SOOT IN THE FLUES

‘I came aboard John’s crew about 17 years ago and in
that amount of time I’ve been taught much.

‘John has had various engines such as a 25 HP George White,
a 20 HP Sawyer-Massey, 68 HP Sawyer Massey, 25-85 Nichols &
Shepard, and a 22 HP Advance Rumely.

‘John was a fireman and hogger for the Steel Company of
Canada plant railroad. He’s run and fired everything from slide
valved saturated Baldwins to super-heated piston valved Alcos and
Lima 0-6-0 ‘s that were built for WW II.

‘Over the years at different shows we’ve had some
interesting experiences. Once at the Golden Horseshoe Show in
Caledonia, Ontario, we had practically a rain-out the last day of
the show. John was sawyer on the sawmill he owned and I was running
and firing his 25-85 Nichols & Shepard. All my firewood was
wet. Not long after we got started and John took a couple of good
cuts, the steam gauge started to drop, and after a while the water
wasn’t in the glass where I would have liked it.

‘I did everything: hooked up the reverse lever, opened the
damper wide, cracked the blower, then looked in the peep-hole in
the back head of the boiler…you could have had a party in that
firebox, it was that dark and cold.

‘A couple more cuts and he stopped that engine at 50 PSI. I
was surprised to see what that 9 x 12’ engine with Stephenson
valve gear could do on that low pressure. When operating normally
we try and keep her about 165 PSI.

‘Back when John owned the Advance Rumely, just about every
year at the Ontario Steam and Antique Show in Milton, Ontario,
he’d hook up to the pulling sled and pulled that sled the full
distance every time! With the exception of 68 HP Sawyer-Massey,
I’ve never heard an engine’s exhaust sound like that.

‘In my opinion, that was one of the best, if not the best,
engines he ever owned. The design of the very fast acting Marsh
valve gear, the double ported slide valve, the size of the nozzle
on the blast pipe, and the elliptical base on the stack, as well as
the high pressure butt strap boiler made for a great sounding, well
drafted and good steaming engine.

‘John always has had a knack for rebuilding and fine tuning
governors, especially the Pickering line. Any governor he got his
hands on would ‘ instantaneously react to a given load.

‘John has taught me a great deal on boiler care, injector
operation, lubrication, firing techniques, and operation as well as
other aspects of traction engine care.

‘One thing John doesn’t do is fire up and just sit
around and make smoke; he’s always doing something, whether
it’s on the mill, pulling the sled, Baker fan, etc. You know
when John’s got an engine around because they’re so snappy
and square sounding.

‘I appreciate everything he and anyone has done for younger
greenhorns like myself. Your time and effort has not been
wasted.

‘Currently I’m working on fabricating a 10 HP vertical
fire tube boiler to power (eventually) a two cylinder compound
condensing marine steam plant. Working at a local dry dock and
shipyard, I am a welder, welding in all positions, and would like
to acquire an A.S.M.E. certificate to do boiler work, mainly repair
jobs.

‘Thanks for a great magazine. I look forward to reading more
great articles in the future.

‘In the May/June issue Chady Atteberry sent in some old
photos. The one I’m interested in is photo #3 of a 16 HP
Advance. Is that the steam supply line coming out near the top of
the stack? If so, was the throttle valve located inside the dome of
the boiler, could there be any chance that this engine may be
fitted with a super heater?’

MARK CORSON, 9374 Roosevelt St., Crown Point, Indiana 46307 sent
us this photo of Lyle J. Hoffmaster, whom he calls the original
J.I. Case ‘Agitator.’ The picture was taken at the 1999
Pawnee, Oklahoma, Steam School.

GERALD R. DARR, of 2220 Bishops gate Drive, Toledo, Ohio
43614-2006, writes, ‘The IMA magazine came today (June 10,
1999) loaded with a lot of news and many ads for steam shows and
the like. So many new ads for shows that I have never heard of!

‘One show ad advertised the ad-. mission price of $5.00.
That seems a little steep.

‘What a neat job by Pete LaBelle in that Buffalo-Pitts that
he discovered mired in the mud. With the help of a number of other
people, they did a remarkable job. Hats off to all of them!

‘In two weeks the NTA Show begins in Wauseon, Ohio. I did
not go last year as it was just too hot. We are in our fifth day of
over 90 degree temperature.

‘About the picture of the combine being pulled by 33 horses
I may have seen the same picture a number of years ago.

‘Like Mr. Edwin Bredemeier, I wish I had some more old
threshing scenes from the four farms my father farmed. I can only
recall one that steam was used. That was in the years of 1924-1928
when Dad farmed at Port Clinton, Ohio, using Nichols & Shepard
engine.’

LARRY G. CREED, R. R. #13, Box 209, Brazil, Indiana 47834,
informs us, ‘If you haven’t heard, the steam school at
Boonville, Indiana, was a huge success with over 200 students from
several states and Canada. Congratulations to Joe Graziana for his
hard work in setting up the school and to the Antique Steam and Gas
Engine Club, Inc., Morris Metzger, Tom Hart, and many others at
Boonville for providing facilities for the classes (including two
large screen TVs so everyone had a good view), and providing us
with great noon meals. I believe the existence of the hobby hinges
on the education of all persons who operate steam equipment and who
encourage newcomers to become part of the hobby. Pioneer Engineer
Club at Rushville will host the Pawnee Steam School next year.

‘I agree with Edwin Bredemeier that a picture is worth a
thousand words, and have dug through my photo archives to share the
following with you. Picture #1 is of a Michigan threshing crew and
their Port Huron steam engine. The engine is a compound, as the
cylinder extends just past the open smokebox door. The engine has a
short boiler barrel which probably dates before 1907 when Port
Huron came out with their ‘Longfellows’ boiler design. I
have seen more than one figure as to the total production number of
Port Huron steam engines, and would like a Port Huron man to set me
straight.

‘Picture #2 is my friend Henry Groner’s 20 HP Port
Huron, serial #4316, with a locomotive style cab. Henry lives
outside of Berger, Missouri, and gets an immense amount of joy from
his collection of steam engines and his steam engine buddies. Henry
gave me a copy of Port Huron correspondence to show that factory
parts were available in 1955. As the letter shows, Mr. Sturges had
been burnt on C.O.D. parts shipments. He asked for a deposit on the
order to cover freight charges both ways.

‘Picture #3 is of a Kansas threshing crew and their Avery
return flue steam engine. This engine would have been built prior
to about 1915 when Avery dropped their return flue line of engines.
This engine appears to be fairly new, as the lettering on the head
tank is yet in good shape and the canopy fringe is intact. We are
all familiar with the Avery under-mount steam engine, yet Avery
built only return flue engines until they purchased C. Aultman
Company’s Star double cylinder undermounted manufacturing
rights about 1905. It is interesting to note the C. Aultman Company
only produced the ‘Double Star Road Locomotive’ for about
three years before selling the design to Avery. Avery substantially
improved on the Star design and built the familiar Avery undermount
engine until 1918. Avery started building top mounted straight flue
engines about 1912. An Avery straight flue engine with a 10×10′
bore was rated at 25 HP. The first Avery under-mounts were built in
only 20 and 30 HP ratings, with the 40, 18, and 22 coming out
later.

‘Picture #4 is also a Kansas threshing crew, with a
Minneapolis return flue engine and wooden thresher with a straw
stacker. Sixteen men are pictured in the crew, and the cook looks
out the door of her cook shack.’

We have this note from RAY CHIDLEY, RR #4, Woodville, Ontario,
Canada K0M 2T0, who says, ‘The mystery engine on page 25 of the
May/June 1999 issue of IMA is a Nichols & Shepard, possibly
25-85, double cylinder, rear-mount.

‘I have subscribed to IMA for several years and find it an
excellent magazine.’ Thanks, Ray!

From DR. ROBERT T. RHODE, 4745 Glenway Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio
45238-4537 we received this letter:

‘Let me echo Edwin H. Bredemeier’s question in the
May/June 1999 Album: Have you heard yet about my goof? Ironically,
I was responding to a letter from Edwin when I made my mistake.
Frank Burris, long-time contributor to the Album, called my
attention to my error. Burris said, ‘I just received my copy of
July/August IMA and am standing by to help you remove a bit of
chaff from your eyes; as the wind must have been blowing in the
wrong direction when you reached the final paragraph of your good
contribution… Doubtless you are aware that, as exemplified by our
finest old retired friends the railway steam locomotives, those
blessed machines operated in ‘running under’ when
performing their normal duties. In such cases, and as explained in
Physics I, the stress on the crossheads was upon the UPPER guide
bars.’

‘Frank is correct, of course. His message sent me back to
learn my lessons over again. The most concise and lucid statement I
can find on the over/under topic is from The Power Catechism (New
York: McGraw-Hill: 1897); edited excerpts follow: ‘What is
meant by an engine running over? The top of the wheel running away
from the cylinder. What is meant by an engine running under? The
top of the wheel running toward the cylinder. Which way are engines
more generally run? Over. What advantages pertain to running an
engine in this way? The pressure of the crosshead is always
downward upon the guide, for, when the pressure is on the head end
of the piston, the thrust against the connecting rod, which is
pointing upward, reacts to press the crosshead down upon the
guides; and, when the pressure is on the crank end of the cylinder,
the crosshead will be dragging the crank. As the crank is below the
center line, it will still pull the crosshead down upon the lower
guide. If, on the other hand, the engine is run under, the thrust
of the crosshead will be upon the top guide on both the outward and
inward strokes, and, unless the crosshead is nicely adjusted to its
guides and the guides are perfectly parallel under running
conditions, the crosshead will be lifted when subjected to thrust
and fall by its own weight on the centers, making the engine
pound’ (page 167).

‘When The Power Catechism states that engines are ‘more
generally’ run over, it takes into consideration stationary
engines used in factories. Judging from the construction of most
agricultural engines, I would guess that they more generally run
under when threshing or sawing. In my letter in the July/August
Album, I alluded to the fact that certain engines run over while
their drive wheels move the engine forward and that others run
under for the same result. The difference depends on the design of
the gear train transmitting the power to one or both drive wheels.
Typically, the ‘look’ of engines varies with this
difference and affords an onlooker a quick way of estimating if an
engine runs over or under while the drive wheels carry it forward.
As the flywheel’s position approaches an imaginary vertical
line drawn through the back axle, the engine more likely will be
geared to run under while the engine moves forward on its wheels.
This is especially true of engines having the crankshaft behind the
vertical line.

‘Why were so many agricultural engines designed to run under
while in the belt? Are there advantages to running under? To
attempt to answer these questions, I consulted forty catalogues
advertising agricultural steam engines, and all of them were silent
on the point. The Power Catechism explains what may have been
considered in the design of agricultural engines: ‘Are there
compensating advantages to running an engine under? There is a
reduction of pressure on the guides, for, when the engine runs
over, the lower guide has to bear the weight of the crosshead and a
part of the connecting rod plus the stress due to the diagonal
thrust; while, when the engine runs under, the thrust on the upper
guide is opposed by the weight of the crosshead and rod, and the
pressure on the bearing surface will be the difference instead of
the sum of these quantities.’ That’s what I should have
said in my letter in the July/August Album.

‘As a teacher, I value honest mistakes. Ordinarily, the
human being remembers the right answer longest after first getting
it wrong. With the help of my friend Frank Burris, I’ll
probably never forget the nature of thrusts on crossheads. Thanks,
Frank!’

This touching letter comes from CHRIS SATTERLUND, 6268 45th
Avenue S.W., Pequot Lakes, Minnesota 56472. ‘I have enclosed an
article from the May 1999 issue of Reader’s Digest, called
‘What Love Can Build.’ It is a story of Carlos Carricaburu
and his son Agustin, and their project of building a 1906 Case
steam traction engine. Agustin has Down syndrome, and due to his
condition, views the world differently. His father, Carlos, wanted
Agustin to get into the habit of seeing something and thinking what
else it could be.

‘What I find amazing is not that it is built out of parts
from a bread dough mixer, a barbecue grill, and an ’88
Oldsmobile, but that it works!

‘My wife’s sister Maria also has Down syndrome. Over the
years, I am amazed at the progress Maria has made.

‘Agustin might enjoy a copy of IMA, if you have any way to
find his address. Otherwise, I thought you might just enjoy reading
the article.

‘We have enjoyed IMA for many years. Keep up the good work.
Our two year old likes tractors of any kind also.

‘I’m sure you can’t reprint this article without
permission, but again I thought you might just enjoy reading
it.’

(We did enjoy reading the article, and looking at the picture of
the model that father and son built. We’ll pursue the author of
the original article from the Miami Herald and see whether we can
get more of a story for our readers to share, in case you can’t
track down the copy of Reader’s Digest.)

PETER DelPRATO, Box 298, Ashby, Massachusetts 01431, tells us,
‘I just acquired two new toys at the Northrop auction in New
Hampshire. You might say a beauty and the beast combination. The
auction was an interesting event. I generally view this activity as
a necessary evil, but in this case it was a thoroughly enjoyable
experience. Inexpensive refreshments, advice on items, loading
assistance, and easy-to-follow bidding.

‘I found this to be an excellent opportunity to examine a
wide range of steam engines, boilers, gas engines, and other iron.
I was surprised at some prices, both low and high. The gas engines
seemed high, and the brass whistles and some lubricators sold like
solid 24K gold. I was a bit discouraged as to my chances at a steam
engine, after seeing how hotly contested the brass sold. To my
surprise, there was less interest in the steam engines and boilers.
Most of the lubricators, drip oilers, injectors, pumps, whistles,
gauges and relief valves were removed and auctioned separately.
There were at least a dozen full-size steam engines with several
nice four foot tall verticals ranging up to a 10 ton horizontal,
several with boilers on carts. The steam engines sold last, so
there was no way to anticipate what brass to buy, although I
assumed those buying brass were planning to bid on the engines. The
boilers did not impress me. Some looked better than others, but
with only a few hours that morning to inspect them, you pretty much
had to accept them all as a gamble. Most buyers must have felt the
same, as the engines sold about the same with or without
boilers.

Well, now, for my reason to submit this first-time letter to
IMA: I would like to ask your readers for some help with my two
engines.

‘The first is the beast. A 4 x 5 double cylinder
Westinghouse ‘Senior’ steam engine. I was the only bidder
on this at ten bucks. I figured an extra half ton would smooth out
the ride home! But seriously, I found it grows on you after a
while. My question is, are there any parts available out there,
such as flywheels? Could someone provide a dimensioned drawing of
the flywheels? The photo and 1896 catalog engraving tells the
story.

‘My second purchase is the beauty. A tall, sexy, no-name
vertical engine. I could sure use some help to identify the
manufacturer. The engine has 7.25 x 42’ flywheel on a
²⁷/₈ shaft with a 9′ stroke, and stands
78′ from head to base with a 1 Pickering governor. I don’t
know if this is original.

‘There appears to have been an ID plate with two screws
4¹/₈‘ on center high up on the frame. Any
ideas? The photo shows this engine after I sanded it, repainted,
added the brass fittings and jacketed the cylinder. The bottom
paint layer was red. The final step to the finish would be the
straps around the jacket. I am considering how to fabricate or cast
the ends that rivet to the straps to hold the jacket tight. Does
anyone know a source for cast ends for that finish detail?

‘I enjoy the magazine very much, keep up the good
work.’

MELVIN PIERCE, Rt. 2, Box 15A, Scranton, North Dakota 58653,
says, ‘I wrote to IMA two issues ago about information
concerning Syd Matthews, and The Reeves Historical Society.
Basically, as I understand it, it no longer exists.

‘I would like Reeves owners and fans to think about if they
would be interested in reviving something similar, and to keep
track of Reeves engines and equipment.

‘Haston St. Clair’s book, Historical Stories About
Reeves Engines, was very good at listing known engines. There are
more out there that are not in the book, and of course, over 20
years, many have changed hands.

‘I would like to hear from interested parties if they would
like to put something together to try to keep track of the Reeves
engines. And to try to gather information about how each is made.
Please write, call, or e-mail me if you think we should do this. We
would need help from ALL interested parties in gathering the
information, as it would be too hard for one person to try to track
them down. If I get several people who are interested and would
help, we will pursue it. If not, we will let it drop. Thank
you.’

(Melvin’s e-mail address, for those who prefer communicating
via Internet, is mpierce@ctctel.com.)

On that note, our column is coming to an end for another issue.
We certainly hope that the Reeves owners will be interested in
reviving some kind of group that would be useful to them, and look
forward to hearing what result Melvin will get from his
request.

We had another late request from Canmore Museum in Alberta,
Canada. Please contact CATHY JONES there at (403) 678-2458 (or
write at 607 River Rd., Canmore, Alta. T1W 2E4) if you could help
the museum replicate a steam whistle in their town that blew when
the mines were open!

On a sad note, we received word at press time that well-known
Iron Man Amos Rixmann had passed away. We hope to print a full
obituary in next issue’s ‘Golden Roll.’

Take care of yourselves and each other during the last few
months of engine show season, and be sure to write and tell ALL
about it!

Steamcerely, Linda and Gail