Are There Any Frick 8x10 Double Cylinder Steam Engines Still in Existence?
July/August 2000
William Michael Rohrer
12025 Steven Avenue, Smithsburg, Maryland 21783
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My friends and I have talked over the years about the big Frick
8 x 10 double cylinder steam engine. We have heard stories about
the engines, but have never been able to find if any are still
around. Here is some of what was said:
These letters come from the Frick Engine Club
Bulletins
What is the truth about the Frick 8 x 10 D. C. T.?
In order to compete with the big engines in the West, Frick came
out with an 8 x 10 double cylinder traction engine in 1911. This
engine had 24' drive wheels and 12' front wheels. Some
people close to the factory I have talked with claim there were six
of these engines made, and all shipped to the same place in the
Midwest. Searchers of the Frick records up to 1916 do not confirm
these claims. I have only found the record of two engines. These
two 8 x 10 DCT engines were built in 1909. Engine #13797 was
shipped November 22, 1911, to Cooper Machinery Company in St.
Louis, Missouri. The second engine #14009 was shipped November 19,
1913, to Dukehart Machinery, Smyrna, Nebraska, and some two years
after it was built. Frick listed the 8x10 UCT in their 1911, 1912
and 1913 price lists, but did not list it in their 1914 price list.
This would seem to indicate that the 8 x 10 DCT wasn't a
howling success and was dropped after these two engines were made
and shipped.
From a different bulletin
Bill Strayer goes on to say that in the early fifties he met a
Mr. J. D. Roberts, of McLean, Illinois, at an engine show in
northwestern Ohio. During their conversation, he learned that
Roberts had worked at the Frick branch in Illinois, so he asked him
about the big engines. Mr. Roberts was surprised that Bill knew
anything about these big engines and went on to say that he had
personally unloaded four of these big engines from rail cars at the
Illinois branch. Mr. Roberts further said that the freight cost
from Pennsylvania to the west kept Frick from being competitive
with the western made engines.
Mr. W. J. Eshleman of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, writes that he
spoke with Mr. F. O. Rebok of Waynesboro, Pennsylvania, on the
morning of March 24, 1982, about these big engines. Mr. Rebok
remembers these two 8 x 10 DCT being built and shipped essentially
as stated in the March issue of the Bulletin Board. Mr.
Rebok said that he had heard the rumors of the six engines many
times, but that it was false and that only two 8x10 DCT engines
were built and shipped.
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