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Anyone on here own a Steam Engine??

R

ryanwheelock

Member
Anyone on here own a Steam Engine. I should say traction engine. Want to find out what you have to say about having one to take to shows and too play with a plow at plow days. I know they can get costly and aren't the easyest thing to haul around but its been my dream to own one since I was a little tike. How often does the boiler have to be checked??? Most parts have to be machined/ made if need to be replaced?? Storing during the winter??
For those that own one, what model do you own?? What kind of rig do you haul it with?? Do you go to shows? plow with it?? or just run it around the yard/ farm?
Thanks
Ryan
PS
Theres VERY VERY few steam traction engines up by me here in northern michigan. A few over by Traverse City at the buckley show every year.
 
I was to a Farm Progress show in Indiana, maybe the last one there, they had a Case steam engine hooked to an 8 bottom plow. They said on ahead they were only going to plow ONE round with it. It looks to me like there'd be a lot of wear on the exposed final drive gears on the wheels.
 
I don't,but my brother in law has a Keck Ghonnerman. He only takes it to 2 shows a year,Oakley and Blanchard. It's a real pain to move around. He has to hire a lowboy semi to haul it. He has to drain it every fall and stores it inside. Cleans the flues every spring. It was a wreck when he got it,had to rebuild the whole firebox. He mostly just saws with it at the shows. Threshes a little bit. Never really does anything that involves any pulling. Come on down to the Blanchard show this year and you can talk to him about it.
 
we have a few show up at Somerset , VA . in Sept. a couple yrs ago one pulled 22 plows at 4.5 mph . it was a good show of what they could do.
 
Dover Ohio used to get alot of them at their show. I haven't been there in awhile. Try looking it up.
 
One of these blew up in I think Ohio, maybe 5 years ago. You don't see many since. It was not the operators' fault but a policeman who ordered him to move it when water was too low. Somebody who has better memory can fill in the details, please. Thank you
 
I have 2 friends that have them.Both live here in mid michigan. They go to west branch,buckley and blanchard.Usually the show helps set up the transport. The shows above are like one weekend after one another and the trucker just hauls to the next show for them then on home. I do know Blanchard DID pay for the transport as well but may not anymore. In michigan I believe the boilers have to be certifide every yr or every other.It isnt always cheap to repair parts. There is an amish blacksmith shop down in Penns. I think that can make or does stock alot of parts.If you want one you need to be trained and have a steam engineer certification. And it wouldnt hurt to have a few machinist friends.
 

Rebuilding a steam boiler can cost $20 to $50,000
sometimes more..!!

In this case it certainly WAS the operator's fault..!!
He was a new owner of a Steam traction engine that had not had the fusible safety plug changed in Decades..(it was found Intact and did not melt even at 1,100 degrees..should have at around 450).
All he needed to do was DROP the fire before the water-level got low and it would have been safe..
Instead, he Fired it with Low water and she went Kablewey..
This brought about Mandatory Yearly Boiler inspections and Boiler-operator's certificates are now Required..

Plain City, Ohio is a great place to see Steam in action..tractor pulls and over 1,000 tractors on display..
(Yep, I am the one with the Boiler Inspector's hat..)..!!

Ron..
 
Here's a link to one of the reports on the Medina OH explosion..

http://www.doli.state.mn.us/CCLD/BoilerIncidentsHobby.asp

On tractor boilers.. you may can do a rebuild in the $20k-$50K number mentioned. Far more when you get into antique locomotives... I've got a $250-$300k estimate on a fairly small one at the museum I volunteer at.
 
There is another fellow that shows at Blanchard too. Usually two or three, maybe more steamers going there, maybe more. They typically run sawmill, and a couple threshers with them. We supply oats for the threshing demonstration. Nice bunch of guys cooperating to bring the show together. Always ready to talk about their machines.
 
Surprised no one mentioned Wauseon, OH and the National Threshers reunion that takes place every June. If you are interested in steam it is a good show to visit...
 
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