Major Developments at the Tod Engine Foundation

As many of you are aware the Tod Engine Foundation is a non profit organization in Youngstown, OH dedicated to preserving industrial heritage. We have been building our small museum on Hubbard Road for six years now.

Recently we created a for profit iron foundry named the Tod Engine Works and its purpose is to create an income stream both for myself and the museum project. To this end the foundry is becoming quite successful and is looking to continue to grow.

We are spread out in various locations right now. Only half of the Tod Engine is at the museum, the remainder is still in storage at the mill that it came from. We also rent a portion of a former powerhouse building in Struthers, Ohio for storage and the Tod Engine Works foundry is in Sharon, PA. The organization's office is at my home.

I've had a long term goal of consolidating our collection into one site and yesterday we took a major step toward that goal. The Tod Engine Works has made a tentative agreement to purchase the property immediately behind the museum site, an approx. 3 acre site which includes a former truck terminal building and a three stall truck garage. The purchase will be via land contract and I hope to be able to occupy the truck terminal building by July. The garage will remain rented for the next year and will provide some needed extra income.

This property will allow us to move all of the collections to one site, move the foundry to our property, and give us plenty of room for expansion. With all of our eggs in one basket so to speak I will be able to use my time more effectively instead of driving from place to place everyday. It also puts all of our equipment and tools in one location, a great help because it seems that whatever tools I need for a particular project are always at the other site!

So it appears that major things will be happening soon here in Youngstown and our "old iron sanctuary" will be growing again.

More details later as they materialize.

Congratulations Rick! I have been enjoying reading about your progress and look forward to visiting your foundary and museum someday.

--Larry

Rick, congratulations. Hold on to all of the property you can. As the collection expands, you'll be glad you did.

Rick,

Good going bud! Glad to hear things are on the moove.

Mike

Sounds like a definite improvement in things Rick. I always tell folks it takes two thing to run a museum... time and money. There is always plenty of time.

Due to meetings in Cleveland, I was able to come down and help Rick for two days.

Weather was bad the first day, so we worked in his foundry, the Tod Engine Works. I also got to see several of the machines he's posted pictures of over the last year. I've never been around any sort of metal casting so was very happy to have had this opportunity. Rick's setup is small enough that a helper has plenty of scope to jump in and do everything from sweeping (lots of that to do), breaking open cooled flasks and helping pour new ones- so I got to do all that, and helped move several PM member's orders along. If you want to see a real alchemist at work, go watch a foundryman. Bring coveralls (you will get plenty dirty) and eye & ear protection, and dustmasks if you're at all sensitive to dust. They have good pizza in Youngstown.

The 2nd day, weather was better so we worked out at the Tod Engine site. We moved various heavy things around with Rick's Alis/Chalmers Tractoloader, did some brick paving, applied metal preservative and lots of other stuff. Also got a look at the buildings Rick is buying- they will be a fantastic space once cleaned up and should really help move the Engine along.

It was a great couple days. Rick and his wife were a pleasure to hang around with and the work was never boring. If you're inclined to go do something different for a day or two & get some good exercise, or want to help Rick's Tod Engine efforts along, I'd urge you to get in touch with him. Theres plenty to do, even if you just want to do landscaping around the engine. If you're not in a position to donate labor, Rick could also use any financial support you might offer. As he's pointed out, theres lots of things the Tod Engine effort needs to buy- but if there's anyone around who can do it, Rick can.

Regards,

Greg

Looking through some old files this morning I found three cartoons that were drawn when we were dismantling the engine in 1996.

Those are really good Rick, especially the picture of Dave R. (Except if it really is him, it needs another thought balloon going something like "democrats must have been here". or "are you a democrat?"

Did someone from the ATIS SEL list draw them?

smt

This Friday, June 2 we are planning to move the LP cylinder, HP cylinder, HP connecting rod and throttle valve assembly from storage at V&M Star Steel in Girard, OH to the museum site in Youngstown. This is about 85,000 lbs. worth of parts and still leaves 180,000 lbs. worth of parts at V&M Star to be moved later this summer.

We will have a 50 ton crane and two semi trucks Friday and I will of course post photos in a Webshots album once the move is complete.

Stephen, yes that is Dave in the cartoon. Someone from the SEL did draw them but its been so long ago I cannot remember who. Canny resemblance dont you think!

"They have good pizza in Youngstown. "

You woldn't be talking about Wedgewood by any chance, would ya?

I can't wait to visit this museum when it's all done. Youngstown is only about an hour away from me.

Camshaft- helping out is half the fun. Rick can use all the volunteer help he can get. You won't find a more interactive exhibit than one where you help work on it.

Regards,

Greg

Well, i'm eager to help and eager to learn. I would like to try and make it up to that neck of the woods to help out sometime this summer.