[AT] Stationary Engineer

[Mark Johnson]

Metal fatigue was not well understood prior to the 20th century. A good 
many boiler explosions happened because the stay bolts in the boiler 
were repeatedly stressed (something made worse by the often spotty 
quality of pressure gauges) and finally gave way.

The early Mississippi  and Ohio River steamboats often exploded just as 
they were putting on full power to "move out smartly" from the docks.

Does anyone else remember that Henry Ford's first automobile company was 
Cadillac?

Mark J

Columbia MO

On 1/25/2020 9:23 AM, James Peck wrote:
> This old article on boiler explosions seems to not call them out as traction engines. Maybe the term was not being used yet.
>
> https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/steam-boilers-are-exploding-everywhere/
>
> According to the old tractor publications, Henry Ford tended a stationary steam engine used in threshing when a teenager. Many US states and authorities having jurisdiction license people who operate boilers as Stationary Engineers.  You can move a stationary engine of the wheeled type used in threshing with horses or a tractor.
>
> Henry Ford worked at Detroit Edison, moving into more of a steam powered generator technical/supervisory role, and that could be how he got the Engineer designation. Interesting to see that at DTE he was on call and could spend a lot of his other time on auto development.
>
> https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/henry-ford-leaves-edison-to-start-automobile-company
>
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