James Watt Steam Engine makes it's Way to Northeast Iowa
STEAM ENGINE REPORT
By Howard Shanks and Kelly Barnett
Old engine buffs and old steam engine buffs in particular can appreciate a really old steam engine. So it was that when Mike Shanks, a member of the Cedar Valley Engine Club, received a phone call asking if the club might be interested in an old stationary steam engine his questions were how old and how big. The DoALL Company in Des Plaines, Illinois was in the process of moving from their original plant and an engine, collected by the founder of the company Leighton Wilkie, was not slated to be moved to the new location. Yes, the club was interested but how much would it cost to move it to Charles City, Iowa and would the acquisition be worth the time, because at this time we had no idea what we were dealing with.
A few weeks later on an early spring day in 2005, six members of the club drove to Des Plaines to see what had been offered to the club. What they found was a 1799 Watt Steam Engine with a 18 ft flywheel that appeared to be complete even to the metal railing that had been around it in the textile mill. It was in a large central room of the plant, and was for it's age in excellent condition. It was mounted on concrete piers with a large overhead wood frame that supported the cast iron beam connecting the piston to the crank. In the plant it had been "run" with an electric motor hidden behind a block wall. Hmmm, I think we are getting interested in it now.
The engine had been built in 1799 at the Boulten and Watt Factory at Birmingham, England, in what is now the Royal Mint. One of the valves is stamped 1797 leading to some question as to the exact date of construction. It was purchased in Frome and taken to Chard in 1827 where it operated the Gifford, Fox and Co. Ltd. textile mill. The magnificent brass governor was added in 1857. The engine was still working in the plant in 1948. Wilkie purchased the engine and had it transported from the plant to Des Plaines in 1958. According to some of the information we found this engine is a 60 Horse Power engine initially run on around 5 pounds of steam pressure.
Could the engine be moved again at a cost the club could afford? The four club members first determined that the flywheel could be disassembled into eight sections so that it could be transported on the highway. They then spent several hours measuring and estimating the weight of various pieces. They were able to report back to the club that it could be moved but that it would be prohibitively expensive to hire professional movers. However, it appeared that club members could disassemble it and transport it on flat bed trailers of the type they used to move their antique tractors.
A few weeks later after a unanimous vote of the club, ten club members with four pickups and trailers loaded with tools and cargo straps set out before daylight for Des Plaines. The group spent three long days and nights dismantling the engine. Parts were loaded onto the four trailers for the trip home. There was clearly a need for a second trip as the remaining pile of parts included the condensers and much of the valving.
Both the trailers and the trucks were heavily loaded. As the convoy came down the long hill to the Mississippi River bridge, the brakes smoked and a rest stop to cool them down was required. This wasn't the only interesting trip mishap. Arriving late at night at the club's show grounds, the engine parts were unloaded into various buildings for storage until reassembly could begin.
Some weeks later two of the trucks with trailers returned to Des Plaines in anticipation of completing the move. The trailers and trucks were loaded and headed back to Charles City the same day. But there were still engine parts in Des Plaines. In addition the club also obtained a large boring mill used to bore the Watt engine cylinders. It had been powered by a large water wheel.
In 1765 Watt had started trying to develop a method to bore the large cylinders he needed for his steam engine. In 1775 he became acquainted with John Wilkinson who was known for developing the boring mills for cannons. Wilkinson was able to design a mill that would handle the very large cylinder castings. This mill is considered the world's first true machine tool.
Mike and brother Howard returned to Des Plaines for the last load to complete the move of the engine though the boring machine remained. Late in the evening with the heavy load on the trailer a tire blew out about 40 miles from Charles City. Changing it in the dark on a busy road was not easy because of the trailer's heavy load. However, a stranger from Arkansas stopped and used his pickup lights to illuminate the wheel so the job was soon finished and the remainder of the trip was uneventful.
The heavy boring mill which had been stored outside on bare ground had to await late summer when dry weather allowed the use of a large crane to load it on a trailer. With its arrival at the Cedar Valley Show Grounds near Charles City the move was completed. It's really interesting what can get accomplished when a group of old iron collectors start to put their minds together.
The club already had a large Norberg Corliss Compound Steam Air Compressor, that came out of the Allis Chalmers plant in LaPorte, IN, set up in one of the buildings on the Club Show Grounds. It was decided that the building could be expanded so that the Watt engine could also be set up. Careful measurements of the concrete piers used in Des Plaines were used as the basis for the new installation but the height of the piers was raised to better display the engine. Since drawings of engine detail do not exist many photos were taken as the engine was dismantled in Des Plaines as guidance for the reassembly along with many notes.
The opportunity to see the engine for the first time and take it apart to transport it is a time in our lives that won't be soon forgotten. To see the engine up close is to take a leap back in time and look at mechanical ingenuity in its early stages and truly appreciate the effort and thought processes of some great inventors that came before us.
The new 206 year old Watt Steam Engine will be unveiled at the Cedar Valley Engine Club Show on Labor Day weekend Sept. 2, 3, and 4th in 2006. Our club is located 7 miles West of Charles City, IA on Hwy 14. We would love to invite you to come to our show. Let's help preserve our history for future generations. Our club is a non-profit organization and anyone wishing to donate resources can contact us at kpbarnett@rconnect.com or Kelly Barnett, Box 748, Nashua, Iowa 50658 or Howard Shanks, 1429 Clark Ave., Ames, Iowa 50010. Any help to the Cedar Valley Engine Club would be greatly appreciated. The list of members that went to get the Watt engine were as follows:
Mike Shanks
Howard Shanks
Kelly Barnett
Jason Skillen
Harold Swartzrock
Steve Montag
Steve Smolik
Roland Endelman
Wayne Popp
Larry Bissen