILSTER of 178 Emerson Place, Brooklyn, NY 11205 responds
to a letter from Fred Fox in our November/December issue:

‘Unfortunately, several errors have crept into his
calculations which will cause some confusion for anyone trying to
come up with correct results.’

‘In his first paragraph, he is explaining the relations
between changing cylinder bores and piston areas and uses 2 inches
and 4 inches as his examples, stating, ‘A piston of 4 inches
would be 4 squared X.7854.’ For anyone using the standard
formula, Area = Pi R Squared, this may cause confusions, for Mr.
Fox squares his diameter, while the other formula squares the
radius. A minor point, but one that could trip the unwary formula
figurer. In addition, he says that the 4 inch piston has 3 times
the area of the 2 inch, but in fact it is 4 times as much.

Further on he says, ‘Looking over the formula as printed it
should read 2 P.L.A.N.’ and ‘The engine is driven by
‘N’ revolutions, each revolution being produced by two
strokes of ‘L’ feet.’ His British Naval Docket Book may
well have it written that way, but all the rest of the engineering
world states that ‘L’ equals the length of stroke in feet
(as Mr. Fox does) and ‘N’ equals the number of power
strokes per minute. This is, of course, equal to 2 x
revolutions in normal engines but assigning different values to
standardized factors cannot be done arbitrarily.

‘Using revolutions per minute instead of power strokes will
also lead to incorrect results when the horsepower of internal
combustion engines is determined for a 2 cycle machine will be
equaled in power output by a 4 cycle one, all other factors being
equal.’ It will also influence steam results if, for example,
single acting engines such as the Westinghouse, Shipman and Willans
to name just a few, are involved creating errors of 100%. The
steeple compound Uniflow also uses a single acting L.P. cylinder
which would not fit into this formula.

‘In the next paragraph Mr. Fox introduces a ‘new
way’ of determining horsepower.’ In his example he uses an
engine cylinder with a stroke of 3 inches and for the value of
‘L’ uses 3. Again, this contravenes standard practice
wherein ‘L’ is expressed as the stroke in
feet.

Further on Mr. Fox comments on the difficulty of determining the
mean effective pressure without an indicator and suggests a way of
estimating it. He takes a boiler pressure of 80 lbs. and adds 15
lbs. for atmospheric pressure. Why? Atmospheric pressure is only
added to boiler pressure in those rare instances where total B.T.U.
or heat content of the steam is being determined and is always
referred to as absolute pressure to differentiate it from
gauge pressure.

‘His formula offered in the same paragraph (with a result of
65.422 P.S.I, for the cylinder M.E.P.) has no possible connection
with reality as cutoffs, which determine how long the cylinder
‘takes’ steam, can range from 25% to 75% under normal
conditions or over even a wider range for special cases. ( Unaflow
engines, for example, often cutoff as early as 10%.) If errors of
this magnitude are acceptable in determining the result, why bother
with a formula. Simply take or 2/3 of boiler pressure.’

This picture was taken in the Sixties on the north side of
LaCrosse, Wisconsin at their October Fest. The engine was owned by
Louie Slabik of Chicago, Illinois, but has changed owners since and
is now owned by someone in LaCrosse. Courtesy of Fordyce Larson,
Route 1, Independence, Wisconsin 54747.

‘In his second example of this formula, Mr. Fox states it as
‘If the boiler is 150 lbs then 150 plus 15 atmos. equals 165
lbs.’ Unfortunately, as this is written, it means ‘150 plus
15 atmospheres’ or 150 plus 220.5, which equals 370.5.’

The only time the atmospheric pressure enters into horsepower
calculations is in a condensing engine where the condenser vacuum
must be added to the cylinder steam pressure for a total pressure
differential to obtain a correct M.E.P.

The engines in my plant operate on 120 P.S.I, steam and using
Mr. Fox’s formula I would get 120 + 15 x 1.6931 divided by 2 –
15 which equals a M.E.P. of 99.28. Using this figure in the formula
would give me an indicated horsepower of 249.5 for my engines;
quite a trick for a 100 HP machine! This is an error of 250% and if
I am running at 50% load the figure is now 500% off. I can just
barely carry a full lad of 75 KW at 80 lbs. of boiler pressure if
there are no fluctuations, giving me the same horsepower output as
at 120 lbs. pressure, but Mr. Fox’s formula (at 80 P.S.I.,
M.E.P. would equal 65.4) would now show my engines to be delivering
about 165 HP. Not only is it still over 50% too high, but showing
an output range of from 165 HP to 250 HP under identical loads.

While I agree with Mr. Fox’s statement that American
traction engines are usually simple or double simple, compounds are
especially popular in Europe. Also, many mill engines in Europe and
this country were compounds and so we cannot overlook this aspect
of determining horsepower. It is, in fact, just as easy as with a
simple engine, the only thing being critical being again, the
determining of the M.E.P. This is obviously a job for an indicator,
but it can be roughly estimated if boiler pressure, receiver
pressure on the L.P. and exhaust pressure are known. It is equally
easy for a triple or quadruple expansion engine as long as the
pressure drop across a specific cylinder is known.

‘Some readers may feel I am being overly critical of Mr.
Fox, but I agree with him that the next generation of steam
engineers will learn from us as we learned from our predecessors.
This obligates us to be particularly correct in what we pass on to
them. I know that in my own years of researching, documenting and
operating steam plants, I have heard many a ‘fact’ that was
plain rubbish. Younger steam fans who do not have the opportunity
to test out many of these ‘truths’ for themselves in
practice, will simply accept them and pass them on in
turn.’

And so Dear Friends and IMA Family, that brings to an
end another visit with you and of course I must leave you with some
thoughts to mull around in your thinking.

One of the hardest secrets for a man to keep is his opinion of
himself.-An honest man is the noblest work of God. Alexander
Pope. -Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible, and
receives the impossible.-A living CHRIST in a living MAN is a
living SERMON.-It is better to be short of cash than to be short of
character. -It is a great responsibility to own a Bible.-And I
guess that gives you a few thoughts to ponder until next time.

I don’t need to tell you to have a great summer for I know
you will as you make your tours to the steam events-enjoy
yourselves, share your thoughts and ideas with each other AND SEND
THEM ON TO US PLEASE and I’ll be looking for those stories and
your new friendships so I can enjoy them and pass them on to the
rest of IMA clan-Love you-