Hobo Jungle

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P&R Pete

Postby P&R Pete » Sat Aug 19, 2006 9:32 pm

Hey, btw, me and Hev spotted a bottle of Daisy's favorite brew!! :wink:

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This would go a long way to explaining why she 'likes' Tramp's cooking. :lol:

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2railjon
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Postby 2railjon » Sat Aug 19, 2006 10:07 pm

LOL, Pete!!! So thats Daisy's magic elixir for ol' Tramp!!! :lol: :lol: :wink:
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P&R Pete

Postby P&R Pete » Sat Aug 19, 2006 10:12 pm

This wasn't just a static show of equipment on display only.
A bunch of Amishmen had an old wooden thresher running. They were feeding-in shocks of cut wheat from one end. The thresher shook loose the wheat heads, fed them out the side through a pipe over which sacks were tied, then baled the wheat-straw coming out the other end. This was a stationery operation, ie, the thresher was operated by auxiliary power, and the cut-wheat had to be brought from the field on wagons. The thresher was then moved from farm to farm during harvest time.
I got to see this while Hev and I were traveling on his B to another part of the show, so I didn't get a picture in action, but here's a picture of another thresher, this one on display, and not covered with the dust of operation.

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And here's an example of how they would obtain 'auxiliary' power- this model what? T? had it's rear end up on blocks, and a belt was run off the rear axle.

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Howboutit!

P&R Pete

Postby P&R Pete » Sat Aug 19, 2006 10:50 pm

Lastly, I gotta show the 'rock stars' of the show. They had an unbelievable collection of beyond-antique steam-driven tractors, huge clanking, smoking, steaming, antediluvian behemoths.
I had seen maybe three in my lifetime, only one running. Here's about a THIRD of the number at this show:

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They were ALL simmering by the time we got there at 0900. One or two or three at a time, they'd be driven around a loop in their area. It was a hoot to watch them take a turn... the steering wheel turns a drum, which at the same time pulls one chain in, and lets another one out, these chains being attached to the ends of the front axle. We are all well-used to driving cars with maybe two turns to go from left-lock to right-lock. These things were geared JUST a bit lower, and to make a 90 degree turn, they'd have to spin that wheel anywhere from 12 to 15 times. It got a bit frantic in the cab if a driver happened to under-commit when making a turn!! :D

Hev wrangled us a ride in the cab of one. Fascinating experience. They have all the running equipment of a steam locomotive: injectors and water-glasses, steam chest and cylinder, eccentric and main rods, Johnson bar and throttle. The only differences are that the the running gear is only one set, it sits on top of the boiler, and the wheels are gear driven.
Here's how it looks from the cab:

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I had wondered at one point if it wouldn't have been a lot easier to just continue to hitch up a team of horses than go to the trouble of starting a fire, bringing up the steam, and keeping up with the maintenance. The stock answer was that they "run all day, never get tired and need a rest, don't need feeding" But ultimately, there was another answer, as you'll read below.

The Grand Finale of the day was the tractor pull. They ran the gamut of tractor makes and class sizes, but they saved the steam tractors for last. And it's one BIG FREAKIN' difference between an idling ride, and to watch and hear these things under full power. It was standing room only!! And an experience I don't have vocabulary to describe. They all had their boilers at full pressure, and there was a lot of 'popping-off' happening. To give them the last advantage of heat and fast burn, (and I think as much for the 'show' for the fans), they were throwing-in shovelfulls of sawdust. Fireboxs were glowing white-hot, and the burning sawdust was flying out the seams of the smokebox doors and flying out the stacks, a hundred feet high, belching coal smoke and steam, beating that staccato racket of a locomotive under full thrust... it was overwhelming. And to preserve the verisimilitude, they were burning kerosene in their headlamps, and had kerosene lanterns hung in their cabs.

But here was my last lesson. There wasn't an internal combustion engine that could TOUCH them for raw pulling power and torque.

Easily 15 ran that night. I have 9 of them in action from my digital camera. Unbef*ckinglievable!! :shock:

LOL, some of them were owned/operated by Amishmen, and they were as 'into' it as the 'English'.

What a show!! 8)

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rogruth
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Postby rogruth » Sat Aug 19, 2006 11:05 pm

Fascinating pictures and info. You guys must have had a ball.
roger

I support thread drift.
If God didn't want women to be looked at, He would have made 'em ugly. RAH

P&R Pete

Postby P&R Pete » Sat Aug 19, 2006 11:06 pm

One quick mention of the food. They had a cafeteria building benefitting the Kinzer Fire Department, but the cafeteria line and the COOKING was all done by Amishfolk. Hot roast beef sandwiches, the meat between the bread an inch and a half thick, smothered in gravy they had had simmering in 4 huge pots, the gravy being a meal in itself. Green beans thick as your pinky, steamed corn, homemade pie, holy crap!! We walked out STUFFED!

Hev and Patty were the ever gracious hosts, and Patty and her Mom bought two fine gifts for the Redhead. Hev got me an old old old Armspear Pennsy lantern. Our cups runneth over.
And that Patty... she's definitely and undeniably a hobo! She rode around the grounds with us, standing on the drawbar of the JD-B and holding onto her man, like she was born to it.

Can't end this without mentioning that I had missed, by a week, Hev and Patty celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary!! How about joining me in raising a good ol' hobo toast to a great couple!! 8) Long may you two reign!!

And this is the end of my telling of the 58th Annual Threshermen's Reunion.
(All I'm left to wonder is if Hev made a down-payment on a sweet little tractor-trailer!! :lol: :lol: :lol:)

Del Mar
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Postby Del Mar » Sat Aug 19, 2006 11:54 pm

Hev and Patty celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary!!


You got a good one, Hev. Toast to both of ya!

The Grand Finale of the day was the tractor pull. They ran the gamut of tractor makes and class sizes, but they saved the steam tractors for last. And it's one BIG FREAKIN' difference between an idling ride, and to watch and hear these things under full power. It was standing room only!! And an experience I don't have vocabulary to describe. They all had their boilers at full pressure, and there was a lot of 'popping-off' happening. To give them the last advantage of heat and fast burn, (and I think as much for the 'show' for the fans), they were throwing-in shovelfulls of sawdust. Fireboxs were glowing white-hot, and the burning sawdust was flying out the seams of the smokebox doors and flying out the stacks, a hundred feet high, belching coal smoke and steam, beating that staccato racket of a locomotive under full thrust... it was overwhelming. And to preserve the verisimilitude, they were burning kerosene in their headlamps, and had kerosene lanterns hung in their cabs.


Petey, I am simply in awe.

San

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Tramp
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Postby Tramp » Sun Aug 20, 2006 9:00 am

Pete, that was a knockout report. Thanks! Great job. Where can we send you next?

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2railjon
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Postby 2railjon » Sun Aug 20, 2006 10:45 am

Tramp, It looks like the CB&Q, "Colorado" Class and the DM&IR BL-1 are new offerings from 3rd Rail.

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hev52
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Postby hev52 » Sun Aug 20, 2006 8:45 pm

Hey you Bo's.....................did ya miss me.................... :lol: :lol:


Man.........what a week. Thursday morning I'm sittin' on my porch drinkin' a cup of mud and smokin' a cig when all of a sudden this Bo is at my back gate...............................



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Said he wanna to go and see some steam stuff and git some tractor parts.. So we headed to Rough and Tumble in Kinzers Pa. So we git their and I had to put Petey to the test........................





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Petey was into it ................. :shock: :D :D

After the Steam engine we ran into to this .........crusin' the grounds...............




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AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 8) 8) 8)


Right away we thought of Jon.................... :lol: :lol: ..................

And I'll be damn, on Fri I was walkin' around and guess who I ran into Petey?..............................






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:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :wink: :wink: :wink:




And here is the Shay that Petey was into.........................




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This Shay was a stationary engine at one time. Bruce Groninger built this engine which is a one cylinder. He retired from the Pennsylvania Railroad. Bruce was a conductor on the Broadway Limited that ran from Harrisburg Pa to Pittsburgh, Pa.

The engine was built at his home in Progress, Pa. The wheels came from a handcar and automobile universals were used to transit the power to them. Finally in 1970 he laid 50 ft of 26 inch temporary track in his backyard. The track came from a brick yard in Salisbury, Maryland. The Shay moved for the first time under her own steam.

After that the Shay was transported to Adams County in Pennsylvania and used for a short time. After observing it's operation Hershey Park was interested in it, but Bruce opposed it's use on Sundays. Somehow he made a connection with Rough and Tumble and in 1974 the locomotive and one car were transported to our grounds

The train would be a donation to the organization with Mr. Groninger retaining the right to run it and control it's operation. he and several volunteers began to lay the narrow guage track around the circumference of the grounds.


Sadly, just after the track was completed, Mr Bruce Groninger, at the age of 84, passed away. That's when Rough and Tumble took over the operation. To this day they do not operate this train on Sundays honoring Bruce's request.


to be continued:

hev 8)

P&R Pete

Postby P&R Pete » Sun Aug 20, 2006 9:04 pm

Well there you have it.
ANG and Penn.... BINGO!! You hit the nail on the head!
I never saw a Shay up close, didn't know they were car diff. gears, and I had no idea that Shay wasn't a complete loco from the get-go. Hev and I never talked about it's origin.

BTW, that's Hev's JD-B to the left of the Shay!

HEV!! We want that pic of you on the tractor-trailer!

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2railjon
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Postby 2railjon » Sun Aug 20, 2006 9:51 pm

WOW!! It sure seems I missed a dang good time with y'all!!!! Next year sounds promising!!!!! But I'm gonna have a dickins of a time squeezin' that Shay in my suitcase!!!!!
Pete, you look like a natural on that tractor!!!! :D

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rogruth
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Postby rogruth » Sun Aug 20, 2006 10:51 pm

Dedication and hard work. Then the fun!
roger

I support thread drift.
If God didn't want women to be looked at, He would have made 'em ugly. RAH

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hev52
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Postby hev52 » Sun Aug 20, 2006 11:42 pm

Ok......here is Round 2.......................

This is the water tank that Petey didn't git a picture of.......................


Train approching water tower........................


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At the water tower..............................




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Next is a dusk shot of the Shay passin' my camp.........................



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This is a Columbus Machine Works Engine built in Cleveland, Ohio. It is a 10 hp. engine built around 1897. Later on this company was bought by New Holland Machine Company here in New Holland, Pa What's so cool about this engine is that it has been runnin' for three generations............1800's,1900's. and 2000.
Unbelievable............. :shock: :shock: :shock:
Note how the water is being cooled.................. 8) 8) :wink:




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Ok......here is the rig Petey was talkin' about. Gatta have one of these.............. 8)




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Check out where the engine is.........in the cab...................... 8)


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HEAVY...................... :shock: :shock:

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Here I am wheelin' around......................... :shock: :shock: 8)

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Any of you Bo's wanna go for a ride..........................


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They also had this pickum' up truck there too........................


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I think Petey said he was gonna git me both to play with...................right Petey.................... :lol: :lol: :lol: :wink:


Here is there website. they are built up in Tramp's neck of the woods. Come to think of it maybe Tramp could slid me one out of the plant.................. :lol: :lol: :wink:


http://www.eastcoastminiclassics.com


to be continued:

hev 8)

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Will
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Postby Will » Mon Aug 21, 2006 12:10 am

That show looks like a gas! Wish I was there. We had a big shindig here Saturday- woke up to a house full of flies and spent the day lying on the couch smoking a cigar, drinking the bad beer that was left and swatting flies as they landed on me.

Gotta go take out the garbage and piles of recyclables.
Will

Pennsy, still the Standard, or whatever.


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