Hi! I can see every one of you are having wonderful time at the
‘Steam Heaven’ shows out across the land – this is what you
dream about all those long winter nights and now your visions are
being realized – soak up every detail you can to add to your
stockpile of memories for next year – and I’ll bet you make a
few new friends on the way.
Many of you folks responded so well when we put out our call for
extra September-October Iron-Men Album Magazines and Gas Engine
Magazines of the same issue. We’re hoping the requests
won’t be too many, but if you are keeping the complete years
and need this one to add to that collection, contact Helen and as
long as they are available, we’ll see you get one.
JOHN S. HIRONS, 98 Hailey Road, Witney, Oxon, England is still
pleading for correspondence and color slides of some of the 1930
tractors. As he says: ‘How can I persuade one to oblige?’
His request was in an earlier magazine and John is still waiting
for that friendly ‘letter across the sea’.
Had a letter from FRED SCHAUTH, 112 S. 5th St., St. Charles,
Illinois 60174 and he writes: ‘Hi Folks & Anna Mae -Just
got in from Ida and Frank’s (Miller) Golden Wedding
Anniversary. Frank has been an Iron-Man for all his years in
farming. He still helps with the farming of his land. I think it
would be great to honor them by putting their picture and
announcement in your magazine. They have two sons, Bob and Frances,
who helped make a fine day for them.
Frank has over a hundred gas engines of all kinds and a model
engine that he has a lot of fun with giving his grandchildren
rides. Ida loves to cook and you can’t leave the farm without
having coffee, cake, cookies and homemade jam. They both belong to
the North Illinois Steam Power Club.’
Take your place of honor Ida and Frank.
They had a very nice announcement made up and on the front it
states: ‘Our Golden Wedding Anniversary, Mr. and Mrs. Frank W.
Miller, 1924-1974. Inside: ‘A sincere Thank You to All, friends
and relatives for your good wishes and for being with us
today’. – Ida and Frank and beneath that: ‘I will lift up
mine eyes unto the hills from whence cometh my help -Psalm
121-1’ (How very nice and I think a little different – their
picture was on the announcement – Many Happy Times ahead for both
of you from all of us).
If anyone out there knows anything the old Monagon walking drag
line circa 1890 to 1914 that was used out west for irrigation and
reservoir dredgings, please forward your information to HOWARD
SHARRAR, 92 Sussex Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M551k2 -you
could send us a copy too.
ROY T. HAWKINS of Reva, Virginia 22735 is hoping you can help
him with his problem. Says Roy, ‘I have a 2 cylinder upright
gas engine, Serial Number 84212, Leroi. I would like to know age
and value. It is in good condition.’
I have a letter here that came by a slow route to make the Soot
In the Flues column, but here ’tis – ‘I am a regular reader
of Iron Men Album and enjoy it very much. I noted an error in the
Nov.-Dec. 1973 issue that I would like to correct. On page 31 is a
picture of the locomotive and a short article about the Gold Coast
Railroad at Fort Lauderdale in Florida. This train is not narrow
gauge, but is standard gauge. This locomotive is a Pacific type
4-6-2 from the Florida East Coast R.R. She is an oil burner. Steam
fans can ride the locomotive for a slightly higher fare (DeLuxe
Class) than those who ride the cars. Here is an opportunity to
watch the skillful handling of the controls by the enginemen.’
– And that letter came from ROBERT J. WORBOIS, 192 Brownstown Road,
Irwin, Pennsylvania 15642. (And thanks Bob, for the added
information.
IRA K. AUSTIN, Route 1, Limestone, Tennessee 37681 tells of his
plight: ‘I own a 20-60 Case traction engine which has had the
rear wheels removed and sold for scrap many years ago. I would like
to restore it, but my advertisements have not been successful as
yet. I would like to know if anyone knows what happened to the
patterns for castings which Case had when they stopped production?
I have heard that some firms bought patterns when companies stopped
production and continued to supply castings. If I could secure the
castings for the wheel hubs and drive gears I could build the rest
in our shop.’ (Any information would be greatly appreciated so,
please if you can assist Ira – hurry get the letter to him –
that’s what this column is all about).
I want to explain to some of you dedicated members of the
Iron-Men Album Family. I’ve been sending out blue cards with
bills which has the notation: ‘Please send in the story of your
Show or Reunion at your earliest convenience. We also need good
pictures. We will make every effort to use this before your next
big event. We welcome personal items and will try to use them in
Anna Mae’s Column.’ – (Now the words that are causing the
trouble are ‘before your next big event’. Many of you
thought we meant to rush information and write-ups back right away
on your upcoming show – what it meant was to get the write-ups in
after the show. Many times organizations will wait until next year
this time to send in the reports. I’m telling you this because
I did receive several short write-ups on this year’s coming
show and most of them were too late. Thank you for your efforts and
we’ll have to reword that card. And good luck and lots of fun
with your show this year.
And that’s going to wind up this show right here at the
typewriter as my good and faithful hubby is going to make the trip
without me today – to Lancaster to take this I.M.A. material down
to the press. Our daughter, Keli, is having her finger operated on
today – if you recall I mentioned last winter she broke her finger
while playing basketball – well, it didn’t heal properly and is
giving her too much trouble, so I’m going to the hospital and
Ed is going to Lancaster to meet the deadline for all of us, so
your magazine will be out on time. That’s it – Bye bye and keep
steamin’ along.
