It is my understanding a lot of the assembly will be completed in the next few days. Bill Rudecill is going to be here on thursday with a small crew and is staying until next wednesday.I also took some vacation time to help with this
Thank you Bill, Harvey, and crew. We are so fortunate that you choose to display the fantastic construction equipment in steamer hills construction area.
There was quite a bit work done to the Osgood steam shovel the friday before steam up this picture shows the boom right after we had put it on the shovel we were just finishing stringing the cable from L to R Dennis Rismon,Mark Kerkvliet,Bill Rudecill and Harvey Pelly
This picture show s the boom almost all the way up LtoR Bill Rudecill at the controls Harvey Pelley looking on, Dennis Powers and Jerry Mandt discussing the weather
Dennis Rismon cleaning up the threads on the mounting studs for the boiler Bob Clarke looking on John Pelley and Bill Rudecill. This took place after we had the boiler in there one time already so the hole for the ash pan could be marked the boiler then taken out the hole cut and then put back with the grates in place
The boiler in place and bolted down BIll Rudecill, Jim Briden, Harvey Pelley I didn't get to take as many pictures as I wanted to I was in the loader we used to lift all the parts into place
Louie, if had known that you were taking pictures, we would had cleaner clothes on. We were disapointed that we didn't get to stay until Wednesday, but the weather that you all furnished kicked our rears. We-uns from the South can't handle that cold stuff. But thanks again for all of your help, the pictures are great. Harvey
...We were disapointed that we didn't get to stay until Wednesday, but the weather that you all furnished kicked our rears. We-uns from the South can't handle that cold stuff.
You would not have wanted to be traveling last night Harvey! Took me 7 hours to go from Sioux Falls to Fargo (normally 4)! I was stopped on the Summit hill for ½ Hour waiting for an accident scene to clear. Visibility was about 30 feet, wind was blowing 40 MPH, and it was snowing!
I think someone forgot to tell mother nature that it was April 10th!
Thanks for coming up guys. It is always fun to visit with you!
What a great photo album! You started with some bolts and rivets held together with a little rust and, with an excellent crew, later on out comes a steam shovel that looks like new. Another part of the story that I really enjoy is that you brought your new toy all the way up here so that us flatlanders could enjoy it, too.
Job well done. The photo show says a lot of things. A hard working crew that includes some younger people to keep thing going after we are gone.
Wow, I did not realize it had only been since 2006 that it was being worked on. That is impressive what has gotten done in that amount of time. Thanks so much for getting the photos of it in its original setting and condition. We are so lucky that this is going to be displayed at Rollag!
One of the things that probably influenced me at a very young age to be facinated with all things steam and mechanical was the book "Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel". It was one of my favorite books as a kid and after I got home from the steam up I had to dig that book out. Then by coincidence I saw an animated version of it on HBO right after I got home. I had not thought of that for quite a while but seeing the shovel out front and how much it looked like the book really reminded me of how much I had liked that as a kid. Even though I am involved with traction engines now, I still have a soft spot for the steam shovels and I think this will be a great addition to the sandbox.
Thank much for putting those pictures together. I really look forward to seeing it under steam this year.
Pictures like that tell the rest of the story that most people do not get to see. How much better can it get than starting out with a rusty peice of equipment and making it like new again. Congrats to you and your crew for a job well done