This is a 1919 Sawyer Massey 68hp Rear Mount Western Plowing Engine, Engine# 4321, Built in Hamilton Ontario.
Not Much early history is known of this engine. It was reassembled in the late 1950's by a man named Stuart Muir of Paisley Ontario. The first Ontario Identification number was assigned in 1961 and was run by Mr.Muir at steam shows in Ontario for a number of years. Sometime in the 1970's the engine was sold to Don Armstrong of Brampton. Upon Mr.Armstrong's passing the engine sat unused for a number of years until I bought it from his son Don in 1986.
Upon moving the engine to my shop in Brampton i took it apart and did an extensive clean up and check over. We replaced some piping & leaking tubes and an ultra sonic inspection of the boiler. A provincial inspector checked it and recertified it for 125 PSI.
We ran it at numerous shows including Steam Era, Georgian Bay Steam Show and Ontario Agricultural Museum through until 1995.
In 1996 new Ontario boiler inspection proceedures were introduced to Ontario for Antique rivited boilers, which include extensive UT testing, magnetic partical crack testing and transverse wave mode testing of rivits & staybolts on 5 year intervals.
Previous UT testing of fire box had already reduced operating pressure to 115 from 125. A fire box replacment or extensive repair was going to be neccessary. Bob Oliver of Olivers Boiler Repairs in Auburn Ontario was called to consult on how best to repair. It was decided that the repairs were to extensive and a new boiler would be built. Bob will design and build the new boiler and I will disassemble and refit all of the engine castings and gearing back to the new boiler.
And so the rebuild begins.
