Title
Weekly News June 11, 2018Description
Funny Old Cars and Parades: When I was first exposed to antique cars immediately after World War II, most observers considered them things of high mirth, along with their occupants, worthy of a good laugh. The early collectors did their best to oblige the public. My father and I had some ridiculous costumes and wore them at many parades, especially at Halloween. He had a full Indian Chief’s costume, complete with feathers down the back, which he wore in the V-J Day parade in West Chester in early September 1945 driving his 1913 Stanley Model 76. Norris Woodward of Mendenhall was his passenger, also attired in one of his outlandish outfits.
It seemed like every small town in southern Chester County had an annual Halloween parade; I remember well attending several years in Kennett Square, Avondale, and Oxford. Using the gas lights on the early Stanleys, it was a chilly 40-mile round-trip in the dark to Oxford, in addition to the parade itself. I’ve been cold ever since, but we really enjoyed it or we wouldn’t have participated. In 1947, right after the Mountain Wagon had been painted (for the first time under our ownership), we went in the Halloween parade in Kennett Square, with my father at the wheel. Starting with a manageable passenger list of about 12, including three Greggs from Yorklyn and Jake Noznesky from Kennett, we picked up passengers as we went along and ended up with 19 on the “Wagon” including those on the running boards. My father guided his treasure skillfully up the South Union Street hill at parade speed. Most of our passengers were attired in Halloween costumes. Even my mother was aboard (she seldom went on “steamer” trips). For my Christmas card in 1947, I reproduced a photo of myself standing alongside my Model 607, attired in a cowboy outfit with pasted-on handlebar moustache. Steam was coming out all over the place: from a blow-off, through the drip valve, etc. This was supposed to be funny, but it seems most inappropriate for a Christmas card.
Some larger places would pay the owners to bring their cars to a parade. Once my dad and I, accompanied by Norris Woodward, went to a July 4 parade on North Broad Street in Philadelphia (it was actually held on July 5, as the Fourth must have been on Sunday that year). I drove my father’s 1917 Packard Twin Six Clover Leaf Roadster, a fine car for that period, and even though it was a hot day, we had no trouble with overheating. Owned earlier by Sam Baily and George Gerenbeck, my father later traded it to James Melton for the Cagney locomotive in the collection, a 9-inch-gauge train, and a miniature carousel.
A summer evening parade in Media offered to pay $15 per car, and my dad and I took two Stanleys. Roy Benge may have gone also in his ’15 Stanley. George Hughes Sr. took six cars to Media, all on their own power but with no licenses. Mr. Hughes, one of the pioneers in AACA and president twice in the early years, was known to hold his cars together with bailing wire, but they got him there and back. He would put “any old” license tag on a car he wanted to take on the road, and he always got away with it. Despite these questionable practices, George Sr. was a fine man and died much too young in 1953 at the age of 42.
Work Report: On Tuesday, June 5, the Evening at the Museum program was held, with many attending to hear about the new bridges going in at the preserve. Afterward, a small amount of work was done by the following 8 volunteers: John Schubel, Jay Williams, Stan Lakey, Larry Tennity, Dennis Dragon, Jerry Novak, Steve Bryce and Ted Kamen (in charge).
• Work continued on the electric trains.T
• The location of the take-off for the generator on the 740 was shown to several people and possible solutions were discussed for coupling the generator to the take-off. It was suggested seeing if the 725, 735 and 740 could all use the same couplings.
• Jerry was asked to move the 37 Packard to the Carriage House so it can be lubricated.
On Wednesday, June 6, nine volunteers attended: Stan Lakey, Dave Leon, John Schubel, Bill Schwoebel, Neal Sobocinski, Kelly Williams, Cooper Pampuch, John Snyder, Larry Tennity (Supervising). The following work was accomplished:
• The 402 steam locomotive was cleaned.
• The horn was installed and the wiring for the horn was partially completed on the Model 740. The shrinkwrap that John Schubel had was too big for the wires. Smaller shrink wrap will need to be installed. Also, the new wires are spliced to the old wires on the boiler side of the firewall. The splices can easily be made on the passenger side of the firewall if this is preferred.
• The Mountain Wagon and the Rauch & Lang were vacuumed and the running boards and carpet in the driver’s compartment of the Wagon were cleaned. The floor mat on the R&L was also cleaned.
• The model 87 was cleaned, and the water tank and boiler were filled.
• Additional work was done on the engine model in the museum to add a super heater and feed water piping.
• The 725 was pushed from the museum and fired up for a beginner driving lesson. A problem arose while building steam when the boiler check valve failed to function properly. Repair of the boiler check valve needs to be added to the repair list for this car. The burner and pilot were shut off, and the car was returned to the museum.
On Thursday, June 7, nine volunteers attended: Steve Bryce, Bob Jordan, Ted Kamen, Stan Lakey, Mark Russell, Jared Schoenly, Larry Tennity, Kelly Williams, and Mark Bodenstab (supervisor), with the following work performed:
• The Cretors was cleaned following Sunday’s Steamin’ Day.
• The brass on the Model T was polished.
• On the 725, the boiler check valve was replaced.
• On the 607, the vaporizer cable was cleaned. NOTE: found that the fuel jets were missing.
• On the Rausch & Lang, work commenced on installing a horn (in addition to the bell).
• On the 1932 Packard, hub caps were removed to grease the axles.
