28 HP Abell!

[Rick M.]

Greetings,
This is my very first post here - just joined yesterday. I have been to Rollag a number of times over the years and always considered your show to be the best, simply an amazing place! Sadly, I am over 1000 miles away or I'd be there every year!
I am in Ontario, Canada. We are rebuilding a 28 Abell traction engine like the one kept at Rollag. We are looking for pictures or drawings of how the rear platform and hitch are built and attached to the engine castings. We would like to have this one the same as the Rollag Abell.
Along with the Abell, we are also rebuilding a 25 hp Macdonald engine made in Stratford, Ontario. This is another heavy rear mount engine. Also working on a 25 Gaar Scott, single cylinder, rear mount. This one came out of Saskatchewan, up above Prince Albert. Another nice Prairie ploughing engine with 10 inch extensions.
Thanks for any help.
All the best,
Rick.

[cjmlarson]

Welcome to the forum! Take the holidays and spend some time looking at the forum and possibly posting some pictures that you have. Happy holidays:Welcome:. Some one on the forum should be able to help you, just not me.

[M Kerkvliet]

Greetings,
This is my very first post here - just joined yesterday.
:Welcome: Rick! Glad to have you here! Thanks for the kind words about our show!


We are looking for pictures or drawings of how the rear platform and hitch are built and attached to the engine castings.

I would be happy to take any pictures you want of the back end of the Abell, but the show grounds are pretty much closed up for the winter. If for some reason I get over that way before the snow gets too deep on the show grounds to get to the engine, I will bring the camera... otherwise you'll have to wait for spring.

[Rick M.]

Clayton and Mark,
Thanks for the greetings!
And Mark, pictures would be appreciated. What's this talk about snow?:imnotlistening:
Take care,
Rick.

[cjmlarson]

Jane and I took some relatives out to see the show grounds on Saturday late afternoon. So I took the camera along to take some pictures of the Abell. But it gets dark so early that by the time I got over to where it is parked, it was too dark to get any snapshots of it.

[Rick M.]

A belated Happy New Year to everyone!:dancingparty:
We continue to work away at the 28 Abell. We are making new tenders for it and they are going to be nice - used catalogue pictures and pictures of the one at Rollag as a guide to making the tanks. We just got steel for the rear deck and hitch. Just picked up a nice, new 2 1/2 inch main steam valve for it and we can fit out the steam line.
The 25 Macdonald is also in the works and we want to have it finished by spring. We are building a new deck on it as well. Tanks are already made - they are mounted on the sides. We got a new 2 1/2 inch valve for it as well from the same place. These were old stock they must have ordered in and had on the shelf for a long time, Crane 200 psi steam rated globe valves. We got the last 2 at the extraordinary high cost of $30 each!:D By weight, they are worth more than that for scrap!
At any rate, there is always lots of work to do on this old iron. Luckily, it has been a fairly calm winter here so far - a few very cold days but very little snow. That makes for easy getting around.
I'll try to get some pictures of these projects - here's a couple of the 25 Gaar Scott. would still like some ideas on mounting the hitch on the big Abell though!:thumb:
All the best,
Rick.

[M Kerkvliet]

Happy New Year back at ya Rick!

It has been cold here too, but we have a LOT of snow on the ground so getting around is not so easy!

I will be happy to get you a lot of pictures of the back end of John's American Abel just as soon as I can get to it on the show grounds. It is stored a long way in off the highway, and I am sure there are a lot of 5' snow drifts to cross to get to in now!

Stay warm!

[Rick M.]

Greetings,
Here are some pictures of the 28 Abell we are working on. A look at the front end where most all of the steering apparatus was missing and we had to build from scratch. The rear end where every bearing had to be re-poured and new bull pinions made. The other shot has a peek at the 25 Macdonald also under construction! Not a very big shop so it is full with these two big rear mounts!
All the best,
Rick.

[Rick M.]

A couple of pictures of the Macdonald. We are just fitting out the frame for the rear deck, hitch and saddle tanks. And another side view of the Abell. Not enough room in the shop to get wide scope on the pictures!:hide:
Rick.

[oldsmokey]

Is this Abel comming to rollag ?

[Rick M.]

No, this Abell will not likely see Rollag. We are about 1000 miles east. I just thought some would like to see that another one will be running some day soon.
RM

[40avery]

It is really looking good Rick! The efforts will be well worth it when the steam cylinder oil is crackling with the condensate and you can pull the throttle and GO!

Rick

[oldsmokey]

It looks like it is turning out great.

[Rick M.]

Thanks guys!
The poor old Abell has been a while in the works. A lot of things have happened including the illness and then the death of the owner nearly a year ago. But there always seems to be another project that takes priority and the 28 gets neglected - but we are always getting a little closer!
As it happened, the chap who owns the Abell that is kept at your show grounds was a great help towards us getting this one down here. We got it from the Calgary area. By my count, it is one of four 28 Abells exisiting, including 2 in the Western Development Museum collection. There is part of a 5th at Wetaskiwin but it is missing wheels and gears I think. There is another parts pile in Saskatchewan that may have the making of one. There are 3 of the 32 hp cross-compounds though 2 of those are incomplete. There are parts of another around. Good to know that a few survived.
All the best,
RM.