http://yesteryearfarmshow.org/index.html html://www.thefencepost.com/agliving/1687257-111/farm-yesteryear-antique-august Boulder County Antique Farm Show where a steam tractor runs a big old seperator with a beltdrive this tractor is an Avery steam traction engine was built in 1907. It is a 22 horsepower, 2 cylinder undermounted engine. It is owned by descendants of Jerome DeBacker. This engine was used around Mead, Co. until 1915 when it was purchased by Jerome DeBacker for use in threshing and plowing in the Boulder area. It was in considerable disrepair when purchased. Jerome completed many mechanical repairs before putting the engine in service. He also added some touches of his own including a Union Pacific bell and several whistles. After repairs, it was used for threshing with an Avery 36 x 60 in. "Yellow Fellow" wooden separator around the East Boulder area until being retired around 1945. It was also used for plowing in the Bennett, Co. area, pulling a 12 bottom 14 inch plow. Jerome always regretted the fact that the plow was cut up for scrap during the war. We still have the separator. It was last used on the Stuart Anderson farm in 1976 to thresh wheat. During its time the Avery also ran a sawmill, pulled a scarifier for state road work, and provided steam for a chemical company near Valmont Butte. In 1955 a group of steam enthusiasts in the Boulder- Denver area convinced Jerome to bring the engine out of retirement. It was cleaned up and minor repairs were made to get the engine operational. The boiler was retubed in 1957. In 1959 the lugs were removed from drive wheels and it was driven into Boulder for the Colorado Centennial Pow Wow & Rodeo parade. It left the farm at 7 am, was driven into Boulder via Valmont Rd. and arrived just in time for the parade start. At the end of the parade we just kept on going, headed for home, and arrived home at 7 pm for a 12 hour round trip. Jerome's health was failing at this time, but he was able to ride the engine in the parade. Jerome died in 1962, leaving the engine to his sons and grandsons. It has been a family project with several system overhauls including replumbing and repainting in the original style with the filigree work in 1989. After this overhaul, the family took the engine to the Boulder County Fair for the Yesteryear Show. The engine has been to the fair every year excepting 1996 when it was undergoing repair work. During the winter of 1997 and 1998 the dry pipe was replaced and a major clean up was done using a CO2 blast to take all the parts to bare metal. The crankshaft bearing was repoured and a general overhaul of mechanical parts was completed. This was all topped off with a complete new paint job with the filigree and insignia work verified by the remains found in stripping the engine. This was a major project with family members of all ages participating and with help from friends dedicated to steam preservation. We are now into the fourth generation of family learning the operation and repair of steam traction engines. http://www.cottonwoodfarms.com/steamengines/1907avery.php
Comments
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My sears lawn tractor is rated at 24 hp! Must be dog horsepower. I really don't believe it would run a threshing machine!
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i cant help but notice the john deere D in the backround
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Floyd is the man!
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needs a blower or a turbo Lol
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Oh wow...new area of Steam that I never knew existed! This is friggin cool!
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Also because of the weight of a long belt, it keeps tension between the 2 pulleys.
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@AbuAvital True, but the flywheel and dynamo on a showman's engine are fastened to the same base ( the boiler) so can be aligned accurately and not move out of line. I used to run barn machinery on short belts, sometimes 1 came off but only if it was overloaded. The saw bench on a belt at the back of the tractor was a different matter, kept having to stop and knock it back into line. Big machinery on soft ground walks all over the place. Hope this is of interest
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@AbuAvital One reason: the pulleys have to be lined up otherwise the belt will come off. This is easier with a long belt, but that's taking it a bit far!
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@AbuAvital I was told by my grand father that it has to do with the transfer of the power and to keep the power a constant. (not sure if that helps)
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In my younger days I would often see the thresher, abandoned, in the corner of a paddock or farm, along with other heavy farm implements, and wondered what they were used? What powered them? Thank you. Steam power, and modern technology could achieve incredible efficiency. Love your video. Make a commercial version.
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Wow, I dont understand why the pitcocks are being left open. They are only to drain the cylinder of any condensed water during the start up of the engine. It just wastes steam leaving them open like that.
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looks more like a road train
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That steam tractor looks like a train.
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Glad You Liked it, it is quite an impressive sight, regular poetry in motion when all of it is going right & Keep It Steamed UP !
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Thankyou ever so much for the video show , It did bring back memories when as a kid when I help out the neighbor farm, they ran the thrasher with a John Deere- A and used a Belgiam work horse named Pet, ah she was a good horse, to pack down the straw in the barn. Dang it I'm sittin in tears of happieness, thankyou so much. And the machinery is beautiful.
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awsome video skip
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The best way to preserve a machine is to use it for it's intended purpose, great to see this one so well preserved.