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Weekly News August 17, 2015Description
What We Do to Keep Running (Part One of Two): I have touched on problems with Stanley cars on long trips and how we dealt with them. The “News” of May 22, 2006, told of my trip to Woodstock, Vermont, and back in a newly restored 1912 Model 88 Mountain Wagon. Therefore, some of this is repetitious.
During World War II, my father was looking for a Mountain Wagon to add to his growing collection of Stanley cars. Lindley Bothwell of Canoga Park, California, one of the founders of the Horseless Carriage Club of America, had one. I wrote to him from the western Pacific to see if he might sell it to my father. He answered, saying it was not for sale but that if I could stop to see him on my way home from the Pacific, he would welcome a visit. That visit never worked out, and in 1946 my dad was successful in buying our present 1915 Mountain Wagon from George Monreau, grandfather of Brent Campbell. About 1958, he bought a second ’15 Mountain Wagon (with the standard four seats instead of five) from James Melton. We had forgotten about the Bothwell “Wagon” in California.
In the early 1960s, a call came from an old Stanley friend in Indiana, Stanley Allred, who said he had a 1912 Mountain Wagon in his shop in rough condition and that its owner, a Mr. Herbst from Texas, did not want to spend what it would take to fix it up, so it was for sale. Sight unseen, my father bought it, and Allred delivered it to Yorklyn on his truck. What a sad “piece of junk” it was! The top was in shreds, the seats were damaged, the hood and fenders were beyond repair, and the wheels and rims were questionable. The engine was in the car, but the boiler and burner were junk. This was Lindley Bothwell’s former Mountain Wagon. My father did not show his disappointment, and rough as it was, he was determined to restore it to running condition. The 1915 James Melton “Wagon” (a very nice one) was sold to Robert Chambers of Pittsburgh, along with a Doble coupe.
About 1965, my father got serious about restoring his 1912 Model 88 Mountain Wagon. A new hood and fenders were made, and a new boiler and burner were installed. He had a couple of extra Mountain Wagon seats that were substituted for the bad ones. He did a limited amount of engine work, but the engine was in reasonably good condition. Good 37 x 5 wheels and tires were installed. The original leather in the seats was deemed “good enough.” Arrangements were made with Chuck Walls to make a new top, and painting would come after that. My father became ill before the car was fired up, and although he lived for 20 months, he never got back to his shop. In cold weather, I drove the car to Walls’s shop about eight miles away, and he made the new top. After my dad’s death, I drove it to Jack Wren’s shop in West Grove, and he painted it green with red wheels and undercarriage. Originally this model carried only 25 gallons of water and 14 gallons of fuel in its tanks, both under the front seat. To increase range, I had water tanks made to fit under seats three and four (and tied them together) and used both the front-seat tanks for fuel. I had a satisfactory restoration for 1970, and the car ran well, although a lot of wear was evident in vital moving parts.
Tom Ackerman (1940-2010) agreed to accompany me on a trip to Woodstock, Vermont, and return in June 1970 to take part in one of the Veteran Motor Car Club’s “Brass and Gas” tours at Laurance Rockefeller’s new Woodstock Inn (the room rate was $22 double). We used the “new” Mountain Wagon and got there and back on our own steam but had many unplanned experiences along the way, all having to do with the engine (to be continued).
Work Report: On Tuesday, August 11, seven volunteers attended the work session, plus those who were at the Events Committee meeting. Jerry Lucas was in charge with Tom Marshall, Mark Russell, Dennis Dragon, Brent McDougall, Jay Williams and Ted Kamen involved in some of the projects.
The Stick-Seat Runabout had been fired up and was returned to its place in the museum’s reception room, with the intention to run the car at the Volunteer Picnic on Sunday, 8/16. The rail-construction bench and the track wheelbarrow were relocated to the back building. The rail lengths for future track sections were moved to the pipe rack in the basement of the shop.
Ted Kamen made some new locking pins for the Cretors popcorn wagon project. The plexi-glass panels for this popper were cleaned. The Model 735 was prepped for the trip to Kinzers on Friday, 8/14. Further improvements were made to the Lionel standard-gauge layout. Re-assembly of the Model H-5 engine was begun with the installation of the first eccentric strap and its bearing. The screws holding these bearing halves together did not fit properly.
On Thursday, August 13, attendance was only nine volunteers, as the Quarterly Board Meeting was going on simultaneously in the museum. In charge was Dave Leon with Ted Kamen, Mark Bodenstab, Anne Cleary, Jim Personti, Geoff Fallows, Paul Kratunis, Mark Russell, and Bob Stransky assisting.
Jim and Geoff made progress with the H-5 engine, tapping the holes and running dies on the screws that clamp the eccentric bearings. Except for possible shimming, these straps are in place and finished. Several worked on cleaning up the stuff piled behind the back building, including old rail and ties, pipe and sundry trash items. The rail was sorted from the rest for further sorting into scrap and usable lengths. The ties, never to be used again, fill two or three wheelbarrows. (The rail was sorted further on Friday, and that to be saved is now stored on end inside the back building next to our tire rack.)
Work continued on the popcorn machine. Cement was mixed and poured in pots that are used to hold the car signs at our Invitational event on August 30.
Two Stanleys and five volunteers, plus three friends, had a very satisfactory trip to the Threshermen’s Reunion at Kinzers on Friday. Kelly Williams, Jared Schoenly, and two friends took the Model 71, and Dave Leon, Mark and Lynette Russell, and Jerry Novak piloted the Model 740, which was substituted for the 735 at the last minute. In firing up the latter, a leak was detected in the steam pipe from the throttle to the superheater, so the 740 was pressed into service and did itself proud.
On Saturday, August 15, Tom and Dan Citron took the Model 87 to the Summerfest celebration at the Wilmington & Western Railroad. Dan had planned to take the Model EX as well, but a choked vaporizer prevailed, and the car stayed at Auburn Heights. The use of the Stick-Seat Runabout at Sunday’s volunteer picnic was also aborted when it was not possible to build fuel pressure. Bill Rule and Tom had the problem solved by the end of the day, but the picnickers had departed by that time. Otherwise the picnic was a great success, with Rose Ann Hoover outdoing herself not only with the sumptuous menu but with the games and prizes that followed. About 40 volunteers and their families enjoyed a beautiful day on the front lawn and front porch of Auburn Heights.
REMEMBER THE LAST ICE CREAM RUN OF THE SUMMER is on Thursday, August 20, at 6 P.M. sharp. Please let Tom or the office know by Tuesday, August 18, if you can participate. We need to know who wants to take a car or have a driving lesson and how many other FAHP members would like to ride along. Unfortunately those under 16 are not eligible because of seat belt laws. There will be room for all (over 16) if you let us know. We take a 10-mile route to Woodside Farm Creamery and come home the direct way, which is 4½ miles. Darkness comes early!
