Can an 1850 engine be salvaged?

Dave, I'm no engineer, but the short answer is "yes", the engine(s) from an 1850 vintage sternwheeler could easily be salvaged. I say "engines" plural because a sternwheeler must have two engines to operate.

Theoretically, I suppose, one engine could be used without the other for a purpose other than turning a paddlewheel, providing said engine(s) were not cross-compound. Even then I suppose it would be possible with modifications -- almost anything is possible. It would require a large, heavy flywheel to do it in a mill situation as you mention.

As to the size, etc., it depends on the size of the boat and many other things. I will defer to our resident steam engineering experts Cap'n Walnut and Frank Prudent on this one.

*Integrity of an 1850 engine*
Steamboating colleagues:
Good question posed above RE: salvaging and [Possibly?] using an 1850 steam engine intriguing and I have no clue. There are those in the know here who could give answers. Where are Alan Bates and Bill Prudent when we need them? Capt. Bill Judd, Tom Schiffer [AKA Cap'n Walnut], Don Sanders, Prof. Jack White, Kenny Howe and others please step to the microphone.

I do know that the Coast Guard, marine and insurance inspectors could give you a prompt reply. Seems to me I read, heard [?] in the past that our Coast Guard looked askance at some vintage engines requiring a kind of electronic scan of the cylinders for cracks, pits, weak spots similar to jet aircraft inspections. Also the metals from foundaries in the 1850s possibly not as strong after all these years. The late Capt. John Beatty said upon this question on aging steamboat piping etc., "You fire it up slowly, raise minimal steam and then walk around to check all the joints and pipe fittings." I seriously doubt the existing main throttle on the Str. W.P. SNYDER would ever pass any approval for use. Pull down Capt. Fred Way's PACKET DIRECTORY for the gristly incident on the Str. SENATOR CORDILL at Pt. Pleasant, W.Va. Members of my family were there who heard it, saw it at the time and I've never forgotten the accounts of that steam disaster. 'Something' tugs at my mind that an 1850 period engine would not be allowed to admit steam. What about compressed air?

There are more than a few vintage sets of steamboat engines in operation here and in other countries. Well, what do I know? At this point very little.

R. Dale Flick
Summer: Northern shores of Lake Michigan

The Plumas was small, 50 tons displacement.

Thanks, Bob, I greatly appreciate the compliment! I can assure you though others on here know more than I do. Where's Dan Lewis and Kenny Howe when you need them? Where's Phillip Johnson now?

I'm not a metallurgist so I wouldn't be prepared to say if the engines would be safe to run today. My guess is that they are cast iron and now the U.S. Coast Guard would require cast steel. Also I don't know what sort of work slow acting marine steam engines would be able to preform on terra firma.

Assuming the metal is sound, the engines would have to be thoroughly inspected and rebuilt. Chances are the valves would have to be remachined and set. New leathers placed and I imagine new rings would be in order. Also they better get new packing too. The engines would best be ran on saturated steam, and as Dale pointed out what John Beatty said, that the engines should be broken in very slowly.

Maybe I am misinterpreting Mr. Freeman's question. The way I read it, he was wondering if this engine might have been salvaged and used at an old mill in the area around Tehama around 1860. My reply was to that question -- could the engine(s) have been salvaged soon after the PLUMAS sank, and then used at that mill. That was the scenario I was referring to when I made my post about the engine(s) possibly being re-used. I never meant to address the feasability of using such engine(s) now, or onboard a new boat.

You read it correctly, Bob, and to answer the original question, yes! As you said the engines could have been salvaged and put on another boat. Using one of the engines to supply power to a lumber mill is quite plausible. As you said a flywheel would have to have been added.

California and Plumas's engines

Hi

Have been checking around and it appears that "California's" engine(s) were not salvaged. I spoke with an expert in John Bidwell ,who was a big wig in the area in 1850 and he did not acquire a steam engine until 1870.

Recently, the land owner of the "California's site did try to use a back hoe to dig at the center of the wreck. When he dug in to what was a little puddle, the water rushed in to the ship's depression and he nearly lost the back hoe.

I have some people checking into the reuse of the "Plumas" in 1858 to 1860. No word as of yet.

Dave Freeman

As I recall, the ironclad Cairo's engines were disassembled, cleaned, and made in "running condition", prior to being re-assembled. It was 1865 when she sank, and around 1970 when the re-furbishing took place.

Wow, that is amazing!

However, the "Plumas" has been in a soupy mud puddle next to the Sacramento River from 1854. The recovery that engine would be a miracle. It is also on California State Parks property and the district archaeologist is not interested in any project that she has not personally found.

We had hope that a sawmill or some such thing was used from the old engine. We have not found any such salvage of the "Plumas". The nearby 1850 "California" was also not salvaged. This may speak to the wealth of gold that was coming out of the mines to ignore such valuable assets.

Dave Freeman