Author	[Modern View]
Bill from MA 02-18-2013 18:54:57 24.62.105.180 Report to Moderator	The following giant (belt drive??) wheel is located in a state park that is also a dairy farm. I am guessing from some external steam baler or thresher but we have no idea. The wheels are about 5 feet in diameter. "Rutland VT" can be read on one part of the wheel but the ground was frozen so we can"t dig deeper. [IMG]http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq335/b79holmes/IMG_0003.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq335/b79holmes/IMG_0006.jpg[/IMG] [Reply]   [No Email]
Bill from MA 02-19-2013 14:01:32 24.62.105.180 Report to Moderator	Re: What is this? in reply to Bill from MA, 02-18-2013 18:54:57   >>>>>Upton State Forset is putting a museum together, and Mount Greylock likes to document this sort of stuff. >>>>>It is most likely 'Fairbanks Morse Co Rutland Vermont' Do you have a picture or a link? [Reply]  [No Email]
Tony in Mass. 02-19-2013 07:24:02 76.127.225.182 Report to Moderator	Re: What is this? in reply to Bill from MA, 02-18-2013 18:54:57   You say 'state park', so my guess is rock crusher too. This is nearly complete one in a state park in western Mass. Someone in a Conn park found a complete almost restorable CaTaPeLaR, with the funny print cast into the frame. CCC and WPA projects took the rocks on the hill in back there and made crushed stone for road projects and concrete mixes. Lots of their equipment was in this age group, and since it was state or fed property, and WW2 was suppose to be over by Christmas, like WW1 was suppose to be, these machines were usually just covered with a tarp in 1942, and not seen again till 1972... now they are mysterious artifacts of an ancient civilization.... What park is this in? Upton State Forset is putting a museum together, and Mount Greylock likes to document this sort of stuff. It is most likely 'Fairbanks Morse Co Rutland Vermont' [Reply]  [No Email]
Bill from MA 02-19-2013 09:31:27 24.62.105.180 Report to Moderator	Re: What is this? in reply to Tony in Mass., 02-19-2013 07:24:02   Great Brook State Park in Carlisle MA. Very close (Maybe 30 - 40 yards west of) trail marker #2. [Reply]  [No Email]
bill from MA 04-05-2013 14:23:10 24.62.105.180 Report to Moderator	Re: What is this? in reply to Bill from MA, 02-19-2013 09:31:27   [Reply]  [No Email]
Tony in Mass. 02-20-2013 06:33:14 76.127.225.182 Report to Moderator	Re: What is this? in reply to Bill from MA, 02-19-2013 09:31:27   I can't cut and paste, but just try to get >www.freindsofuptonstateforest.com< They probably can't move it, but they might get the head ranger there to preserve what's left and make one of those weather proof signs along the trail, give the hikers an idea what the heck it is... once they figure out exactly what it is... A freind of my father, who was from the Upton area, was in a CCC camp on 'Mount Tom state park', on the Conneticutt River, and the gravel crusher he operated in the late 30's is still where it was then, and very few pieces missing. Those guys are in their 90's and still involved with freinds of Upton. [Reply]  [No Email]
Bill from MA 02-19-2013 09:42:27 24.62.105.180 Report to Moderator	Re: What is this? in reply to Bill from MA, 02-19-2013 09:31:27   None of the satellite maps (bing google, mapquest) I tried get quite close enough but 'old north road, carlisle ma') leads you right to it. This road dead-ends in the park (it may be gated) but the wheel is in the brush on the left less than 100 yards past the last house/barn on old north road. If you come to a 5 or 6 way trail intersection marked with "2" you just walked past it. Bill [Reply]  [No Email]
ericlb 02-19-2013 05:20:20 75.107.64.57 Report to Moderator	Re: What is this? in reply to Bill from MA, 02-18-2013 18:54:57   probably off the primary jaws of a rock crusher the one at the plant i worked at until last week has one like it, from the 1930's, i got layed off due to the economy, [Reply]  [No Email]
NCWayne 02-18-2013 22:14:52 69.40.232.132 Report to Moderator	Re: What is this? in reply to Bill from MA, 02-18-2013 18:54:57   I agree with Donjr. I've seen alot of jaw type rock crushers over the years and many of them have the same multigroove sheeve/flywheel type setup as the one in the pics. [Reply]  [No Email]
donjr 02-18-2013 19:41:14 72.71.177.201 Report to Moderator	Re: What is this? in reply to Bill from MA, 02-18-2013 18:54:57   From the size of the flywheels and the weight of the carrier, it looks something like the beginnings of a rock crusher. [Reply]  [No Email]
2x4 02-18-2013 20:52:39 75.105.70.55 Report to Moderator	Re: What is this? in reply to donjr, 02-18-2013 19:41:14   more like the 'endings' of one [Reply]  [No Email]
Bill from MA 02-18-2013 18:59:36 24.62.105.180 Report to Moderator	Re: What is this? in reply to Bill from MA, 02-18-2013 18:54:57   [Reply]  [No Email]
Bill from MA 02-18-2013 18:58:54 24.62.105.180 Report to Moderator	Re: What is this? in reply to Bill from MA, 02-18-2013 18:54:57   [Reply]  [No Email]
Stick welding 02-18-2013 21:30:20 96.53.210.246 Report to Moderator	Re: What is this? in reply to Bill from MA, 02-18-2013 18:58:54   It looks like the flywheel has more weight on one side so possibly it's for an early pump jack or something similar. What does it say on the side of the weight on the flywheel? [Reply]  [No Email]
Bill from MA 02-19-2013 06:36:50 24.62.105.180 Report to Moderator	Re: What is this? in reply to Stick welding, 02-18-2013 21:30:20   Easy to read "Rutland VT" on the larger of the 2 wheels. I never thought to look at the other piece for writing. Right now we have a foot or so of frozen snow on the ground and the wheel is buried. Next time I walk my dog, today or tomorrow I will check the other part for writing. There were a number of granite quarries in this area, I am not aware of rock crushing in the past thought one is operating now. The nearest is a good 10 miles from this park. Maybe a farmer reworked it for something else? [Reply]  [No Email]
WaltDavies 02-18-2013 19:35:02 70.199.227.184 Report to Moderator	Re: What is this? in reply to Bill from MA, 02-18-2013 18:58:54   I did a little research and the vee belt came around in 1915 now you have multiple belts this was pattened in 1925 and went into production in 1928. Well at least we can date it to that or later. Walt [Reply]  [No Email]
John B. 02-18-2013 19:32:02 38.114.64.177 Report to Moderator	Re: What is this? in reply to Bill from MA, 02-18-2013 18:58:54   When I worked in St. Louis the company I worked for bought out a neighboring company. That neighboring company had two giant air compressors with flywheels like that. An electric motor drove the compressor from the wheel with the belt grooves. I think there were 7 belts on it. It reminded me of a stationary steam engine. [Reply]  [No Email]