THE SKINNER ENGINE
Past, Present and Future
January/February 1984
Carl M. Lathrop
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Le Grand Skinner with his first Steam Engine in 1868
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108 Garfield Avenue Madison, New Jersey 07940
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Long time regular readers of this magazine will recall the
July/August, 1978 article, There Is Coal In Our Future. This
pointed out the comforting fact that we have more coal than the
Arabs have oil. Later, in the Nov/Dec, 1981 issue, there was the
story of The Steam Engine Still Lives On. In the meantime there
have been some developments that, although started even earlier,
are coming to light now that suggest that coal burning steam
engines are looking to a brighter future.
In July, 1983, the Quincy Shipbuilding Division of General
Dynamics delivered to New England Electric System the SS ENERGY
INDEPENDENCE. This is the first coal burning steamship to have been
built since 1929. She is now at sea hauling coal between Hampton
Roads and two Massachusetts ports. In August, 1983, the Maritime
Commission released a report on the favorable economics of coal
burning ships. The report intimates that others are following the
route of the ENERGY INDEPENDENCE. In fact, overseas, there are six
ships now under construction that will be coal fired. But, more
important to the familiar steam engine is the outlook for steam
powered Western Rivers towboats powered with one or more
reciprocating steam engines. Since the Skinner Engine Company is
the only major builder of steam engines today, that puts them in
the forefront of this activity. Therefore, it might be interesting
to have a brief look at their history.
Le Grand Skinner founded the Skinner Engine Company in 1868. The
original manufacturing plant was in Herkimer, New York. Here he
built his first line of steam engines. These were mounted atop the
associated steam boiler in a manner familiar to those interested in
portable engines and traction engines. By 1873 the plant had grown
in size and was then moved to its present home city of Erie,
Pennsylvania. By 1900, additional space was required at which time
the present facility of nine separate buildings was constructed.
Actually, with business expanding into other lines, this facility
is too small and plans were underway to again expand.
'Grandfather' Le Grand Skinner continued as active head
of the company until his death in 1922. Whereupon, Allen Skinner,
his son, took over the management.
Marketing of the engines took on a different flavor with the
advent of Allen Skinner to the command position. He tended to be
more of the marketer than the engineer that typified his father.
The product line was of such quality and superior economic
advantage over the then competition that his sales approach was to
offer to sell a potential customer his engine requirement for $1
plus all of the savings accruing to the installation of a Skinner
engine. It sold engines and made money.
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