I know people who have made tractors out of less. Those can still be saved. It's all about how bad you want it. It's really cool that there is still stuff like that out there.
I'm from Britain, and it's sad to see these machines going to waste. At one time, the folks who built these things would have taken real pride in what they made, and the quality and skill they put into their work. Why would the state officials object to these historical artefacts being restored? After all, there's plenty to commemorate the civil war and other important events in U.S. history, so why object to these machines being restored, and used to educate present day folks of the way they helped to farm & provide vital food for people in times gone by? In Britain there are loads of beautifully restored steam tractors, road locomotives, traction engines, steam lorries, and the later I.C. engined vintage equivalent, sadly, there doesn't seem anywhere near as much interest in this sort of thing in America. It seems the countrys history is slowly disappearing thru lack of interest.
@@martinsims1273 There are many clubs across the US that resurrect these beautiful machines.. I suppose there is just not enough people or money to get them all.. I really dislike saying this but I am sure there is some that believe it should be left where it is.. I do not share in that belief..-John
@@martinsims1273 I don't think it's lack of interest. There are a lot of steam engines still around people own that don't operate as well as one that do operate. There are many shows throughout the states where you can go and see them. The states just make it about impossible to get anything from them. You also have to remember that back during scrap drives here people have up alot of that stuff it was what you did back then. Same for these tractors it was common practice to put things like these in river banks to help control erosion. People didn't look at equipment like this as something to collect until later like the 50s and 60s. Even then it was a small amount. As far as prairie tractors and steam engines there are no more getting scrapped. Plenty of people today that love these tractors. Its about having the funds to have them. Prairie tractors and some steam engines are well into 6 figures to own. Steam engines here in the states by now if they haven't had a boiler replacement are not usable in public. So right there your looking at anywhere from 40 to 60 thousand for boiler replacement. Also there's only about 2 or 3 guys that build boilers here in the states. Which means if you're going to get one built you have to get on the list and wait. Most are 4 to 5 years wait .
Those extra plates in the front of the boiler are there to insulate the outer shell of the boiler from the high temperature of the exhaust from the fire box and the engine. Avery ran unusually high working pressure, so the fire was much hotter to keep up the pressure.
New subscriber here my friend!! Really cool tractors and really great stories...I wish we could revive these things.. They are absolutely beautiful!!!!..thank you for sharing this awesome find and finds... These are able to be restored but it would take an enormous amount of time and talent.. Everything was made by hand back then and they can be brought back with the technology that we have today... I am in Pennsylvania and I have a bunch of projects myself.. I do have friends that restore these things and I am going to pass the information along...-John
So sad folks like me are trying to work towards having a steam traction engine to screw around with on my farm and this kind of stuff was done in the past almost as bad as if was just scraped
Really nice that you provide us with a look at these old workhorses. Just think of the history. I have been lucky enough to see a couple of these behemoths running. They are fascinating. I believe the governers are centrifugal? 2 little balls spinning around on top?
Thanks for making this video. The second engine you showed, the one sitting on the concrete slab, is an Advance that was built after Rumely purchased the company in 1911. Built in the Advance factory in Battle Creek, it looks like it might be a 22HP size, I can't tell for sure. It says M. Rumely on the smokebox door ring, but the inner door is missing and has been replaced with a steel plate. It would have said Advance, or featured the Banner Boy trade mark of the company. The M. Rumely door ring was the only change made to the engines after Rumely purchased the company. Otherwise, it is all Advance. It is not an Advance-Rumely. They were rear mounts and that name came into being after the bankruptcy reorganization in 1915. It reminds me of a famous old engine that was abandoned in the African desert near the Skeleton Coast outside of the town of Swakopmund in Namibia, over 100 years ago. It stood alone for years and acquired the name Martin Luther in reference to his statement upon being brought to trial at the Diet of Worms in 1521, "Here I stand...I can do no other." That engine still exists as a monument and has been preserved under a shed in recent years. You can find it by googling "Martin Luther Traction Engine." A sad but fitting end to something too far gone to bring back, back still needs to be remembered. Thanks again for posting this.
Thank you - sad but fascinating. I'm particularly intrigued by Avery engines, as the undertype was almost unknown here in GB - a couple of very early engines, such as the 'Farmer's Friend' were of that type, but they were very, very rare. US engines were built very differently to GB ones, primarily for ease of repair when a source of spares could be several hundred miles away. That explains typical US features like the straight crankshaft, with the side mounted cylinder and disc fly crank, which a local blacksmith could knock up from ordinary bar stock, instead of having to forge an English style one. Very few US engines I've seen seem to have the GB style tender either, preferring a platform with a couple of drumor box type bunkers. Now, somewhere on Google is a site which shows 1920's instruction books for the Marklin version of Meccano. Amazingly one model is in fact an Avery engine and thresher - it is so accurately modelled it can be nothing but an Avery. I would love to know just why that was chosen, when there were a number of German firms building road locomotives they could have used instead. One day I aim to build it, just for the fun of it. Here's a link to other, railway engines, used for erosion control, at least one (the Rogers 2-4-2) is now restored to immaculate running order - th-cam.com/video/l-g3_m8AHgc/w-d-xo.html New Zealand enthusiasts seem very good at the art of resurrection !
For the Avery the serial number was there but rusted away but there’s an another place it’s at the end of the crank shaft usually on the right side on the end of the shaft.
I know people who have made tractors out of less. Those can still be saved. It's all about how bad you want it. It's really cool that there is still stuff like that out there.
Nice to see other people love this stuff also..-John
I'm from Britain, and it's sad to see these machines going to waste. At one time, the folks who built these things would have taken real pride in what they made, and the quality and skill they put into their work. Why would the state officials object to these historical artefacts being restored? After all, there's plenty to commemorate the civil war and other important events in U.S. history, so why object to these machines being restored, and used to educate present day folks of the way they helped to farm & provide vital food for people in times gone by? In Britain there are loads of beautifully restored steam tractors, road locomotives, traction engines, steam lorries, and the later I.C. engined vintage equivalent, sadly, there doesn't seem anywhere near as much interest in this sort of thing in America. It seems the countrys history is slowly disappearing thru lack of interest.
@@martinsims1273 There are many clubs across the US that resurrect these beautiful machines.. I suppose there is just not enough people or money to get them all.. I really dislike saying this but I am sure there is some that believe it should be left where it is.. I do not share in that belief..-John
@@martinsims1273 I don't think it's lack of interest. There are a lot of steam engines still around people own that don't operate as well as one that do operate. There are many shows throughout the states where you can go and see them. The states just make it about impossible to get anything from them. You also have to remember that back during scrap drives here people have up alot of that stuff it was what you did back then. Same for these tractors it was common practice to put things like these in river banks to help control erosion. People didn't look at equipment like this as something to collect until later like the 50s and 60s. Even then it was a small amount. As far as prairie tractors and steam engines there are no more getting scrapped. Plenty of people today that love these tractors. Its about having the funds to have them. Prairie tractors and some steam engines are well into 6 figures to own. Steam engines here in the states by now if they haven't had a boiler replacement are not usable in public. So right there your looking at anywhere from 40 to 60 thousand for boiler replacement. Also there's only about 2 or 3 guys that build boilers here in the states. Which means if you're going to get one built you have to get on the list and wait. Most are 4 to 5 years wait .
Those extra plates in the front of the boiler are there to insulate the outer shell of the boiler from the high temperature of the exhaust from the fire box and the engine. Avery ran unusually high working pressure, so the fire was much hotter to keep up the pressure.
thank you for that info, much appreciated
Wow hell of a find it’s probably a 16-18hp Undermount Avery crazy how much it’s sunk into the earth over the years
Very cool! Thanks for posting.
New subscriber here my friend!! Really cool tractors and really great stories...I wish we could revive these things.. They are absolutely beautiful!!!!..thank you for sharing this awesome find and finds... These are able to be restored but it would take an enormous amount of time and talent.. Everything was made by hand back then and they can be brought back with the technology that we have today... I am in Pennsylvania and I have a bunch of projects myself.. I do have friends that restore these things and I am going to pass the information along...-John
So sad folks like me are trying to work towards having a steam traction engine to screw around with on my farm and this kind of stuff was done in the past almost as bad as if was just scraped
Tyler, this video killed - 4,100 views and still going. Congrats. 🌲
thanks buddy appreciate that
Really nice that you provide us with a look at these old workhorses.
Just think of the history.
I have been lucky enough to see a couple of these behemoths running.
They are fascinating.
I believe the governers are centrifugal?
2 little balls spinning around on top?
cool stuff
The 1st one is a 30-60 E Rumely
Wow 👌
Thanks for making this video. The second engine you showed, the one sitting on the concrete slab, is an Advance that was built after Rumely purchased the company in 1911. Built in the Advance factory in Battle Creek, it looks like it might be a 22HP size, I can't tell for sure. It says M. Rumely on the smokebox door ring, but the inner door is missing and has been replaced with a steel plate. It would have said Advance, or featured the Banner Boy trade mark of the company. The M. Rumely door ring was the only change made to the engines after Rumely purchased the company. Otherwise, it is all Advance. It is not an Advance-Rumely. They were rear mounts and that name came into being after the bankruptcy reorganization in 1915.
It reminds me of a famous old engine that was abandoned in the African desert near the Skeleton Coast outside of the town of Swakopmund in Namibia, over 100 years ago. It stood alone for years and acquired the name Martin Luther in reference to his statement upon being brought to trial at the Diet of Worms in 1521, "Here I stand...I can do no other." That engine still exists as a monument and has been preserved under a shed in recent years. You can find it by googling "Martin Luther Traction Engine." A sad but fitting end to something too far gone to bring back, back still needs to be remembered.
Thanks again for posting this.
This is a great comment. I’ll remember that Martin Luther quote every time I look at an old piece standing alone. Thanks for taking the time. 🌲
Thank you - sad but fascinating. I'm particularly intrigued by Avery engines, as the undertype was almost unknown here in GB - a couple of very early engines, such as the 'Farmer's Friend' were of that type, but they were very, very rare. US engines were built very differently to GB ones, primarily for ease of repair when a source of spares could be several hundred miles away.
That explains typical US features like the straight crankshaft, with the side mounted cylinder and disc fly crank, which a local blacksmith could knock up from ordinary bar stock, instead of having to forge an English style one. Very few US engines I've seen seem to have the GB style tender either, preferring a platform with a couple of drumor box type bunkers.
Now, somewhere on Google is a site which shows 1920's instruction books for the Marklin version of Meccano. Amazingly one model is in fact an Avery engine and thresher - it is so accurately modelled it can be nothing but an Avery. I would love to know just why that was chosen, when there were a number of German firms building road locomotives they could have used instead. One day I aim to build it, just for the fun of it.
Here's a link to other, railway engines, used for erosion control, at least one (the Rogers 2-4-2) is now restored to immaculate running order - th-cam.com/video/l-g3_m8AHgc/w-d-xo.html
New Zealand enthusiasts seem very good at the art of resurrection !
Good thing you're doing that in the winter, the rattlesnakes are bad down there
@DonnRosengrant-w4m so far this summer I've only seen bull snakes. I'm sure your rite though. Lots of rattlers lurking around
That's sad that they did this to those wonderful machines.
For the Avery the serial number was there but rusted away but there’s an another place it’s at the end of the crank shaft usually on the right side on the end of the shaft.
Next time I'm there I'll look. Thank you for the info
That fire box looks more like a sand box