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Weekly News January 9, 2006Description
To me, it seems difficult to make the subject "Semi-technical stuff" interesting. This week I'll mention the original type vaporizing Stanley burners. When I mention all the parts required, one might ask "why didn't they simply use an oil burner like we use in our homes?" We could go on to ask "why didn't they put a gasoline engine in the car, rather than fool with steam?". To answer the first question the first practical atomizing burner was supposedly invented by Abner Doble about 1912, who sold his patents to the "No-Coal" people for manufacture of home-heating burners. Doble later did use atomizing burners in the 40 or so Doble steam cars produced in the 1920's. In answer to the second, obviously some people thought steam was better: a well-known type of power at the turn of the 20th century, quiet, simple, smooth, and powerful.
When describing a Stanley, we often say "and the burner bolts to the bottom of the boiler" and let it go at that. A few ask whether Stanleys burn wood or coal. To explain a Stanley burner further, it IS VAPORIZING, which means we burn no liquid fuel, but must vaporize it first. Originally the fuel was gasoline (less refined than today with no additives), and after 1913 Stanleys came equipped with kerosene burners. The burners were essentially the same with the exception of the vaporizer and pilot systems.
Here are the parts needed for a Stanley fuel system, and I'll spare you details and possibly defer them to a more techical article in our new AUBURN HEIGHTS HERALD, which can be illustrated:
Burner Grate Casting, Under-grate baffles, Inside burner pan, Mixing tubes, Exterior burner pan, Firebox liner with insulation, Vaporizer Coil, Vaporizer cable, Burner fork, Nozzles and Clean-out plugs, Pilot Casting with mixing tube, Pilot vaporizer, Pilot nozzle casting, Pilot nozzle and clean-out screws, Support framework from boiler, Main Fire Valve, Firing-Up Valve, Pilot Valve, Air replacement Valve (main), Air replacement Valve (pilot), Automatic fuel by-pass valve, Steam pressure fuel shut-off, Main fuel shut-off Valve, and Fuel pressure retaining Valve.
Rob Robison is in the final stages of the first issue of the AUBURN HEIGHTS HERALD, hopefully to be published quarterly. It should be off the press some time during the week beginning January 16. It has been a lot of work on Rob's part (and probably Chevonne's as well) and contains articles by Mike May, Bill Schwoebel, Bob Reilly, and Rob himself, with lots of illustrations. I can't wait!
One of our new members, Walter O'Rourke, would like to be with us and take part in the Ormond Beach centennial celebration, and I found out today that it's still possible to make meal reservations during the 5-day period January 24-28. Can any of the rest of you join us? As most of you know, Bill Rule, Bill Schwoebel, Butch Cannard, Ruth and I expect to be taking our Models K and 71, and Bob Wilhelm and Joe McAleese expect to be there with Bob's beautiful "new" 735. We are planning to leave on Sunday, January 22. Most should be home around January 31, with Ruth and I following by February 5 or earlier. The Model K will remain in Florida until after the Amelia Island Concours d' Elegance in mid-March.
We have been asked by our Board member Mike Jones to take the '32 Packard for display in the Philadelphia Auto Show, February 3-11 at the Convention Center. Already Jerry Novak and Emil have volunteered to take it and be at the show part of the time to talk about the car and the Friends of Auburn Heights Preserve. On a sadder note, Mike Jones has told us he must resign from our Board, mostly because of the pressure of his AACA responsibilities, which are many and very heavy ones. Mike's advice and counsel were much appreciated in our initial year, and we will miss him.
Tomorrow night, Jerry Novak has called a meeting of the Nominating Committee to be held here in the house at 7:30. The following Tuesday, January 17, Anne Cleary will again host (or hostess) the Events Committee at her home, 825 Benge Road, just around the corner. On Thursday, January 19, the first meeting of our Executive Committee will be held here in the house at Auburn Heights at 7:30 P.M. Officers of the Board and Committee chairpeople are asked to attend if possible. A number of details prior to our Annual Meeting (February 16) and our Board meeting on February 23 will be discussed.
Herb Kephart has fabricated a new #316 stainless vaporizer for the Model K, and it should be installed before tomorrow night. The adjustment of gears in the rear of the 71 are now to our liking- Butch and Bill S. were here last Saturday- and it can be sealed up and the engine case put back on. Jim Personti has some O-ring material we need for the oil seal. Brian Crozier and I put the wheels on our 735 temporarily, it was towed to the upper shop, and Jerry Lucas dropped the burner and has the boiler about ready to be lifted out. Richard and Rose Ann cleaned holes in the burner. We don't think there is much wrong with the boiler, but we want to cover it with non-asbestos insulation, and clean up under the hood while the boiler is out. The burner, too, looked very good. Steve Jensen and Anne Cleary put the cylinder piping back together on Locomotive 402, and this engine can be tested for leaks some day (the boiler safety valves are still away for hoped-for repair). Emil is making a preliminary study of how we might use one end of the second floor of the museum as a display or meeting area. The Maute boys tell me they are ready for more pictures to be catalogued in our library, so I will try to oblige soon. Butch has the new membership cards finished, and Rose Ann will start sending them out after a reminder letter to existing members. Our Annual Appeal, while not yet making its $50,000 goal, stands only $2,700 short at this writing. I'm still confident we can go "over the top". 53 individuals have contributed, including 36 members.
Finally, Bob Reilly expects to arrive in Yorklyn about February 8 to take up his new duties as Executive Director, which many of us are looking forward to with great anticipation. WELCOME, ROBERT! Tom
