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B Building is gone but A building still stands. None of the engines are in service. In the next few years we will drop the stacks but leave the building and the engines.

I fear these old marvels aren’t going to be with us much longer. I wish someone would preserve at least one. I was privileged to see them in operation and help maintain them.

I'd love to go just to feel the energy

My Dad helped put these very engines together when the plant was built in Natchitoches. I grew up around these engines, used to play in the engine buildings when i was little. Dad was the plant foreman when i was born (1955) and we lived onsite. There were 2 engine buildings, A & B. Can't remember how many were in each building. The engines i believe where in pairs, joined at the crankshaft. Happy Times. Everytime I visit Natchitoches I visit the plant. None were running in 2022 last time I was there. Toured A building and got me a souvenir spark plug. Kinder Morgan owns the plant now and had talked about getting one building running again but too expensive.

Are 3 PC parties still a thing?

How much would you pay to go back?

Can you imagine the look on the salesman’s face when they told him he had the order got these machines.

I'm in Ogden Iowa now. They have 4 of these still in service. Last 4, I hear. To be decommissioned next year. Got some great video. It's pure music to hear.

This is in Louisiana.

Hello everyone, I am working with Cooper Bessemer, trying to get former employees together, if you have a moment give me a call. Donna 713-936-4670.

Holy cow! I was a Kelly hand there in the summer of 1996. This brings back lots of memories and nightmares, lol!

Hey Justin, do you know if these are still operating at Natchitoches?

im getting on a lease for 2015 off 190 smack dab in the middle of livingston and woodvville. this forestry owned, look familiar!

I remember working on very similar units at the TGP Pump Station in Cleveland Texas. It really was a unique experience. I remember the operators becoming frantic when these large engines would *run away* so to say. I was the guy who would replace 100's of windows in the building during the winter because the thrust from the engines backfire was so strong it would blow out large groups of window pains near the exhausts. To my knowledge the engines are still onsite but went out of commission around 2011 after being replaced by an electric motor driven compressor. The plant originally had 2 buildings with 8 Cooper Bessemer each. The first electric motor driven compressor was installed in the late 90's and the first 8 Coopers along with building were removed. I'll tell you one thing, that is a lot of floor to mop around those eight engines and yes there was a basement level to mop as well. * 16ft flywheel * 8 horizontal pistons * 1600 hp @ max rpm of 125

Many other companies here and in Europe built large double acting gas engines. The Cooper company and the Bessemer company merged around 1929 or so. Snow merged with Worthington I think in 1917? Cooper-Bessemer and Snow/Worthington competed with their doubleacting designs till about the late 40's. Then they pretty much discontinued the horizontal double acting engines.

This engine looks like the huge Snow Compressor engines. Bessemer must have had a partnership! The Snow engines were also built in PA, in the early teens.

this is actually from Natchitoches

Any chance of seeing a video of the engines in your station?

We have the same engines running today in Natchitoches,La .... Cooper bessemer type 26 model, We have 9 in one building.

Great footage, thanks for posting this video. It is good to know that there are others out there that appreciate these old slow speed engines. It is these types of mechanical marvels that delivered billions of cubic feet of natural gas all through our country. They also represent a fine generation of hard working folks who helped shape the USA...

It's amazing that there are still stations around which are running these big double-acting engines...

just a couple of engines in there

Like out of the comic books with the strange shapes, pipes, wonderful sound.

Great vid. The old horizontal large gas engines are in a league of their own. Slow speed but, insane amounts of torque, and great ruggedness. The look and sound just perfect. Maybe inefficient but who cares, I sure as hell don't!!!!!!:)

Brings back many found memories. Great friends, good times, entertaining stories. I grew up around these (some older) at Ogden, Ia., Beatrice, Ne., Palmyra, Ne., and many other compressor stations. Thanks for the memories.

only 2 more years of high school and i'll be joinin you guys

whoop!!!!!

@tadpole482 Does Ogden have such a station? Would like to drive on down and take a look-see.

all those great engines.........

its in LA

where is this station located at?

so yal are the guys I see with those "Texas A&M Off Road" stickers.. cool, how do I join? im a proud member of the class of '12