1 Steam Cars : Phorum
General Steam Car topics
Mystery photo
Posted by: Per Nielsen (---.boanxr7.ras.tele.dk)
Date: January 07, 2004 02:38PM
<HTML>On page one JW have placed a photo in the frame "mystery photo".
Can you help me identify the place and the model year?
A frind of mine found some vintage motorcycleparts in a container on its way to the city dump. While serching the hole container for more "gold" 2 dias turned up. He passed them on to me, due to the Stanley content. This dias is one of them.
Per</HTML>
Can you help me identify the place and the model year?
A frind of mine found some vintage motorcycleparts in a container on its way to the city dump. While serching the hole container for more "gold" 2 dias turned up. He passed them on to me, due to the Stanley content. This dias is one of them.
Per</HTML>
Re: Mystery photo
Posted by: Alan Woolf (---.external.lmco.com)
Date: January 07, 2004 09:30PM
<HTML>What a great photo! The photo is of a condensing Stanley chassis. I would guess the picture was made in the Stanley factory in Newton, Massachusetts on the upper floor where the cars were built. The chassis would be a 1916 Model 725 or 1917 Model 728. The reason I think it is a 725 or 728 as opposed to a Model 730 is because the upper bracket on the steering column does not have the ears to attach to the cowl on the body.
Alan</HTML>
Alan</HTML>
<b>Re: Mystery photo</b>
Posted by: JW (---.tmodns.net)
Date: January 08, 2004 11:43AM
<HTML>How many Stanleys do you find in the photo?
JW
</HTML>
JW
</HTML>
Re: Mystery photo
Posted by: Alan Woolf (---.external.lmco.com)
Date: January 08, 2004 08:28PM
<HTML>I can see 7.
Alan</HTML>
Alan</HTML>
Re: Mystery photo
Posted by: SSsssteamer (---.tnt2.mount-vernon.wa.da.uu.net)
Date: January 08, 2004 08:31PM
<HTML>I counted 9 Stanleys in the photo. There are 4 bays with them parked 2 deep, and with the one in the foreground. In the right bay, you have to count the tires showing. Anyone see anything different?</HTML>
Re: Mystery photo
Posted by: Rolly (---.proxy.aol.com)
Date: January 09, 2004 06:11AM
<HTML>I count eight steering wheels and on the right side of the photo you can see three tires one behind each other indicating one more car in the back, maybe.</HTML>
Re: Mystery photo
Posted by: George (---.worldpath.net)
Date: January 09, 2004 06:36AM
<HTML> I believe the Stanley factory was a reinforced concrete building(the first in the country?!?) as there was a stevadore strike at the time---does the building look like a concrete building?? I also wonder about that front post being two pieces. Maybe Coburn or Dave will give some historical input.
George</HTML>
George</HTML>
Re: Mystery photo
Posted by: Jim Crank (---.dsl.snfc21.pacbell.net)
Date: January 09, 2004 09:11AM
<HTML>I really wonder if this is the actual main Stanley factory building, which as George mentioned, was concrete; but perhaps another wooden building next to the factory? A storage area, one end of the service department?
Also, note the size and length of the feedwater heater, the lack of the cover over the pump drive rod, and finally, the correct way to stripe the wheel spokes. Great photo, any more like this one taken inside the factory?</HTML>
Also, note the size and length of the feedwater heater, the lack of the cover over the pump drive rod, and finally, the correct way to stripe the wheel spokes. Great photo, any more like this one taken inside the factory?</HTML>
Re: Mystery photo
Posted by: SSsssteamer (---.tnt2.mount-vernon.wa.da.uu.net)
Date: January 09, 2004 11:05AM
<HTML>I seen in the mystery photo, that the routing of the exhausted steam from the feedwater heater to the condenser is directly over the top of the smoke bonnet. Is this correct for a 1916 Stanley? That looks unusual to me because on the model 735, from the feedwater heater to the condenser, the exhausted steam is routed straight forward from the feedwater heater to the right side of the condenser then upwards with a couple of 90 degree bends to the center of the condensor. These photos can teach us a lot.</HTML>
Re: Mystery photo
Posted by: Per Nielsen (---.boanxr10.ras.tele.dk)
Date: January 10, 2004 07:43AM
<HTML>I been over the origional with a magnifyingglas - and i can only see 7 steeringwheels. To the left there is something that could be one tire from the 8. car. But why is just one tire visible? I think 7 is the right number.
Per</HTML>
Per</HTML>
Re: Mystery photo
Posted by: Rolly (---.proxy.aol.com)
Date: January 10, 2004 08:13AM
<HTML>Per
I enlarged the photo and there is what appears to be a segment of a steering wheel just to the left of the forward split column right at the split line. That would make eight steering wheels.</HTML>
I enlarged the photo and there is what appears to be a segment of a steering wheel just to the left of the forward split column right at the split line. That would make eight steering wheels.</HTML>
Re: Mystery photo
Posted by: Per Nielsen (---.boanxr2.ras.tele.dk)
Date: January 10, 2004 09:44AM
<HTML>Rolly,
I think you are right. The height of this steering wheel segment is like the other and one spoke is visible in the lower part of it.
Per</HTML>
I think you are right. The height of this steering wheel segment is like the other and one spoke is visible in the lower part of it.
Per</HTML>
Re: Mystery photo
Posted by: Dick Vennerbeck (---.direcpc.com)
Date: January 10, 2004 08:50PM
<HTML>Per
I see seven steering wheels and three tires along the right hand wall. I assume that they represent two more cars. Also along the right hand wall are 6 horizontal pipes starting at floor level. This is the same type of steam heating arrangement that my Grandfather used to heat greenhouses in Pennsylvania in the early 20's. The pipes above the car in the foreground appear to be waste pipes. Four and a vent. A lavatory above perhaps. Also note running fore and aft, piping that looks like a sprinkler system. Surely that would be unusual for this period. Does anybody know if the Stanley plant was sprinklered? Lastly in the upper right is what appears to be the remminants of some overhead llineshafting.
Dick Vennerbeck, California</HTML>
I see seven steering wheels and three tires along the right hand wall. I assume that they represent two more cars. Also along the right hand wall are 6 horizontal pipes starting at floor level. This is the same type of steam heating arrangement that my Grandfather used to heat greenhouses in Pennsylvania in the early 20's. The pipes above the car in the foreground appear to be waste pipes. Four and a vent. A lavatory above perhaps. Also note running fore and aft, piping that looks like a sprinkler system. Surely that would be unusual for this period. Does anybody know if the Stanley plant was sprinklered? Lastly in the upper right is what appears to be the remminants of some overhead llineshafting.
Dick Vennerbeck, California</HTML>
Re: Mystery photo
Posted by: David K. Nergaard (---.s705.apx1.sbo.ma.dialup.rcn.com)
Date: January 11, 2004 08:20AM
<HTML>The building is obviously wood framed. It could be either the Stanley dry plate factory on Hunt Street, which was added to the car factory after the dry plate business was sold to George Eastman, or the Hickory Wheel (bicycle) factory on Water Street, which the Stanleys purchased from Sterling Elliot when they first started making cars in 1899. There definately seems to be a fire sprinckler system in place. Judging by the size of the riser pipe, there is at least one floor, with sprinklers, above the one pictured.
I see only seven cars. I note that the fuel pressure bottles are behind the battery close to the main fuel tank. The feed water lines to the heater enter the back end of it. And there is a fuel heating coil above the boiler. Do these clues help in dating it?
The main Stanley car factory building was poured concrete, but I don't think it was reinforced concrete. It was simply a low labor cost way to make a masonry building, done because of a labor union issue.</HTML>
I see only seven cars. I note that the fuel pressure bottles are behind the battery close to the main fuel tank. The feed water lines to the heater enter the back end of it. And there is a fuel heating coil above the boiler. Do these clues help in dating it?
The main Stanley car factory building was poured concrete, but I don't think it was reinforced concrete. It was simply a low labor cost way to make a masonry building, done because of a labor union issue.</HTML>
Re: Mystery photo
Posted by: George (---.worldpath.net)
Date: January 11, 2004 10:28AM
<HTML>Dave,
Coburn also mentioned via telecon that it could possibly be the Hickory Wheel factory building. I wonder how many cars Fred Marriot could get into his garage as well, I have never been to that building but that was later on.
George</HTML>
Coburn also mentioned via telecon that it could possibly be the Hickory Wheel factory building. I wonder how many cars Fred Marriot could get into his garage as well, I have never been to that building but that was later on.
George</HTML>
<b>Re: Mystery photo</b>
Posted by: JW (---.tmodns.net)
Date: January 11, 2004 12:30PM
<HTML>I think Pat and Rolly are most observant and make a very good case for there being evidence to count 9 Stanleys in the Mystery Photo.
Four bays, two deep, and the one in the foreground.
The steering wheel for the ninth car in the corner, along the right wall can be seen through the haze created by the window on the back wall. There are 2 steering wheels clouded by this back light, one steering wheel large and centered around the bright window, the other just below and to the right. Look closely and it will be there. It seems to correspond with 2 of the 3/4 visable wheels along the right wall.
Great photo!
JW
</HTML>
Four bays, two deep, and the one in the foreground.
The steering wheel for the ninth car in the corner, along the right wall can be seen through the haze created by the window on the back wall. There are 2 steering wheels clouded by this back light, one steering wheel large and centered around the bright window, the other just below and to the right. Look closely and it will be there. It seems to correspond with 2 of the 3/4 visable wheels along the right wall.
Great photo!
JW
</HTML>
Re: Mystery photo
Posted by: Rolly (---.proxy.aol.com)
Date: January 11, 2004 01:01PM
<HTML>John
I looked at that as being the ninth steering wheel but it was so blurred I couldn’t be sure.
I am sure of the eight. Great photo. I sent it to my old office so our in house publisher can print it 11 X 17 or as big as it will stay sharp.
Rolly</HTML>
I looked at that as being the ninth steering wheel but it was so blurred I couldn’t be sure.
I am sure of the eight. Great photo. I sent it to my old office so our in house publisher can print it 11 X 17 or as big as it will stay sharp.
Rolly</HTML>
<b>Re: Mystery photo - larger version posted</b>
Posted by: JW (---.tmodns.net)
Date: January 11, 2004 01:47PM
<HTML>Rolly-
I had the very same thoughts until you pointed out the wheel count along the right wall. This is supporting evidence that there are 4 bays 2 deep, a 2nd steering wheel obscured by the backlight from the window, ........and nine Stanleys.
I cropped the photo some and compressed its jpegness for posting on the website. I will post the raw photo file just as I received it from Per. It will be found through a link on the same page for those who are interested in the larger image to download.
Keep your water wet...........[solid water not good]
JW
</HTML>
I had the very same thoughts until you pointed out the wheel count along the right wall. This is supporting evidence that there are 4 bays 2 deep, a 2nd steering wheel obscured by the backlight from the window, ........and nine Stanleys.
I cropped the photo some and compressed its jpegness for posting on the website. I will post the raw photo file just as I received it from Per. It will be found through a link on the same page for those who are interested in the larger image to download.
Keep your water wet...........[solid water not good]
JW
</HTML>
Re: Mystery photo
Posted by: SSsssteamer (---.tnt1.mount-vernon.wa.da.uu.net)
Date: January 11, 2004 03:35PM
<HTML>An interesting observation is that probably these Stanleys have already road tested. In the very center of the photo there is a chassis with an upholstered front seat with a hand operated horn attached to the side of the seat. Starting in 1915, electric horns were used and installed under the hood (Mt Wagon's electric horn was installed outside), so this was probably a removable front seat for road testing the chassis. These Stanleys are housed in an all wooden building (floor could possibly be cement). That is probably why there is such a good fire sprinkler system installed.</HTML>
Re: Mystery photo
Posted by: Peter Turvey (---.proxy.aol.com)
Date: January 11, 2004 04:33PM
<HTML>Fascinating detail in the large picture - the bracket supporting the brake rods looks just like to that on our 1914 Model 607 - wish we could find a similar picture of one!</HTML>
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