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Education Programs & Resources Support the WDM (PDF)
Updated 17 February 2010
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Note: This project began in 1999 and was completed in 2001. Many of the Museum's steam traction engines designated for demonstration use have been decommissioned due to aging boilers which have not passed safety inspections. Some of these are beyond repair, and the only possibility of reactivating these engines is to replace the boilers with modern replicas. This is an expensive undertaking, costing from $50,000 to $100,000 per unit, depending on the size of the boiler. The J. I. Case 12-36 horsepower engine was chosen for the pilot project, the boiler being of a smaller class, and therefore less expensive than might have been one of the larger engines. Fundraising took several years, spearheaded by a Museum volunteer, Don Lipsit, who is also a member of the Pioneer Threshermen's Club. Donations were received from many individuals, with major contributions coming from the Saskatoon Foundation and the Museum's own Women's Auxiliary volunteer group. Accumulated donations finally reached the level which permitted the commitment of shipping the old boiler to a manufacturer, to be used as a pattern for the new unit. Choosing a boiler manufacturer was not an easy task. An obvious choice was a very reputable local firm, Saskatoon Boiler Manufacturing Company Limited. However, their President, Mr. Ray Graves, advised that because their expertise is in the area of industrial boiler manufacturing, and although they could build the Museum a very serviceable traction engine boiler, it would not be visually as accurate a replica as might be offered by a firm specializing in antique boiler reconstructions. Based on this advice, the Museum eventually ended up contracting the services of the Boiler Smith, a Seaforth, Ontario firm with the experience of having built many modern copies of antique traction engine boilers. The Saskatchewan provincial government department responsible for pressure vessel safety took keen interest in this reboilering project, and the Museum worked closely with department inspectors in order to establish appropriate precedent-setting procedures and standards which will guide similar projects in the future. One of the most critical aspects of the project was the matter of proving the fitness of the ancillary equipment. This equipment includes all original parts from the engine which carry steam pressure, and which are to be transferred to the new boiler. Because the boiler will be new, all transferred parts must be tested to the point where they can be proved equal to the strength, functionality and safety of new equipment. One of the difficulties of this process is the unknown content of the various metals used in the original equipment. There are many possible constituents and ratios, and these are challenging to determine without destructive testing; that is, actually taking samples and conducting various testing procedures. While some components had to be replaced with modern equivalent, others were accepted followed detailed non-destructive testing. This completed the reboilering portion of the J. I. Case project. Please click on photos for larger images.
On Tuesday, 28 September, the Case boiler was picked up by Tri-line trucking, for delivery to the Boiler Smith in Seaforth, Ontario, by 8 October.
Update - 19 June 2000
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