9111 Louis Avenue, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910
I am sure that many Iron-Men Album readers will remember my
article entitled, ‘Unique Engine-Unidentified Help!!’ which
appeared in the Nov.-Dec. 1974 IMA. I had purchased the ? scale
steam traction engine at the 1973 Eastern Shore Threshermens and
Collectors Association show in Maryland from Mr. Andrew Burr of
when it was built ever since. Since it resembled both a Frick and a
Case, I called it a ‘Fricase’.
Three things puzzled me about the engine: (1) Why was there a
piece of small exhaust pipe still welded in the smokebox unless the
original engine had been replaced with a larger one? (2) What was
the extra V-pulley doing on the crankshaft when it didn’t run
anything? and (3) Why was there a flange around the boiler near the
smokebox and why was a piece of square stock wrapped around the
base of the steam dome and welded in place? It wasn’t needed
for strength. There was evidence that the engine had a canopy at
one time also. I hoped to find the answer to these and other
questions about my engine and I certainly did!
I received a number of interesting and informative letters in
response to my article and as a result I have made several new
friends in Steamland. I thought the IMA readers might like to see
how the story unfolded, letter by letter.
Before my copy of the Nov.-Dec. IMA arrived I received a letter
from Mr. Edward N. Stauffer, RD2, New Holland, Pa. 17557 telling me
that he believed my engine was built several years ago by Mr. Aaron
H. Martin, RD2, New Holland, Pa. 17557, who had a blacksmith shop
at that time, and Mr. Aaron W. Horning, RD1, Leola, Pa., a
machinist. He went on to say that the late Mr. Menno Stoltzfus had
the engine at one of the Rough and Tumble shows at Kinzers, Pa. and
that it was subsequently sold to a man from Ohio who had it for 2
or 3 years. Mr. Stauffer said he heard that the engine had come
back from Ohio and that the original 3-1/2X5 engine had been
replaced with a larger one. He said the engine originally had a
rotary oil pump driven by a pulley on the crankshaft. Here was a
clue to my ‘useless’ pulley and a possible explanation of
my extra piece of exhaust pipe used with the original engine. Mr.
Stauffer then added a few details concerning the construction of
the engine which convinced me that he had my engine in mind.
The following day I received a card from Mr. Elias S. Beiler,
RD1, Leola, Pa. 17540, who stated that my engine had been built by
Mr. Aaron H. Martin. He mentioned that Mr. Menno Stoltzfus had the
engine and that it was sold to Mr. Dan Stutzman of Middlefield,
Ohio and that he in turn sold it to a man from New York. It looked
like the puzzle was beginning to fall into place.
The ‘clincher’ came a few days later when a letter
arrived from Mr. Dan Stutzman, 16350 Nauvoo Road, Rt. 1,
Middlefield, Ohio 44062. He stated that he had bought my engine at
Rough and Tumble at Kinzers, Pa. He told of having a 5 x 6 engine
made and installed in 1969 by Mr. S.D. Brady and a Mr. Halterman of
Warren, Ohio. He then told of trading the traction engine to Andrew
Burr of New York. Mr. Stutzman’s letter made the story complete
and the IMA had scarcely been out a week!
Needless to say, I dispatched letters and pictures of the engine
to both Mr. Aaron Martin of New Holland and Mr. Aaron Horning of
Leola. I later telephoned both men and we had long discussions
about the building of the engine, about the various parts they used
and when it was built. From the stories they told, I don’t
believe anyone fully realizes what an undertaking it is to build an
engine by hand until they have done it.
It is my understanding that the little traction engine was under
construction from about 1960 to 1962. It was built by Mr. Martin in
Mr. Horning’s machine shop in Leola. Mr. Horning had built a
small traction engine earlier and he advised and assisted Mr.
Martin in building this larger one. The original cylinder, steam
chest, slide valve, governor, etc. was machined from castings. The
boiler shell was a piece of 16 inch diameter water main. Mr. Martin
said he obtained the grates from a local hardware store. They were
of the rocker type; the lever is still on the engine, but it is no
longer connected to the grates. The steering wheel was the hand
wheel from a large water main valve. Mr. Martin said he obtained
the gearing from old stone quarry equipment and he indicated he had
quite a time finding matching gears to give him the proper ratio in
the gear sets. He also said the engine had been equipped with a
jacket on the boiler and that that was the reason for the flange
around the boiler and the pieces around the base of the steam dome.
It is obvious that lots of hard work went into the Building of the
engine.
Mr. Martin sent me a clipping from the August 18, 1967 issue of
the Daily Intelligencer Journal of Lancaster, Pa. which included a
picture of Mr. Stoltzfus operating the engine at the 19th annual
Rough and Tumble show. The jacket on the boiler and the rotary oil
pump are clearly visible. There is no doubt but that this engine
and my engine are the same.
My next step was to write Mr. S.D. Brady of the Brady Machine
Company, 1195 Adalaide Ave., S.E., Warren, Ohio 44484 where the
replacement engine had been made for Mr. Stutzman. I also wanted to
ask Mr. Brady if he would make a new identification plate for the
engine to replace the one that had apparently been on the crosshead
guide. Mr. Brady replied promptly and said he had designed and
fabricated the new engine and had completed it on July 11, 1969.
The original flywheel and crankshaft were retained. Mr. Brady’s
friend, Mr. Halterman, then installed the new engine on the boiler.
Mr. Brady said that this was the third 1/2 size steam engine that
he had made.
Mr. Stutzman later wrote to the effect that the rebuilt traction
engine was shown at the Buron, Ohio show where he ran the standard
Baker fan for 1/2 hour with 125 pounds steam pressure to test the
engine for Mr. Brady and Mr. Halterman. Mr. Stutzman was well
pleased with the performance of the engine. Said it sounded like a
Keck-Gonnerman. He also said he was the one who had put a canopy on
the engine. Mr. Burr had told me that the engine had a canopy on it
when he got it, but it had become damaged and it was removed.
I received additional letters from both Mr. Stauffer and Mr.
Beiler. I find that both Mr. Stauffer and Mr. Horning have had
considerable experience in building boilers. Mr. Beiler owns a 9X10
Frick traction engine and has enough antique tractors and gas
engines to hold a show of his own. Mr. Stutzman also owns a
traction engine, a very nice 23-90 Baker which he has rebuilt. He
sent me a color picture of it and it looks like a new one.
I received several other letters in response to the IMA article.
I received an interesting letter from a fellow Iowan, Mr. Gary
Gesink, 715 So. Main Avenue, Sioux Center, Iowa 51250, who
commented on various features of the engine and suggested that it
was probably built in Pennsylvania, in Frick country. Gary is
interested in Hart-Parr tractors. I was pleased to receive a letter
from a steam show acquaintance of many years, Mr. Leroy Ebersol, of
Leola, Pa. Leroy is one of our best steam engine men, well liked
and dependable. He was the first person I got to know when the late
Frank McGuffin took me to my first steam show at Steamorama at
Stewartstown, Pa. Leroy confirmed what the other men had told me
about the origin of my steam engine and said he had seen it under
construction in Mr. Horning’s shop, but failed to recognize it
when he had seen it at the Maryland shows. Mr. Ove A Larson, R 2,
Dutton, Montana 59433 wrote and commented on my engine and on the
fact that we have many more steam shows here in the East than they
do out West. Mr. Larson is restoring a 1910 60 HP Case traction
engine. I also received a letter from Mr. Charles Nixon, Box 25,
Waveland, Indiana 47989, who feels that my engine strongly
resembles his Emerson-Brantingham traction engine which was
manufactured at Rockford, Illinois.
Mr. Stauffer and Mr. Beiler were the first to identify my little
traction engine and who built it. Their current IMA subscriptions
have been extended for a year. Since the engine had been partially
rebuilt and Mr. Stutzman completed the history of the engine, he
also has been awarded a year extension to his current IMA
subscription. I am very grateful to these men for their time,
effort and interest in helping me solve the mystery of my little
‘Fricase’ engine and satisfy my curiosity. I. wish to thank
all the others for writing to me and for the information they gave
me.
In recognition of the work of Mr. Martin and Mr. Horning in
building my traction engine I have attached a brass plate to the
smokebox on which is inscribed where the engine was built, Mr.
Martin’s and Mr. Horning’s names and the year it was
completed. Mr. Brady sent me a new identification plate to replace
the one that was lost and I have installed that on the crosshead
guide.
I have made a few relatively minor changes to the engine which
changed the appearance slightly. I hope to replace the canopy
eventually.