Locomobile 442 Posted March 26, 2020 Share Posted March 26, 2020 (edited) Grier, Yes, if I recall correctly, those are odd size threads. The common for them, pitchlead is 24. 1/4-24 5/16-24 etc. I've joked that apparently Mason and Locomobile only had one set of change gears for the lathe - 24 tpi. Searles? Yes, I've ran across that persons name doing research on early steamers. I'll look back over some of the books I have and see what I can find. I'm thinking it was in "American Steam car pioneers" by John Bacon. This is really a must read for anyone interested in that era of automobiles. It's most likely out of print, but used copies do show up. Pay close attention to the Hand written letter by Whitney. Another good one is "Floyd Clymer's steam car scrapbook. -Ron Edited March 26, 2020 by Locomobile (see edit history) 1 Link to post Share on other sites
alsfarms 738 Posted March 26, 2020 Author Share Posted March 26, 2020 Grier and Ron, I have also ran across that unusual thread pitch on an early American-LaFrance fire engine project. It is certainly a good thing when the SAE group got more things standardized in American Industry! Harrison, It looks like Ron has shared a refernce for a read you should consider.... Al 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Harrison Searles 4 Posted March 28, 2020 Share Posted March 28, 2020 Alan Here are some article about him from The Motor Car Journal 1900 1 Link to post Share on other sites
alsfarms 738 Posted March 29, 2020 Author Share Posted March 29, 2020 Nice information for sure. Do you have any "treasures" that have survived from the life of H.N. Searles? Al Link to post Share on other sites
alsfarms 738 Posted March 30, 2020 Author Share Posted March 30, 2020 Hello Ron and Grier (others who may need brass Locomobile tags) I have a quote back from a reputable "lost wax" foundry for the three pieces show above. I will get in touch with you, in a PM, to discuss if the project is doable and to what level. The cost of set-up is something that is a consideration but not a project killer. Regards, Alan Link to post Share on other sites
Grier 10 Posted March 30, 2020 Share Posted March 30, 2020 Al, I PM you back and I also posted on our Steam Traction World Forum for anyone that might be interested in the badges. Grier 1 Link to post Share on other sites
alsfarms 738 Posted March 30, 2020 Author Share Posted March 30, 2020 Hello Grier, I chatted with the Foundry this morning and it will be OK for us to give some time to get others interested in those pieces as shown. Regards, Alan Link to post Share on other sites
Harrison Searles 4 Posted April 2, 2020 Share Posted April 2, 2020 Alan Found this die in my grandfather tool box Harrison 1 Link to post Share on other sites
alsfarms 738 Posted April 4, 2020 Author Share Posted April 4, 2020 Hello Harrison, Nice early tool, die handle and dies. If only it could speak it probably has some nice "story" behind it! Al Link to post Share on other sites
alsfarms 738 Posted April 11, 2020 Author Share Posted April 11, 2020 Hello Grier, Send me a PM, regarding the potential casting projects. Al Link to post Share on other sites
Grier 10 Posted April 12, 2020 Share Posted April 12, 2020 Al, check your pm Grier 1 Link to post Share on other sites
alsfarms 738 Posted April 13, 2020 Author Share Posted April 13, 2020 Hello Grier, I will call you sometime today at your convenience. Al Link to post Share on other sites
DougTomb 1 Posted April 26, 2020 Share Posted April 26, 2020 Alan, Just saw this thread this morning, from the Steam Traction World site. I built one of their Likamobiles, from the first batch, back when they were Modelworks Inc. I would be interested in a Locomobile data plate you are having cast, as well as the Locomobile step plates (2), if they are still available. Thanks, Doug Tomb, Falls Church, Virginia. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
alsfarms 738 Posted April 26, 2020 Author Share Posted April 26, 2020 Hello Doug, PM sent..... Al Link to post Share on other sites
alsfarms 738 Posted April 28, 2020 Author Share Posted April 28, 2020 If anyone who frequents this forum, may have a need for any of the three plates shown in picture form on "Locomobile Parts For Sale", contact me and I will include your needs in the current batch of parts being replicated. Al Link to post Share on other sites
alsfarms 738 Posted April 28, 2020 Author Share Posted April 28, 2020 Hello Mike, Thanks for the posting. Many early steam guys visit here. Al Link to post Share on other sites
alsfarms 738 Posted August 12, 2020 Author Share Posted August 12, 2020 Has Covid-10 kept you from enjoying your running steam Locomobile, (if you are lucky enough to own one)? Al Link to post Share on other sites
alsfarms 738 Posted November 27, 2020 Author Share Posted November 27, 2020 Does anyone know what happened to the early Locomobile Cast Brass ID tag that was on EBAY for a couple of days from the UK? Al Link to post Share on other sites
LarsCato 4 Posted January 7 Share Posted January 7 Hello. I need some help. I'm writing an article about one of the first cars in Norway. In these pictures the small car in pic #2 is car no 6 to be registered in Norway (1902). The large one in pic #1 and #2 is car no. 11. We know for sure that the small car is a Locomobile, but is the large one also a Locomobile, or might this be a Conrad? The registration protocol does not say the name of the car and so far I have not find any newspaper which print the name. The same question goes for the last picture - what car? The two first pictures is taken during the technical approval of the large vehicle in Norway. The owner is driving. The small car is owned by the Norwegian dealer, Fredrik Hiorth. It is claimed that he is sitting in the car in the last picture. We know for sure that he imported both Locomobiles and Conrads to Norway. Can anybody help, please? Lars Cato 2 Link to post Share on other sites
alsfarms 738 Posted January 9 Author Share Posted January 9 Hello Ron, Do you have any thoughts to share about the pictures shared by our friend Lars from Norway? That is certainly a big surrey! Al 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Ben Popadak 40 Posted January 9 Share Posted January 9 Wow! Those two big cars are beasts! The automobile is probably as tall as most of those people in the photos. That poor little engine must be giving all it can with six passengers and the car being oversized. They don't have any features that would tell me they are Locomobiles. Those two big cars are certainly from the same family. Maybe one is a rebuild of the other but that would involve so much work I don't believe it would have been justified. I say "two" big cars as the picture on the bottom shows control knobs underneath the front seat, the body is made for passengers in front, passengers in the very back (there is no round chimney getting in the way), and the very back most "wall" is straight up and down. The lower engine in the top two photos show the crankshaft and rods being hidden. I think they are hidden as they have covers but the Toledo had a cast iron lower frame where the rods and crank were hidden and enclosed in an oil bath. As for Conrad, that would be a Roger question but Conrad was a very small producer, which means limited resources and when money is tight, it's usually not thrown at new models and development and those two cars would probably have been a large undertaking Thank you for sharing the photos. Very interesting. 2 Link to post Share on other sites
Locomobile 442 Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 On 1/7/2021 at 5:18 AM, LarsCato said: Hello. I need some help. I'm writing an article about one of the first cars in Norway. In these pictures the small car in pic #2 is car no 6 to be registered in Norway (1902). The large one in pic #1 and #2 is car no. 11. We know for sure that the small car is a Locomobile, but is the large one also a Locomobile, or might this be a Conrad? The registration protocol does not say the name of the car and so far I have not find any newspaper which print the name. The same question goes for the last picture - what car? The two first pictures is taken during the technical approval of the large vehicle in Norway. The owner is driving. The small car is owned by the Norwegian dealer, Fredrik Hiorth. It is claimed that he is sitting in the car in the last picture. We know for sure that he imported both Locomobiles and Conrads to Norway. Can anybody help, please? Lars Cato Hello, I agree the small stanhope is likely a Locomobile, there is nothing in the pic to indicate otherwise. Pic#2 is definitely a 1902 ish Conrad Surrey. This old clipping from 1902 announces it's introduction. Your #2 pic of the same vehicle on drivers side displays about five distinctively Conrad features. Pic #3 is a different surrey, but I think it is a Conrad as well. The draglink going up the right side to the right front steering knuckle, the L-shaped handles on the sight glass, Supporting the tiller shaft with the step, the squarish swivel joint for the tiller handle are all Conrad features. The front of the body looks to be a Locomobile Stanhope B design. I'll stick with it is a Conrad as well, possible early 1903. Here is a Model 70 Conrad in Denmark: Cool old pictures, thanks for sharing. Ron 2 Link to post Share on other sites
Ben Popadak 40 Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 Locomobile Ron is good. 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites
alsfarms 738 Posted January 11 Author Share Posted January 11 Nice Conrad over in Denmark. How many Conrad projects/cars are located here in the US and Canada? Al 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Locomobile 442 Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 (edited) 14 minutes ago, alsfarms said: Nice Conrad over in Denmark. How many Conrad projects/cars are located here in the US and Canada? Al Al, there are only two model 70 Conrad's one in Denmark, one in Ohio and the one model 65 that I'm working on that I know of. Our meets are very small. 😁 There is allegedly one in the UK, but if the pictures I seen are of the same car, it's doubtful. And I tried to contact the guy and never received a response. It looks as though it's on Locomobile or Grout chassis running gear. Ohio model 70. Conrad mystery car and may be somewhat similar to the Lars mystery car. The pic is labeled Conrad Steamer Edited January 11 by Locomobile (see edit history) 1 Link to post Share on other sites
LarsCato 4 Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 I can't see my reply has been published - I try again. I want to thank this club and especially Ron for valuable information. These cars have been misinterpreted for Locomobiles in several books in Norway and the Conrad-name has not been mentioned. The steam car guys in Norway have suspected that they probably are Conrads, though. The history of this car (with all the people) ist that it was put into passenger traffic i Norway, but nails from horseshoes made the wheel puncture all the time. The story also tells the problems with the heater made flames rise on the side of the car, scared the costumers. It seems that the car was put out of traffic within a month. Thank you so much this information Lars 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites
alsfarms 738 Posted January 12 Author Share Posted January 12 Ron and Lars, Do you happen to know history on the Denmark Conrad? Technically, how does the Conrad compare with the Locomobile of the same vintage? Al Link to post Share on other sites
Locomobile 442 Posted January 13 Share Posted January 13 Conrad logo 1 Link to post Share on other sites
alsfarms 738 Posted January 14 Author Share Posted January 14 Nice. Is this a step plate for access? Al Link to post Share on other sites
Locomobile 442 Posted January 14 Share Posted January 14 On 1/12/2021 at 1:28 AM, LarsCato said: I can't see my reply has been published - I try again. I want to thank this club and especially Ron for valuable information. These cars have been misinterpreted for Locomobiles in several books in Norway and the Conrad-name has not been mentioned. The steam car guys in Norway have suspected that they probably are Conrads, though. The history of this car (with all the people) ist that it was put into passenger traffic i Norway, but nails from horseshoes made the wheel puncture all the time. The story also tells the problems with the heater made flames rise on the side of the car, scared the costumers. It seems that the car was put out of traffic within a month. Thank you so much this information Lars Lars, You are very welcome and I am very happy I could help with your project. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask. I would like to thank you for sharing additional information about the history of these early Norway vehicles. I enjoy reading any of this early history involving actual steam car usage at that time. If you have any other information about them, I would enjoy reading about it. I will provide a little more info about Conrads in my response to Al as follows. Ron Link to post Share on other sites
Locomobile 442 Posted January 14 Share Posted January 14 (edited) On 1/12/2021 at 9:19 AM, alsfarms said: Ron and Lars, Do you happen to know history on the Denmark Conrad? Technically, how does the Conrad compare with the Locomobile of the same vintage? Al Hi Al, How did Locomobile and Conrad compare? The Locomobile was a much more highly polished vehicle, most likely more reliable as it was more refined due to the much higher production numbers. They set many records. First car up Mt Washington, first to drive from Buffalo to New York city 500 miles and many others. All the metal parts were Nickle plated, causing Rudyard Kipling to label them "The Nickel plated fraud" apparently he wasn't fond of the little steamer. Their problems: Too lightly built and easily damaged on the very early rough roads with tree stumps in them. The bodies broke down as the engine and boiler were simply mounted on wood crossmembers. If one looks at the early body it resembles a crate, and I wonder if that is where the slang term for early cars came from "Crate". The Conrads were less polished and from what I can tell more crudely built, but they were built stronger. And heavier. The one feature that made them far superior to the Locomobile was the angle iron subfframe (as pictured) inside the body that the boiler and engine mounted on. This strongly supported that mounting and also supported the wood body along its length to prevent it failing in the middle like Locomobile and others did. There was far less nickle plating and more painted parts. Their problems: Likely less refined as Lars alludes to about fire flaring up the side and scaring the occupants, the burner was likely a poor design and not enough time had been spent resolving issues, and it may have been operator poorly trained as well. The burner is one of the most problematic and critical aspects of these early steam cars. The steering geometry on the Conrads is unusual too and some of the components like the knuckles are too lightly built. If I had to pick one to show off : Locomobile Pick one to drive and rely on: Conrad. The Denmark Conrad is in their transportation museum and I am pals with the curators, we have never discussed the history of this vehicle only many of it's features. I will ask them about it. They have been very helpful with our restoration and we are grateful for that. Ron Edited January 14 by Locomobile (see edit history) 1 Link to post Share on other sites
alsfarms 738 Posted January 14 Author Share Posted January 14 I can see that the Conrad is much more substantial. Nice picture! Have you made first steam yet? Al 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Locomobile 442 Posted January 14 Share Posted January 14 1 minute ago, alsfarms said: I can see that the Conrad is much more substantial. Nice picture! Have you made first steam yet? Al Yes we fired it up and drove it on the initial assembly. Ran really well 1 Link to post Share on other sites
alsfarms 738 Posted January 15 Author Share Posted January 15 Ron, Are you only working on Locomobile and Conrad, or do you have something else "steam" lurking in the background? Al Link to post Share on other sites
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