[Steam-engine] NBIC Morris Snow Presentation Excerpts

[Jim Showers]

I believe the hassle with Pa was the main  reason for Willis selling his
engines.  My thoughts only.
Jim Showers
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jeff Smith" <steamenginesmitty at yahoo.com>
To: "Steam-engine mailing list" <steam-engine at lists.stationary-engine.com>
Sent: Tuesday, August 17, 2004 7:52 AM
Subject: Re: [Steam-engine] NBIC Morris Snow Presentation Excerpts


> I sold one of my engines this year for many different
> reasons and purchased a new 1/2 scale 65 case boiler
> that is to current ASME standards, but Dan's concern
> was one of the major deciding factors.  Time and
> storage were the biggest issues, I just don't have the
> time right now or the place to store a full size
> engine for a restoration.  Another deciding factor was
> it also needed a lot of repair to the boiler; to the
> point that I just wanted a new boiler from a
> cost/benefit standpoint.  In the end I decided against
> that and sold it because I was losing my storage space
> at the time and needed to find a place for it fast,
> and where it could have been stored was outside neat
> the ocean.  I just didn't want it outside near all of
> the salt spray so it found a new home with a man that
> has many other engines.
>
> I still have two other riveted boilers and one other
> ASME code welded boiler, but they are not on traction
> engines so I decided to go the 1/2 scale route.  I
> might be losing money someday on the two riveted
> boilers from some type of crackdown, but I am willing
> to take that chance because I like those engines.  I
> just wanted an engine that I MIGHT be able to take
> from state to state on vacation in the summer, but it
> appears that the days of honoring other state
> inspections in the states that I was planning to go to
> is a thing of the past.  So I can either not go, or
> get a bunch of inspections a year, but I just don't
> want the hassle of that nor all of those hydros so I
> am learning to go to shows and not have to operate
> something, but that is hard for me to do.
>
> I was at a show this past weekend in PA, and one of my
> father's old steam friends told me that he just sold
> all of his engines but one, and his comment was that
> he thinks that sometime soon all engines in public
> areas will require a new welded boiler.  That may be a
> bit extreme, but maybe not.  It sure took me by
> surprise though coming from him.  He lives in Maryland
> and he was tired of the hassle, so he kept one engine
> that he has that was purchased new and replaced 6
> months later with a gas tractor so the engine is like
> new, but he still doesn't take it anywhere now.
>
> Does anyone know why Willis Able sold all of his
> engines but a few?  He had 30 engines that could
> operate the last time I went to his place.  Going
> there was like going to a big candy store and now that
> is a thing of the past.  I can understand if he just
> got tired of PA and their views on historic boilers
> though and threw in the towel, he would have to go
> through inspections 30 times a year.  I can't even
> imagine the amount of work that must have been and my
> hat is off to him for all those years of dedication.
> I think that trying to be patient with the entire
> inspection process for 30 engines would have put me in
> a straight jacket........
>
> Dan, apparently you are not the only one with those
> thoughts though, the gentleman in MD and myself had
> the same concerns.  I am sure that many others have
> also, but so far we are the only ones that I know of
> that acted upon them, but we could be wrong.
>
> Jeff
>
> >I have been leaning to the
> > position that I should
> > plan on finding an engine that has a boiler in poor
> > condition and plan to
> > spend the money to build a new boiler to ASME code.
> > That way my investment
> > will not be lost due to tightening codes and a
> > National Board that may start
> > condemning historic boilers right and left in fear
> > of their own liability
> > and reputation at stake.
> >     Is there anyone with these same concerns or am I
> > being too pessimistic.
> > I currently live in a state that has absolutely no
> > inspections on historic
> > boilers but believe that it is just a matter of time
> > before all states adopt
> > Appendix C of the NBIC.
> >
> > Dan Donaldson
>
>
>
>
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