[SEL] I've Returned! And With Even Larger Engines This Time.

[Rick Rowlands]

Hello from a long lost friend.  Thirteen years ago several members of the Stationary Engine List spent a winter in Youngstown helping me dismantle a 260 ton stationary steam engine, and thanks to their efforts we now have a museum facility in Youngstown that contains one of the largest extant stationary steam engines in the world. 

But what brings me back to the list is another project that the Tod Engine Foundation has become involved with, and that is the preservation of a group of internal combustion engines that make the Tod Engine look small.  This is the Bethlehem Steel blowing engine house in Bethlehem, PA.

Inside this building are twelve gas blowing engines.  Eight are tandem double acting engines, while the last four are truly gigantic twin tandem double acting engines with 28' flywheels.  These engines weigh probably close to 1000 tons each and were rated at 5,000 hp.  If you have seen the 600 HP Snow engines at Rollag or Coolspring then you know what these look like, but just imagine something several times larger and then multiply that by a dozen. 

The building has been set aside for preservation, and the Tod Engine Foundation has stepped in to provide assistance in stabilizing the engines and eventually returning one to operation.  We held a work session a couple of weeks ago and plan another one for April 19 and 20.  Our immediate goal is to improve the appearance of the engines, clean up the building and secure it as best we can. 

If you would like to come out and lend a hand I'll post more info. about that later.  In the meantime here are a few pictures of the engines on our website.

http://www.bethengines.org

Its good to be back on the SEL. :-)

Rick Rowlands
Tod Engine Foundation
"Preserving Youngstown's Steel Industry Heritage"
2261 Hubbard Road
Youngstown, OH 44505
330-272-4089
www.todengine.org
http://todengine.blogspot.com/