Young People’s Page

It’s hard to believe that just two weeks ago we had our first
major show storm of this winter which brought transportation just
about to a standstill. Since the first part of winter I had been
eagerly awaiting the snow fall so that I could try out my new four
wheel drive pick-up truck and snow plow, and my truck and plow
really got a work out.

I thought it would be interesting to share with you some
information which I found in some old encyclopedias about James
Watt and the Steam Engine. James Watt was born 1730, died 1819 a
native of Scotland. As a young man he was educated in the trade of
making mathematical instruments. After working some time in London
instrument shops, he returned to Glasgow, Scotland to open his own
shop and later was appointed instrument maker for the University of
Glasgow.

Although Watt is primarily known as the inventor of the steam
engine, he had interests in other problems of his time. Watt worked
on the development of a fuel-saving furnace, a letter copying press
and researched the chemical composition of water. He also worked at
one time as a surveyor, making studies for canal, river and port
improvements. Even though Watt’s steam engine is now considered
a thing of the past, his name is still a household word. Pick up a
light bulb and you will see that it is rated in watt, this
electrical unit being named in his honor. Watt determined that a
dray horse could work for a good length of time at the rate of 550
ft. lbs. per second which equals 33,000 ft. lbs. per minute. This
being equal to one horsepower which is still the means of measuring
power that we use today.

The idea of using steam as force is found as early as 130 BC. A
manuscript in or about that year by a Greek scholar named Hero,
which describes certain steam toys believed to be a combination
boiler and turbine. The boiler being suspended over a fire in such
a fashion that it can rotate on its own axis, on the outside of the
boiler were jets set at right angles. When sufficient pressure was
built up the jets of steam caused the entire unit to revolve. This
is probably the first use of the action reaction principle.
Hero’s turbine also exhibited the first use of the expansive
force of steam, and this was 1866 years before Watt was born. Oddly
enough, James Watt never did discover the expansive force of steam
as his engines were condensing engines. In the sixteen hundreds
steam was used to improve the draft of chimneys. Also, a
steam-powered device was used to turn a spit on which meat was
being roasted.

By 1690, a French physicist named Denis Pepin invented the
piston and cylinder concept. Probably for the purpose of pumping
water. Several years later, in 1698 an English Captain Savery took
out a patent for the first mechanical application of steam power,
in 1699 Savery exhibited before the English Royal Society a working
model of his invention. His engine was the first to be used for any
industrial purpose. Thomas New com then made further improvements
on the steam engine, so that by 1700 they were in common use in
English coal mines for the purpose of pumping water. These engines
were of beam design and were single acting. A hand-operated slide
valve was used to admit steam to the cylinder thus pushing the
piston to its further rest extent, then a cold jet of water cooled
the cylinder thereby causing the steam to condense. The piston was
pushed back by atmospheric pressure thus completing the cycle. The
steam used to operate these engines was at or near atmospheric
pressure. The engines had more power on the condensing cycle of the
engine than on the steam pressure cycle.

These engines were much the same as the toy hot-air engines in
principle. A boy by the name of Humphrey Potter in 1718 devised a
way in which to attach the slide valve to the piston rod so as to
save himself the trouble of moving it back and forth by hand.

Well, this is all for right now, I will continue this in the
next issue.

William E. Hall 15700 Santini Rd. Burtonsville, Md. 20730.

PREFACE

I have discussed the enclosed article with my friend and nearby
neighbor, Sheldon Jones, who writes the young engineer’s page.
I have on several occasions suggested that the page should be more
devoted to the really young engineers, instead of technical
articles. So I am sending you an article and photos of one of the
best young engineers in my area. I would like to see some of the
writers write about the young engineers in their areas.

We know that the young can carry on but the old must pass on, so
let us appreciate the young who are interested and give them the
credit due them. If any one has any comment on this article it
would be appreciated if you would contact me at 15700 Santini Rd.,
Burtonsville, Md. 20730 or Mr. Sheldon Jones, Hyattstown, Box
144-D, R. F. D. Ijamsville, Md. 21754 or the IRON-MEN ALBUM. Any
mail forwarded to me by the IRON-MEN ALBUM will be paid for at my
expense.

I am a member of several of the local clubs and a member of the
Board of Directors of the Shenandoah Valley Ass ‘n at
Berryville, Va. I have worked with steam since a child and at the
age of 39, the same as Jack Benny’s, I know what it is to learn
young.

A story about a young engineer, Joey Newton:

This is a story about a truly good young engineer, who if born
70 years ago would probably own his own rig by the time he reached
his present age. He is age 12, having celebrated his birthday March
13, and is the son of Mr. & Mrs. Newton who live at 3504 Bayer
Ave., Randallstown, Md. 21133. He is the youngest of four children
and has to compete with his two older brothers Bob and Dwight and a
sister, Betsy, and her husband, Eddie Adams in order to run an
engine. Eddie and Bob are in the U. S. Navy, so this partly
eliminates some of the competition. Eddie is well known at several
of the local shows and has helped to encourage Joey in his efforts.
Joey and Betsy have to choose between her husband’s 60 hp
Geiser and my 20 hp Aultman-Taylor engine, either of which is a
load for anyone 12 years old, but he can handle either one very
well.

Joey is a fifth grade student, and despite the cylinder oil on
his books, he still gets in time to read the NEW CATECHISM OF THE
STEAM ENGINE, or THE LOCOMOTIVE TO DATE. On many occasions when
Joey leaves my place after a pleasant evening, or half a night
relaxing near a red, hot fire box, his mother orders him to soak in
a bathtub for two hours so she can be sure it is really him. He has
been accused of cleaning the boiler tubes by crawling through them,
but I think it is the smoke stack that he crawls up. Joey has
become quite proficient in the handling of Frick, Geiser, and
Aultman-Taylor engines and expects to add more makes to his credit
this year. He is handicapped by his inability to get to many shows
as the State Police frown on a 12 year old driving a car. However
with the help of his brothers, sister, parents, and myself, it is
hoped that he will be seen at several more shows this year.

He made a good impression on lots of people at the Maryland
steam show this past year with his performance operating the Frick
and Aultman-Taylor engines belonging to Mr. Tom Ackerman of
Wareton, N. J. Tom, another of our group of excellent young
engineers is the owner of three engines and a couple are stored
near the Md. show grounds. Joey, who is polite, well behaved, and
courteous can be identified by his greasy leather gloves, and his
engineer’s cap which is pushed back on his head at a jaunty
angle. If anybody answering this description ever says to you
‘Excuse me Sir, may I run your engine for a minute?’ it is
probably Joey. His first action is to check the water level, fire,
grease cups, oil pump, ashes and several other important items. I
have seen engineers with 50 years experience who would not bother
to do this, much less wipe off the excess grease besides. One of
his pet gripes is the engineer who attempts to pacify him by saying
‘O. K. sonny you can steer and I’ll help you with the
wheel’. At this point Joey gets sick and has been known to
express himself! We all know that Joey has a lot to learn and Joey
knows it also, but when a 12 year old can handle a 12-ton monster
with 125 No. of steam pulling at full throttle in the belt or in
traction, he has at least completed the first lesson. Joey’s
brother-in-law, Eddie Adams will be at sea with Uncles Navy this
summer, and his older brother will probably be in naval schooling
this summer, so Joey may wind up with a little more throttle,
time.

Many of our older engineers condemn the fact that young boys of
Joey’s age are allowed to operate an engine, but with proper
supervision and training, we will have the engineers of the future.
If we do not, what will happen when the time comes that our
experienced engineers have passed on to the great ‘Round
House’ in the sky. Our engines which we have worked so hard to
save and keep running will be parked back in the fence rows where
we found them. So if a young boy comes up and asks you, show him
the throttle, reverse bar, water glass, and help him learn.