The Big 150!!

[John Saeli]

Here's one I haven't seen. Just think how many he could be pulling if they were Grand Detours!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xDj45zF-l0

 

[nick831]

Great video. Amazing amount of power. We underestimate what steam power can do. I think they could of hooked up a few more. Thanks for putting that up John. Nick

 

[sparkiefarmer]

I was very happy the day I found out that someone built a 150 steamer. I hope to see it in person some time.
I read somewhere that the originals were considered a failure for a 'road locomotive' as the gears couldnt stand up to the power/torque. Metal technology just wasnt there. Do you happen to know if thats factual?

Also, John, Thank you for all your work and effort keeping us Case lovers supplied with parts!

 

[John Saeli]

I'm sure I've read somewhere why the 150 production was so short lived, but can't remember if I did. Maybe someone will chime in. Your welcome for what we do, but there are days when I want to throw it all in and go back to driving truck.

 

[chcase]

I was lucky to see the 150 up at Rollag Mn. Very impressive.

 

[John Achmann]

What I was told from my steam friends is that the 150s were two speed. The gears for the two speed were attached to the side of the firebox. There was so much torque that the sheet would flex and the gears would only be grabbing on just the ends witch would make the gears fail. As far as I know they made improvements on that part on the new engine. Also there was clutch problems. If you look close at the flywheel there is no clutch shoes in there. Sounds like the drive gear is pined to the shaft and away they go. Not sure if hes got that figured out or not. There was something with the blueprints maybe as the clutch shoes werent there. Dont remember the full story on that.

 

[casecollectorsc]

Going to be at their home show grounds at Andover SD this fall and pull a record 50 bottom plow. Show is the weekend after Labor Day. We were at the show a couple years ago for it's maiden show.

 

[kenbob]

I thought I saw somewhere that only 5 were made.

 

[John Saeli]

John: I'm sure Kory has everything figured out. With Steam, I am thinking they could get by without a clutch? They could engage the gearing, with engine stopped, then ease steam w/ the Throttle to the engine. I wonder if Chady Atteberry has seen the 150 yet and what his thoughts were.

 

[Don Rudolph]

Thanks for posting John. If anybody out there has the chance to see it in person, by all means go see it. It is an incredible piece of engineering and such an impressive hulk of a machine. Seeing it in pictures or video doesn't do it justice. Hats off to the Anderson family for bringing this piece of JI CASE history back to life. Don

 

[thehickdaddy]

and here is the official list of 2022 viewings of the case 150 hp road locomotive.
And it mentions the Andover south dakota show, the home of the case 150, the weekend after Labor day, that it will be pulling 50 bottom plow, Sept 9 and 10 of 2022
that would be something to behold
list of upcoming events for case 150 road locomotive

 

[thehickdaddy]

i believe mr Atteberry has seen the case 150 as both were in attendance of the national J I Case show at rollag, MN on Labor day weekend, 2019
i believe atteberry and anderson both spoke at the J I Case banquet that year

 

[thehickdaddy]

very impressive for certain, wasn't it?
i was very lucky to see the 150 at rollag as well. the video that i have linked actually has me in it, at beginning of the video, bottom and a little to the left is a guy wearing a camo hat and a grey shirt, and that would be myself.
i do enjoy this clip of the hillclimb, and i show it to people as i think it has a great angle and view of how effortlessly the case 150 starts the hillclimb pull. as you can see, the cables attaching the other engines are not slacked, the 150 does not take up momentum and jerk the 4 trailing tractors into motion. But rather, the 150 just effortlessly starts the motion of pulling itself, weighing in at 35 tons, along with the 4 engines in tow which i think totalled around 35 tons for the 4 of them, for a combined weight of 70 tons. that is a lot of weight to bring to motion all at once.

i was not trying to brag that i was in the video, just found it a ironic coincidence
case 150 road locomotive hill climp 2019 rollag

 

[thehickdaddy]

thankyou john, for your help and services of keeping history and our old j i cases alive.

i will chime in with what i remember being said at the 2019 case show banquet diner.
seems like kory said that along with the factory case blue prints, he also was able to obtain the list of notes that was compiled of complaints that were voiced by case dealers as well as the area blockmen as far as problems witnessed and expressed about the 150. These were items that were taken into consideration and the proof of that fact being that many revisions were seen on the Case 110. And while only a handful of 150s were built, i believe around 877 model 110hp traction engines were built! that is alot. i remember kory saying something about the layout the the main casting that held the crankshaft in alignment with the first transmission shaft. he said it was off just a bit in the blue prints which would have caused that high heat which caused the babbit bearings to burn out quickly. which was one of the items on the 150 complaint list. Also there was the price problem. First 150 sold for $3,600 and the rest sold for $4,000 each even at that huge price tag before WW1, Case still lost money on each tractor. I believe it was also said that WW1 brought about great advances in both metallurgy as well as oil and lubrication. and the prediction was made that if the 150 was made after WW1, it might not have been plagued with the same issues.

again, i am just repeating what i remember from the 2019 case national show in rollag, mn. And that i also was brought up on a farm that used j i case from about 1940 and still uses J I Case. And i also poured over Case photo albums and history books and I never, ever believed that i would stand next to a replica of the J I Case 150 road locomotive.

also, kory has a lot of info, stories and photos at his website, 150case.com, i suggest you check it out

lastly, korys speech at the 2019 national case show banquet. Two last items i wanted to mention, first was how kory talked about the patterns, the wood mahogany patterns that took about 2 years to carve to be able to make the casting molds from. That amazed me, 2 years just to make the patterns out of wood to make the patterns from. And second, that part way thru the project, the casting foundry he had been working with came up for sale. And the major interested party was overseas. But if the foundry closed down, the 150 project could not continue. So what can kory do? Kory buys the foundry, keeps the foundry open, he brings it into the modern technological world and keeps the doors open. just an amazing story. thankyou for reading if you have made it this far.

 

[sparkiefarmer]

I wish I could remember where I read it, but somewhere along the line I read that they made 9, and 5 were returned to the factory and melted down, 3 where used into the 40's powering mills, and 1 in unaccounted for. Wish I could remember the source. Every time I stick my head into an abandoned overgrown barn I have day dreams of finding the lost one! haha.... good to dream i guess.

 

[Straw Boss]

Gotta watch those dates. They advertise the James Valley Show is always the weekend after Labor Day. I consider the weekend to be Saturday and Sunday. Didn't think anything of it and traveled out there on Sunday to NOT see it in action. They pull the plows only on FRIDAY and Saturday, even though the show still runs on Sunday.

 

[Ken Christopherson]

Ever since I discovered the story of the 150 several years ago, I have been hooked. I followed Kory's build from the time he built the cylinder pattern all the way through. I have been at every event I could involving the 150. It is WELL worth the trip to Andover, SD to see it. It's not only the 150 there that is great - but the 'everyone is family' atmosphere that the Anderson's and their show organizers put out. It is one of the best displays of steam I have seen outside of Rollag. Plenty of plowing, threshing, sawmill, etc.

With that said, I was out and able to get several different views while pulling 44 bottoms last fall (2021). I've been very fortunate to have been able to talk with several legendary steam men, and am thrilled to be going to Rollag's steam school in June. Below is a link to the video I made of the 150 at Andover, SD last fall. I have many videos of the 150 on my channel as well as of many other shows and my own personal projects. Hope you all enjoy... And if you are in Andover this fall, feel free to stop me and say hello. I'll be there with my camera gear!!!

Andersons Case 150hp Road Locomotive Pulls 44 Bottoms

 

[Ken Christopherson]

Here is the video I took of the hill climb. I was lucky enough to be granted VIP access inside the ropes. It shows the whole climb.
Case 150 Hill Climb at Rollag

 

[thehickdaddy]

there is a great article in Farm Collector Magazine, March of 1987
it discusses in great detail the legends and truth of Case 150 horse power road locomotives
I have added link to the article below.

the article details even the serial numbers and years of production of the 150 Case

traction engine number 14,666 which is what Korys is patterned after, built in 1904

traction engine number 17,162 built in 1906

the remaining 7 other road locomotives all built in 1907

traction engine number 18,547
traction engine number 18,548
traction engine number 18,549
traction engine number 18,723
traction engine number 18,848
traction engine number 18,870
traction engine number 18,871

lots of great info in the article linked below
the legendary 150 hp case steam traction engine