Steam Engine People: Past and Present

By Steam Traction Staff
Published on September 24, 2009
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A 30 HP Case traction engine with a butt-strap boiler, serial no. 33523, built in 1916. Randy Schwerin, Sumner, Iowa, sund us this great shot of his steam engine.
A 30 HP Case traction engine with a butt-strap boiler, serial no. 33523, built in 1916. Randy Schwerin, Sumner, Iowa, sund us this great shot of his steam engine.
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E.C.
E.C. "Big Mac" McMillan's world famous Elgin Watch 40 HP Case provides a perch for McMillan and Charlie Stark (left) in 1952, at Joyland Park in Wichita, Kan. Charlie is now the president of the Springfield, Mo., show.
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William Beseler, the owner and operator of the Reeves steam engine. The photo was taken around 1912 by Carl Beseler, William's brother.
William Beseler, the owner and operator of the Reeves steam engine. The photo was taken around 1912 by Carl Beseler, William's brother.
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Big Mac on Old Abe thrshing in Cottonwood River bottoms near Emporia, Kan. Big Mac was very high on Case compounds, as was his friend LeRoy Blacker on Port Huron compound engines.
Big Mac on Old Abe thrshing in Cottonwood River bottoms near Emporia, Kan. Big Mac was very high on Case compounds, as was his friend LeRoy Blacker on Port Huron compound engines.
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A 40 HP Case stops for a pose with Big Mac at Bird City, Kan., in the early 1950s.
A 40 HP Case stops for a pose with Big Mac at Bird City, Kan., in the early 1950s.
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A 30 HP Case on the high block at the Michigan State Fair in 1955. Big Mac was performing with the steam engine.
A 30 HP Case on the high block at the Michigan State Fair in 1955. Big Mac was performing with the steam engine.

Old Hedtke Case 

Paul Weber dug through his files after seeing an auction ad listed on page 29 of the January/ February 2006 issue. We liked the photo so much, we decided to put it on the cover. Paul writes:
This photo is of the Case 110 HP sold at the Hedtke estate auction in October 2005, which brought $155,000.
The photo was taken at the George Hedtke show about 35 years ago using a 4-by-5-inch view camera – does anyone use cut film anymore? The weather had been rainy and the day was overcast and hazy, which accounts for the rather “flat” look of the photo. Harry Woodmansee is the man on the throttle, but unfortunately I did not get the names of the other people  in the photo.

30 HP Case 

Randy Schwerin, 3040 160th, Sumner, IA 50674, sends us a photo of his latest engine. Randy writes:

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