Look at some videos of Baker steam traction engines and you will see that they have a round bottom on the firebox. The water legs totally surround the firebox, going down and around under the grates. Repairs nowadays switch them over to an open bottom, so we can assume the plan is to make the new boilers last more than 100 years! No more mud to work on the steel down at the bottom! Note the rivet heater. It was patented in 1913. It's a first time for me to see one of these!
Our Schipperke friend, Mary, drove home across Missouri on Wednesday, and it was brutal with the wild south wind. She said it was really white knuckle driving all the way. We had storms that evening, but no damage. It seems that March is wanting to come and go like a lion.
Our Schipperke friend, Mary, came to visit our pack. Buster is her sweetie. Good Times! Life is sweet!
Merle, this is much more than a cute project. The Diesel engine is a master work! Many Thanks!
This is a 20 or 22 HP Advance Rumely on the dyno at Old Threshers, Mt. Pleasant, Iowa.
This one is at National Threshers Reunion, Wauseon, Ohio. It looks like a 18 HP.
20 HP pulling the sled at Missouri River Valley Steam Engine Show.
Many of the reversing gears you see on steam engines are baffling to watch and comprehend. That is why I like the first reversing gear, Stephenson Link. It uses two eccentrics and a sliding block to switch from one eccentric to the other. Watch if a few seconds and it is self explanatory. Thank You, Merle!
Spring weather really has arrived. We are having good fire weather and have the dam burned off. Big winds are forecast for tomorrow, so we are making preps to carry dogs to the basement in case of tornado threats. The daffodils are popping!
We are always thrilled by the daffodils, and they never last long enough. It is a great show!
We have just been firing the basement stove this week, and today we let it go out. Maybe we will have to fire up again next Wednesday evening if the forecast is correct. Saves wood!
Susan and I try to get a burn in on the dam every year to discourage trees from coming up. This time was the best fire we have ever had. It was a hot one, and really cooked the woody weeds. A decadent black oak below the dam broke up this year, and I had to do some disassembly there, and then used water to cool it down. Susan has been helping on fires and tree plantings since 1975. She's a darn good hand on a fire. She shot most of the photos and video.
Great weather to be on the water this week...Thanks, Merle!
The Iwo Jima invasion was going on eighty years ago right now. I pulled O.T.'s Third Division book off the shelf yesterday to look up where he was, and on March 9, 1945, the 21st Marines, 3rd Division reached the north shore of Iwo, collecting a canteen of seawater to confirm that they had done that. That was one of the few things that he shared about his time on that island.
Thank You, Merle! I think this is an Advance engine. It looks like it has been roaded for a few miles, judging from the lugs.
While I am thinking of Advance engines, have you all seen the new 6 HP Advances made in Ohio. There are two in the following video. One is powering a sawmill, and at 7:20 they add a second 6 horse engine. One of them dynoed at 56 HP, and the other at 62 HP. Pretty good for a 6 horse, I think. That exhaust is sure crisp!
Our turkey vultures are back from down on the Rio Grande! It is always a thrill to see them roosting and warming in the morning sun. I hope they settle in one of the barns again this year so we can make some new video.
...I do wish some knowledgeable engine person would identify this throttler for us. Thank You, Merle!
The ground was frozen hard again yesterday and this morning, March 3, 2025. Storms are predicted for Tuesday. We usually scratch down the chimneys in January to keep them safe, but this year the roof was snow and ice covered, and the weather hasn't been fit to work outdoors. Saturday I got up on the roof and cleaned the flues. The basement flue had just one spot where I knocked out some creosote chunks, but the upstairs flue was nasty. I filled an ash bucket half full with creosote! It was far enough up the chimney that it wasn't likely to catch fire, but I am glad it is safe now to finish winter.
...let's go to Ely, Nevada, to the Nevada Northern Railway Museum. Courtesy of commenter Rick! Thank You, Rick, for the suggestion!
