IMA readers who have an interest in industrial uses of steam
power may wish to become members of the Stationary Engine Society
recently formed. Interim Secretary is Roger L. Robertson of 3706
Emily Street, Kensington, MD 20895, who edits the newsletter. Dues
have been set at $10.00 annually, and the second issue of the
newsletter reported that membership may already be nearing 100.
The purpose for the Society is to build a roster of individuals
and organizations in the United States and Canada interested in
stationary power. Another objective is to develop an inventory of
surviving engines in those countries.
Over the summer, Secretary Robertson had discussions with
representatives of the Historic American Engineering Record (HAER),
a division of the National Park Service. The outcome was permission
to use the ‘HAER inventory’ form in obtaining the
information. This form had been developed in the mid-1970s to
inventory existing industrial steam engines. This earlier effort
led to the cataloging of about 300 engines, but little has been
done on it since.
The Society will have the HAER forms available in order to
record engines not previously inventoried, engines in Canada, and
new information on engines they already know about. If you want to
know more, or wish to join the newly formed Society, write to
Robertson at the address above.
