My 1/4 scale Case 65 steamer Project

This engine was on my "want list" for many years.
It is a 1/4 scale version of a Case 65. The engine
was built by a fellow in Rivers Meet, Michigan and
was placed on ebay for sale after his death. This is
is an example of something you would want to take
great care in buying without first seeing. Quality of
machining by people differ quite a bit. The wife of
the builder had a neighbor place it on auction. They
did not receive any bids, so I called and told them I
might be interested after viewing it. I drove all night
on a Labor Day weekend to see it. Upon arrival, I
found the lady had fallen and was in the hospital.
Her nephew had met me at the house to see it.
It showed lots of wear and tear from being shown at
at local engine festivals. That is a good sign, as a
poorly running engine just looks good and that's
about it. So, I decided to buy it as it was cheaper
than ones I had looked at over the years. Here is
a picture after I spent one Winter refurbishing and
painting it. The castings for the engine are from
a well known dealer called Tom Terning. The builder
did take a few liberties from the plans, but all made
what I think is a better running engine. I have shown
and run it at several festivals.
I did build a trailer to ride behind the small Case,
but I wanted it to do something else for the shows.
So I bought plans from the "Baler Man" and spent
another Winter building this 1/3 scale baler. Here
it is before getting it all dirty. This is a hand tie
baler meaning as the bales come through and are
separated by blocks (leaning against wheel) one has
to poke wire or twine through grooves in the blocks
to tie the bales. This was the way it was done in the
old days before automatic tie machines were built.
This is my first test run with the baler powered by
an electric motor. It is a messy job, but it worked
flawlessly. You can see a block in the holder ready
for the next bale. The blocks are fed automatically
into the baler when you lift a lever on the side of the
holder.
Here we are at the Burlington, Indiana festival
baling straw. The fellow tending my engine is Norm
Baskin who also built a baler. Another friend,
Darrell Motte, is oiling my engine while I do some
pictures. You can see a bag of charcoal in the
foreground. I burn a combination of wood and
charcoal. You have to have a little smoke to look
right and that takes some wood. I carry a maximum
pressure of 90 psi and that seems to do all that I
want it to do.
Here is Norm's son, Tom, operating my baler.
Since he runs his dad's baler, he is very good at
it. At the shows, everyone pitches in and helps
each other out. It is a lot of fun.

 


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