SPECIALS

Box 26, Davis Junction, Illinois 61020

Hickory-Oaks Farm is the home of North Central Illinois Steam
Power Show, Inc. It is located on Illinois 72, 2 miles east of
Davis Junction, Illinois, or 1 miles east of U.S. 51 Jct. The
annual steam and horsepower threshing show is held the first full
4-day weekend in August. Dates for the 1977 show are August 4, 5,
6, and 7. This means that all year around, planning and activities
never end. I will try and elaborate now on some of the special
happenings that took place during 1976. Emil Svanda, a close
associate with me for 21 years with steam shows will furnish some
pictures and captions to accompany this story.

In June 1976, we chartered a Greyhound Bus to take 44 of us
steam buffs to the John Deere Foundry and Museum at Moline, Ill. We
boarded the bus at Davis Junction at 8:00 a.m., on June 18th, and
made our first stop at the John Deere Historical Site at Grand
Detour, where we toured the blacksmith shop and the first home of
John Deere. We ate dinner at a large country restaurant near
Lyndon. We arrived at the John Deere at East Moline at about 1:00
p.m., where we were greeted by four foundry guides. The two hour
tour was great, especially seeing the melting of steel and iron
scrap in one of the foundry’s four 15-ton electric arc
furnaces. The chemical composition is accurately controlled and
temperatures range from 2750 to 2850 degrees Fahrenheit. The
molding, the sand and cores, and the cleaning and finishing of
castings really was enjoyed by all. We next visited the John Deere
Company Administrative Center and floor museum at Moline. We
arrived back home at 7:00 p.m. same day, hoping again to take
another group tour soon.

This 80 h.p. Case steam engine found a new home at Hickory-Oaks
Farm in July 1975. The giant engine next in size to the 110 h.p.
Case has been idle 40 years. The rusty skeleton looking steamer,
minus numerous tubes and parts, was painted and restored within one
year by its new owner, George W. Hedtke. Course, George as usual
had a lot of help from his many steam show friends. The huge
bunkers for the 80 Case have been made as per original by a
Wallace, Nebraska steam engine buff, Mr. Harold Woods, at a cost of
$1400. Delivery will be made about March 1, 1977. Pictured here is
George W. Hedtke at the front wheel and his friend of 41 years,
Louis V. Johnson of Stillman Valley, 111. A chuckle can be seen
between the two engineers, knowing that grease is used for the
engine axles instead of being oiled with a oil can. A city
photographer thought this was a good way to pose for a picture in
the Rockford paper. The 80 h.p. Case was engineered by Louis V.
Johnson during the 1976 show with good performance.

Next coming up was our 1976 show. This meant get busy and get
all of the engines in good operating conditions. Engines need
repairs just like people, especially at older age. ha! During the
1975 plowing demonstration, an unfortunate incident took place on
my 110 h.p. Case steam engine while pulling the 14 bottom John
Deere plow. The babbitt bearings which were badly worn through the
years since 1911, caused the 5 foot differential gear to slightly
twist sideways. Realizing the tremendous pull of the 14 bottom plow
would cause further damage to the spur gears, we did not use the
110 Case for plowing the last 2 days of our show. As a great
surprise to the hundreds of spectators, two smaller steam engines
were hooked together by a heavy duty chain to pull the 14 bottom
plow the last two days of the show at Hickory-Oaks Farm. This
proved to be quite a sight and a plowing demonstration. Thanks goes
to so many fine activities at North Central Illinois Steam Power
Show. Engineers are on hand not only from the state of Illinois,
but from Kansas, Idaho, Montana, Michigan, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri,
Nebraska, Wisconsin, Ohio, and other states not registered. Plans
got under way following the 1975 show as to when to repair the 110
Case. A conference was held by my annual friends, Harry Woodmansee
from Dowling, Michigan, John Schrock from Rives Junction, Michigan,
and Dennis Jerome from Hoopston, Illinois, as to when to start the
overhaul job. It was decided to do it just 3 days before the 1976
show. After the oat crop was cut, bound, and shocked in July, the
60 by 144 foot storage building at Hickory-Oaks Farm was emptied of
its engines and other farm machinery. The 110 Case was pulled under
a large oak tree for shade for its repair work. Timed like a clock,
Harry, John, and Dennis, arrived 3 days before our 1976 show. Large
railroad jacks were used to raise the rear wheels off the ground
one at a time. The large axle pins were soon removed and the 2 ton
wheel lifted by a Case Company fork lift from the axle. Next came
the 5 foot diameter differential gear which was laid on the ground.
Work began fast and furious. Harry and Dennis disassembled the
spider gears from the large differential gear, and templates were
made to rebabbitt these bearings. John Schrock proceeded to build
up the shaft for the big gear with an electric welder. The welding
was ground down by John, so the shaft would become its original
size once again. Dennis Jerome, who is a machinist, supervised the
making of a new bronze bushing for the center of the differential
gear. This overhaul job was quite an undertaking, and many thanks
goes to Harry, John, and Dennis; also other engineers who gave
their helping hand in some way or another. Very successfully, the
gearing fit like new. The gears ran true and the 110 Case pulled
the 14 bottom plow with ease all 4 days of the 1976 show.

Attention also was turned to the 80 h.p. Case steam engine, a
newcomer to Hickory-Oaks Farm in July 1975. It was rusty, a
skeleton looking engine minus numerous tubes and parts, and setting
idle for 40 years. It got a new look within one year and was in
operation during the 1976 show, all restored and painted, except
for the bunkers which didn’t get made by show time. The bunkers
are being made at a shop at Wallace, Nebraska, as per the original
style by Case. They will be installed by show time 1977 on the
80.