June 2013

It's Alive!

By Paul Harvey

When this article rolls off the presses, our big June Show is less than two weeks away.  That's right;  June 13, 14, and 15 will be our June Expo featuring oil engines.  The museum exhibits will be running, the fields will be full of exhibitors, there will be an enlarged flea market, and plenty of good food. But most important, the fellowship of chatting with old friends and making new ones, as one enjoys the long warm days of Summer and the sounds of engine exhaust. 

We already have the April and May open weekends under our belts.  They were quite successful with many people attending.  Now, every weekend is a work weekend as we prepare for the June Expo.  Yes, the museum is now ALIVE!  There never seems to be enough time to prepare, but when it happens, all falls together and a great event is enjoyed.     

For a change of pace, I have decided to take the reader "behind the scenes" and show just a few of the projects that our volunteers do to get ready.  As one can imagine, there are so many more jobs being done than the ones included here, and each project has its coordinator who works hard to improve the overall function of his project as well as that of the museum.  See the photos and enjoy! 

Photo 1 shows Dave and Buck on a cold April day planning a radiator change for our main air compressor.  This unit was assembled in Franklin, PA by Chicago Pneumatic.  The spoke wheels and early tires reveal its 1940s vintage.  It uses a Caterpillar four-cylinder diesel that is pony motor started, and it drives  a CP compressor.  It makes 350 cfm of air! It runs every show day from early in the morning till dark supplying compressed air to start the large engines, run the steam engines, and many, many other uses.  When you visit the museum, it can be found just north of the Power Technology Building under its own roof. It is truly one of our dependable workhorses and is essential to show operation.  

Photo 2 shows Rob constructing a new workbench in the Power Technology Building.  The original, which I built in 1971, had deteriorated enough that tools were falling off.  So, for this one, concrete legs were installed and heavy wood is being used.  The bench holds our giant vise and is a convenient place to make quick repairs during showtime.  Rob has undertaken the monumental project of sorting and placing all the tools as well as doing a major rearrangement of the engines along the west side of the building.  Plans include a west access door to allow the visitors more freedom to view the equipment.  This will be a major improvement to the building and its use.     

Photo 3 shows Reid cleaning the 300 hp Miller Improved gas engine.  This large engine runs on a posted schedule during the shows and is always a crowd pleaser.  The compressed air start up sequence is the most impressive.  After the October show is over, the engines are given a heavy coat of grease to prevent rusting and this has to removed again in the spring.  Reid, one of the engineers operating this engine, will soon have it shiny again.  This engine was built in 1913 in Springfield, Ohio, and operated a large air compressor used to pump oil wells in the Kane, PA field.  The compressor is installed and its operation is planned.  It makes an impressive static display at this time.  Be sure to see the big Miller start and run during your visit here. 

Photo 4 shows a new addition in our wooded oil field display area.  Here, one will find many small buildings with individual displays depicting the various technologies of pumping and transporting crude oil in the early 1900s.  Stewart is erecting a vintage power house moved from the Pleasantville, PA area.  It contains a 15 hp two-cycle Pattin Brothers engine built in Marietta, Ohio, belted to a TICO rod line pumping power.  The TICO, built by Titusville Iron Works in Titusville, PA is unique in that it features a spiral, bevel, herringbone tooth drive.  This must have been a pattern maker's nightmare!  The Pattin Brothers engine came from northern Pennsylvania which is unusual for these engines to be so far from Marietta.  But, there was a dealer in Bradford.  The TICO power came from a lease near Pleasantville, PA.  The building is now nearly completed and its vintage appearance is a compliment to this display area.

Photo 5 shows Tom and Rod digging the foundation hole for a steam engine to be operated from the Windy City air plant.  Tom is digging and Rod is hauling the dirt away.  The form lies beside the hole and is now filled with concrete.  Windy City was located just south of Kane, PA and the entire building along with its engine was dismantled and re-erected at the museum.  The big Blaisdell compressing engine, in Windy City, with its extremely loud exhaust note and huge seven foot flywheels has been a museum favorite for many years. So now it is going to be put to work.  The Blaisdell provided compressed air to operate 48 steam engines that pumped individual oil wells.  Apparently it was more economical to replace the old boilers and use a central air plant to operate the wells than to replace the individual steam engines with new gas engines.  The steam engine to be installed is a Farrar & Trefts built in Buffalo, NY about 1880.  It originally operated about two miles from the Windy City plant and was removed because the well had stopped producing crude oil.  It will happily be running on Blaisdell air again for our June show. 

Photo 6 shows Dylan oiling and operating the 1880s Farrar and Trefts steam engine from the Windy City lease.  It has been located in the Half Breed Pavilion and he, along with other young folks, have faithfully operated it for many years.  Soon, a walking beam and well head will be installed to demonstrate the original use. By the June show, the engine will be mounted on the concrete foundation near the Windy City air plant and he will again operate it for all to enjoy.

Photo 7 shows making the 30 feet long legs that will support the water tank that will provide cooling water for the 600 hp Snow, as well as the Friend's Exhibition Hall, Pat's Place, and other installations being developed on the hill.  Already three 1,000 gallon concrete tanks have been buried that will collect the water to be pumped overhead for reuse.  The top of the tank will be over 40 feet and easily seen from the highway, marking the museum's location to all travelers.  Photo 8 shows Ben, Chris and Doug placing one of the legs with the museum's Lorain crane to check alignment.  The legs, tank and accessories will then be sandblasted and painted before final erection.

Mowing the 25 acres of the museum fields and parking areas is a never ending task.  Photo 9 shows Kevin with his Kubota and 10 foot wide Woods mower making short work of the project.  He keeps his equipment on the grounds here and drives from New Jersey frequently to keep everything "all trimmed up."  Mowing, trimming, and grounds maintenance is a major summer project to make the museum presentable.

Photo 10 shows Tom working on the museum cooling water system near the Fred Merry Pump House.  Tom manages to start in April to service all the pumps needed to keep cooling water flowing to the engines during our events.  The water is pumped from the creek but no water is returned to it due to environmental concerns.  It is stored in several large tanks and piped to many of the original buildings to provide engine cooling.  It then returns to a large concrete underground sump tank.  From there, it is pumped uphill by the several pumps in the Pump House, through a radiator type cooler, to the storage tanks on higher ground.  Downhill flow through all the engine water jackets is by gravity so that damaging excessive pressure can not be applied.  Hence, all our cooling water is recirculated and not wasted on the ground.  It is a huge system with many valves and pumps to check and maintain in order to have the necessary cooling water for our engines.