Tuesday Torque II: Midwest Old Threshers Gas Engine Area, 2022

 Thank You, Merle!

Tuesday Torque: Carette Stirling Engine

 Many Thanks, Merle!

Dance Macabre, Saint Saens, Arrangement by Liszt, Played by Horowitz

Marco Ucellini: LaBergamasca, Voices Of Music with Elizabeth Blumenstock and Alana Youseffian

 Here's one to start your Monday morning off right! Put it on after you pour your first cup of coffee. 

Muddy Pond Sorghum

 

Back To The Old Grind!

Weekend Steam II: Steam Engines Heading Home

 Merle found a whole bunch of cuteness with this video. No info, but it is easy to guess the country from the style of engines. Thank You, Merle!

Weekend Steam: Locomotive Drag Race!

 This is something I have never seen. This video was made in Finland fifteen years ago, and quick acceleration is the key, just like when you drag raced your daddy's car. Thank You Merle for spotting this one!

Reid Engine At The Boonville Fall Show

 This smooth running two-stroke engine would have spent its working life in an oilfield powerhouse, operating multiple oil wells. It was on display at the Antique Steam an Gas Engine Club at Boonville, Indiana, during the Fall 2022 show.

Impressive Halloween Enthusiasm!

 We went to town today to vote and to run a few errands. A side trip was to check out a Halloween display that we had seen on a local Fbook page. 

More Wildlife

The Boys' Club has been hanging out in the back yard again. There are several Jakes and one big Tom that come up and strut around. I had to go out tonight and saw five raccoons along the road. They are thick this year. 

 

Too Windy For Wildlife To Move,

 but a groundhog was out nibbling on white oak acorns today. Normally, a groundhog alarms at 100 yards, but the wind covered me as I slipped through the dog yard and positioned myself behind a tree to shoot some video. I was about 25 yards from the little critter, and he never did notice me.

Tuesday Torque: Bethlehem Steel Blowing Engines

 Remember in Science Class, way back in grade school how the taught us about iron and steel making? They never told us about the huge machines that could blow air up through a furnace, and as a kid, I never thought to ask. Here is the real deal. Thanks to Merle for spotting these engines for us to see!

One of our blog family, John In Philly, has visited the Bessemer mill, and graciously shared some photos and granted permission to share in this post.  I have added his name and Copyright symbol to his photos. 

John In Philly's photos below. Many Thanks, John! Click on photos to enlarge.

Why Was Baking The Most Deadly Job In The Victorian Era?

 Sad history of bread making in the not-too-distant past.

Back To The Old Grind!

Weekend Steam III: One Just For Fun

 This is cute. Thanks, Merle!

Weekend Steam II: Flying Scotsman Centennial Tour

 Good One, Merle. Thank You! 

Weekend Steam; Some Gas, and Other Antiques

 There is a good looking auction in Pennsylvania Saturday, and you can bid online. The Facebook link is HERE.

Click the photo to go to the auction website. Scroll down to this auction and follow the directions to bid. Many thanks to Merle for spotting this auction!

The First Out Of The Factory?

 As we have posted before, Falk, Rumely and Olds engines were the featured gas engines at Rollag this year. Three Falks showed up and the 5 HP (Number 433) was the only one running. Two 3 HPs showed up. One had serial number 723.

The other 3 HP is a puzzle, and there is nobody we can ask. What was the first serial numbered 3 HP engine that left the factory? Manufacturers don't usually start with 1, but where do they start? Could 51 be the first Falk 3 HP engine to be sold? Possibly, maybe even a good bet, but we will never know. Seeing that low number was a thrill, though. 

Morning Paints The Tops Of The Trees

 

Tuesday Torque: Challenge Engine

 Merle found a cute one for us this week, and it is a different layout from the typical farm engine. Thank You, Merle!

Lovely Little Grinder For Your Coffee

 

                                                               Back To The Old Grind!

How Come You Ask Me If I Want Mo' Lasses When I Ain't Had No Lasses?

 We had a great time hanging around the sorghum evaporator pan at Boonville, and came home with some freshly cooked molasses. It's great on crackers, toast, and ice cream. The show goes on one more day.

Crazy Mountains, Montana

 In this video, Tristan not only gives you butterflies in your stomach, there are grasshoppers!

Weekend Steam II: Huber Steamroller At Boonville!

 This Huber steam roller has been sitting idle for many years, but Andy Glines and friends got to work on it and have it running for the Fall show at Boonville, Indiana. The operators all agreed that this engine is hard to fire. The boiler is the same diameter as Andy's Huber traction engine, but is a bit longer. Andy's engine is easy to fire, but the roller takes forever to get steam up. Tending your fire on a return flue is harder than a locomotive boiler, but there is plenty of experience in these guys. It's a puzzle, but I bet they figure it out. 

Weekend Steam (And Gas): Boonville, Indiana Engine Show Is This Weekend!

Boonville's October show is a three day event, October 14-16.    There will be steamers, gas engines, tractors, and a great flea market.  Put it on your calendar!




Directions: Thresherman’s Park, 2-1/2 miles north of Boonville on W. New Harmony Road, 1/4 mile off Hwy. 61.

Click on the Google Earth Photo to enlarge.

Sadness Leaks Through Tear-Stained Cheeks, Rest In Peace, Little Ozzie

 Ozzie came to us a little over three years ago. His owner was a Schipperke breeder who developed health problems and had to move to an assisted living home. Her dogs were taken in by Midwest Schipperke Rescue friends, and Ozzie came to us to foster. He was a stud dog, and had a nice kennel. He adapted quickly to life in our home, and mixing with our dogs, and he had a sweet personality. Midwest placed him with a lady in St. Louis and they hit it off immediately.

Ozzie had a bed in every room, but preferred sleeping with his new owner. He had three wonderful years as a beloved house pet, but became ill recently. An ultrasound last week showed that he had liver cancer, and this morning he died. We are heartbroken for him, his owner, and the breeder who surrendered him for his retirement years. 

Antonio Bertali: Ciacconi, Alana Youssefian, Voices Of Music, Baroque Violin

Voices Of Music website (click)

Photo-Reminiscing About The 8 HP Bessemer

I was looking at a few photos of the old Bessemer engine and dug out some more to make a brief slide show. This engine was busted for more than ninety years. The rod broke around 1920, probably because the oiler ran dry while the engine was running. Susan and I bought it and dragged it back to Prestonsburg, KY, where we lived at the time, then later brought it to the farm.  We set it up by the road to hold our mailbox, until Gary Bahre came along and it went home with him. The new rod was welded up out of flat stock, machined, and a babbit bearing was poured. The Bessemer is a 2 stroke engine that can run on liquid fuel, propane, or natural gas. The main bearings are lubed by grease cup, and the cylinder and rod are oiled by a dual drip oiler. 

Combining Beans

 Our second crop beans are not very tall, but we had some timely rain, and they set a lot of pods. We think they did alright. Susan likes these joy rides in the combine!

Raul Mendez: You Probably Did Not Hear His Name In The News

Trying Out A New Saw,

 and we like it. When we found a shop that had some professional grade saws, we had a choice between a 372 XP or a 572 XP. The 572 has an auto-tune carburetor, and we like that feature on our 550, so that is what we bought. This video is the first fuel up and start. 

Tuesday Torque: Ederville Engine Show, Carthage, NC

 Nice variety, Merle, and the steam part of the show came up at the end of the first video! Thank You!

Even In The Wilderness!

                                                                 Back To The Old Grind!

Weekend Steam II: Bogus Whistle Track Showing Up Repeatedly!

 This is strange. Different YouTube posters making Shorts, and using the same whistle track. It's a bit funny, but the guy posing like an operator on the dead engine isn't fooling anyone! Thanks, Merle!

Weekend Steam: Like New Advance Compound

 It's like new, because much of it is new! Check out the date on the boiler when the last photo comes up! I missed seeing this engine run, but I heard about it. It was on the Prony brake and the connecting rod bearing heated up. Luckily, it has a brass bearing, not babbit, and there was no damage. The orifice regulating screw at the bottom of the auto feeding grease cup was set a bit too fine, so it was ready to run again in short order. 

Crankin' It Up: Gid Tanner And His Skillet Lickers

I haven't posted a new phonograph video in ages. Brat died, and YouTube is much stricter on copyright enforcement than they were in the early days of posting, so most of my records have been taken down. This record, from 1927 is a surprise. Gid Tanner was a popular musician, but nobody has spoken up, so maybe Columbia hasn't kept up the copyright on this performance. If I hear from YouTube that this video violates a copyright, I will take it down, so listen now, and enjoy!

Why Did Someone Hang The Bucket On A Tree?

 We got this patch of timber nearly forty years ago, and I pass this hickory tree frequently. It was a sapling when someone hung the bucket overhead, and now the bail goes nearly through the middle. Chomp, Chomp!

It's Good To Be Lucky

We are finishing up mowing for this year. We neglected mowing much of the yard this year and are taking care of the outlying parts now. I got lucky. If I had mowed during the summer, I would have run right into this hornet nest. It was right at head level when driving the tractor. That would have been a bad time for sure.  

 

Driveway Activity

 We get alerts regularly on our phones to tell us that a photo came in. Turkeys are fun, the coyote is no surprise, but we don't like him.

    

                                                                Deer

 

                                                                 Turkeys

                                                               Racoons

                                                                 Coyote

                                                                  Neighbor Dogs

                                                                     Buck

                                                             Geezer and Gal

                                       

Tuesday Torque: Go Buggies

Many Thanks, Merle for sending this one! Manure spreader wheels and exposed sprockets and chains are a must when building a buggy for touring show grounds. 

Corn Sheller and Feed Grinder, Rollag, Minnesota

 Vintage corn sheller and Letz feed grinder, plus two engines belted up to do the work. This was at the Western Minnesota Steam Threshers Reunion, Rollag, Minnesota.

Back To The Old Grind!

Weekend Steam II: Western Minnesota Steam Threshers Model Building, 2022

 I sent Merle a few emails while I was on the road at Rollag for the big steam show, and he sent me a link for the model display there. Good thing, because every time I went to that building, the place was crowded, and I never got in! Thanks, Merle!