[Steam-engine] Tod Engine Progress Report

[Rick Rowlands]

I met with Bill Grim and his son yesterday at the museum site.  They wanted to look over the area before scheduling the move of the last four big pieces of the engine.  They were pleased with the preparations I've made, and are planning to move the parts sometime in November.  

I have started to assemble materials for the 30' x 60' engine house building.  I am sending out an order for the timbers to an amish sawmill today.   Three of the concrete footers are in place and I'm slowly pouring more as time permits.  On top of each footer will be a round base plate which a local fab shop is making for me.  Welded to each base plate will be a 12" piece of 6 x 6 x 1/4" square tubing which will hold the 6 x 6 timber columns in place.   We will be using 2 1/2" twenty gauge corrugated panels for the roofing and about 100 panels of used siding has been donated, so that will reduce some costs.  

With the parts being moved so late in the year, I will just tarp the cylinders and crankshaft and wait until spring to start work on erecting the building. But by summer the structure should be pretty well completed.   After the structure is completed we will install a seperate set of columns and runways for a 5 ton overhead crane.  The crane itself has been acquired and still needs to be moved from Akron, lengthened by ten feet and completely overhauled.