It was during the last stint of Air Force duty before retirement
some eight years ago that in my travels I happened to spot an old
Russell traction engine alongside the road up in Washington State.
I saw that engine every time I happened by that way. And each time
brought more nostalgia in pleasant memories. I then became
acquainted with the owner, and then following many hobbiests; with
the result that, since I had experienced about everything else of
interest, maybe it was time to re-live some of the most pleasant
moments and find one of these old friends for my own enjoyment.
So I began looking, but, you know they were very scarce! World
War II and following had claimed most of them for the scrap drives.
But adventure was in the search. I was to find that time yet stood
still down in the southeastern section of the United States; for
when I had opportunity to search there, people would tell me
‘Oh. yes, Mr. So-and-so has one of those old engines over in
back of his field.’ Whereupon a venture over to that neighbor
yielded the information that it had been possibly twenty years ago
since he had disposed of the fine old relic to some scrap iron
dealer!
But I was not to meet with dire distress! Back at the old
hunting ground in Washington State, together with a couple fellow
hunters who had managed to find a few such specimens, one of these
fine buddies ventured, ‘Well, I know where the remains of an
old roller is hooked up to a greenhouse for steam heating.’ So
away we detoured to the community of Bothell, Washington, to
Shorty’s Greenhouse.
What I found there was the boiler and mounted engine of a 1925
Monarch double, road roller. Shorty was an expert welder, and
apparently liked nothing else besides flowers, than cutting up and
welding things. He had even made a cradle wherein could be driven
an automobile with an ice-cracked block, and the whole vehicle be
revolved into such position that its engine block could be
electric-welded with no other fanfare whatsoever!
But the once-beautiful Monarch! She had served the city of
Seattle some twenty years in rolling asphalt, and after her tour of
usefulness put on the auction block for scrap. Shorty had saved her
from that ugly fate. But he had removed the wheels (all the
principle weight) and gearing and disposed them for scrap for more
than he had paid for the entire engine. He then installed an
automatic home-style automatic oil burner, together with an
automatic water level control for the boiler, and piped her up for
heating his greenhouse.
However, it seems that the oil burner was not capable of
sustaining the 35 psi desired; so Shorty, believing that more air
was necessary in the firebox (with all the grates removed)
proceeded to cut a cigar box section in one side of the firebox for
more air. And to augment things, he had installed four siphon tubes
between the throat-sheet and the crown-sheet. But, thank goodness,
the fine little double engine was all intact, and even a nice
little four-tone whistle although rollers were very seldom
equipped, with whistles.
As my brother-in-law shown alongside, found this dear little
relic at Shorty’s Greenhouse and welding shop. Even then she
had not been used for many years, but had remained under cover. Now
she was to undergo three year’s spare time in buildup, a most
rewarding venture!
Look at the picture of what we found and the way she looked when
my good brother-in-law, shown in the photo, and I landed the almost
sad remains in my back yard down in California. Just a forlorn
piece of rust! But still begging for a respectful home.
Well, for the last three years of my stint with the Air Force
and a relief from the very trying task of the most advanced
engineering work in electronics, found me putting all my spare time
searching for parts and busily restoring this little monster to the
likeness of an 1850 railroad locomotive, only adapted to running on
street roadways, of course.
The firebox section was restored, and all new flues installed,
after which she took a boiler inspection to pass her original
operating pressure, 125 psi! One half of a Ford ‘Cooke’
truck axle with chain drive and dual wheels took care of the rear
end. An International tractor differential was altered to steam
engine requirements for the drive via chain and new jaw clutch for
transmission; while a Ford truck front end found good adaptation. A
cow-catcher was fitted; a bell off a Minnesota switch engine was
fitted under the smokebox after SP Daylight fashion; a monitor
supports four variated whistles; a headlight with ‘Mars’
oscillating element was constructed; and after much experimenting a
‘buttonhead’ oil burner was installed.
She still carries her possum-belly water tank, together with 40
gallon diesel fuel oil bunkers.
So now we steam up ‘Luellabelle’ (NOT Lulubelle as some
read it) upon occassion, with her two coaches. This three-piece
train usually wins first award honors in the parade, against all
comers.
But at this juncture, let us introduce another member of this
road locomotive train family. The old master mechanic was not
always available to steam up Luellabelle, so it became necessary to
construct a steam locomotive likeness in the form of ‘Ellie
Mae.’
Ellie Mae consists of a Datsun. engine with automatic
transmission, mounted into an ancient Dodge chassis, upon which a
superstructure was built to resemble a little steam locomotive
complete to cow-catcher (of course), tinkle bell, and a very
sweetly tuned three chime chromatic whistle, the air blast for
which is provided by a smog pump and large reservoir. Oh yes, we
have included a headlight, too. And the engine exhaust out through
the stack renders quite a sparkling performance when hauling some
31 youngsters down the Christmas parade line.
It must be stated that the running colors of the train, other
than the black locomotive barrels, are bright Chinese red and
dragon green lively colors especially for the holiday season, but
likewise for any parade event. Oh yes the large central coach is
conveniently fitted with side entry; the ‘caboose’ with a
rear entry, much like the old white steamers back in 1908.
In closing I entertain much pride in the fact that this entire
undertaking was nearly all my one-man venture, with only a 12-ton
hydraulic jack, gin-pole, welding outfit, and hand held electric
drill to handle all the 8′ channels, etc. Luellabelle is very
compact not spread all over the country, and can still handle
belt-work through an access door on her right-hand side. Otherwise
one would never suspect the belt wheel was included! She runs clean
and odorless, while being so quiet that she can sneak up onto the
heels of a preceding parades man without ever alerting him.
This article is about the engine shown on our cover, known as
‘Luellabelle’ by her owner, Frank J. Burris, 1102 Box
Canyon Road, Fallbrook, California 92028. Burris has had an
adventuresome career and at 78 can look back on a South Dakota farm
boyhood and work of many kinds. He has worked in railway shops, as
well as for J. I. Case Company in Racine, as a top motorcycle
mechanic, in development of sound-on-film for the movies, in
governmental service in communications, and for the U. S. Air Force
in missile systems, all the way into computers. As he says, he has
gone from ‘hay to space.’ The article is part of his
autobiography.
