My Very Own Engine
(Page 2 of 5)
September/October 1996
Rory Esch
20 HP Advance #14577 previously owned by Rory and Marcia Esch,
now owned by Fred and Paul Reckel berg and Larry Hamm.
RELATED CONTENT
We spent the next several months restoring the engine. During
the restoration, I became more familiar with the operation and care
of a steam engine. We finished the restoration just in time for our
local show in June of 1993. Over the next two years, we took the
engine to several shows throughout southeastern Wisconsin. It
seemed like every time we fired it, I would learn a little bit
more. I guess it's true what they say, 'You never stop
learning.' Owning a steam engine gave me a chance to meet
several people involved with the steam engine end of the hobby,
that I would not have had the opportunity to meet previously.
After almost two years of owning a steam engine in a
partnership, I felt I was ready to have my very own engine. In the
fall of 1994, I approached Dean about the possibility of buying out
his half of the 50. He thought about my offer for a couple of weeks
and decided that he wasn't interested in selling his half. With
that in mind, I made the decision to sell him my half of the engine
and began the search for my very own engine.
During these last two years, I had the opportunity to run a few
different engines. I ran engines with names like Nichols &
Shepard, Advance Rumely, and of course, many different Case
engines. It seemed that I couldn't go to a steam show without
having a chance to run someone's engine. I was like a kid in a
candy shop when someone would ask me to run his engine for him. I
can remember at one show I was running Jim Tesch's 25-85
Nichols & Shepard and Jim Johnson from Dane, Wisconsin, came up
behind the engine and said to me, 'You must be a pretty good
engineer if Jim Tesch trusts you running his engine.' I looked
over at Jim Tesch, who at the time was standing next to Jim
Johnson, and he just winked at me and smiled. That will be a day I
will remember for a long time.
During the winter of 1994-95, I began my quest for my own
engine. I had my mind made up that I wanted a 65 Case. I began to
track down every lead given to me. I would get a call almost once a
week from my very good friend Chuck Sindelar. Chuck keeps in touch
with steam people all over the country, and he knew of a few 65s
around for sale. I think Chuck wanted me to have an engine almost
as bad as I did. It seemed like I spent most of my free time on the
phone tracking down these leads that Chuck would give me.
The engine lineup at Fred Reckel berg's place in Luxemberg,
Wisconsin. Left to right, 20 HP Advance #14577 now owned by the
Reckelbergs and Larry Hamm; Fred's 1898 13 HP Reeves, and my 80
HP Case and Fred's 65 Case #35645.
My first taste of owning and restoring a steam engine was this
50 Case #30116 now owned by Dean Meissner.
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