Parker Steam Engines

[edgarspencer]

Richard, In your travels around AK, did you ever see this?
My son took this on one of his many trips to Attu.

[Richard Flanders]

Nope. Never been to Attu.

[Old and Reliable]

Originally Posted by edgarspencer

Richard, In your travels around AK, did you ever see this?
My son took this on one of his many trips to Attu.

-- a some form of anti-aircraft gun-- my working knowledge of military weapons goes to the browning MG .50 cal and stops there- WW2 vintage??

[edgarspencer]

Yes, Japanese AA. The entire Island is covered with planes, UXBs, piles of ammo, and general military debris. Attu was one of the biggest Pacific battles. There are over 5000 Japanese graves, and since the CG closed it's Loran station there last year, there are virtually no residents left on the island. The Japanese Gov't came there last year and erected a memorial.
The guys at the Loran station picked up small bits and set up a mini museum, only seen by the C130 crews that came to supply the men. Most of the pics he sent me are too big to post, and I'm too stupid to figure out how to resize them.

[Bindlestiff]

I would be interested in seeing those pictures. If you want to learn how to resize pictures for this web site look at this link,
http://parkerguns.org/pages/faq/Demo...tureVedio.html
I hope you get the hang of it, those pictures sound interesting.

[Old and Reliable]

Originally Posted by Robin Lewis

I would be interested in seeing those pictures. If you want to learn how to resize pictures for this web site look at this link,
http://parkerguns.org/pages/faq/Demo...tureVedio.html
I hope you get the hang of it, those pictures sound interesting.

Hey- I'm 70- grew up with slide rules, drafting boards and T-squares, and Borwn & Sharpe "mikes"-- and I have a lot of problems getting pictures posted- all this "copy and paste" stuff doesn't do anything for me- so I try to get my daughter (this is her computer site anyway) to do it for me- sometimes it works, sometimes not--

I'm surprised some enterprising salvage crew hasn't hit that island for the scrap metal value of those Jap AA gun batteries- harsh terrain though, I am sure!!

[Richard Flanders]

Anyone interested in the history of the WWII battles in the Aleutians should get "the thousand mile war" and associated books. Very well done and readily available on Amazon.com .

[edgarspencer]

Originally Posted by Francis Morin

I'm surprised some enterprising salvage crew hasn't hit that island for the scrap metal value of those Jap AA gun batteries- harsh terrain though, I am sure!!

Can't. First off the Island is entirely Government property, then, it's a consecrated battle field burial ground, then the minor detail of being about 2000 miles west of Anchorage. Occasionally, global sailors call on Shemya, next closest inhabited island, but that's only a few months a year.
This is Agattu, Just south of Attu and Shemya. I can't seem to find a picture of Attu, but you get the idea. It's the last island in the Aleutian Chain.

[edgarspencer]

Originally Posted by Dave Suponski

Edgar, What would a small steam engine like the one pictured be used for? A boat perhaps?

Dave, engines of this type were almost always an in-doors power unit for a shop such as lathe work, occasionally creamery work, and frequently tailor shops. It was a natural for a tailor shop to have a steam engine, because they frequently had need for steam anyway, so the boiler part of the job was already done.
Small steam launches, such as my old boat used vertical engines, if screw propeller driven. My launch was 32' long, one of a pair of tenders from a large steam yacht. The engine it probably had back in 1892 was likely a single cylinder vertical, but When I restored it, back in the early 80s, I put in a 2 cyl, fore and aft compound engine ( mainly because I think the more going on, the better.) Even with 2 cylinders, 3 1/2" HP and 7 1/2" LP, it was so quiet people never heard me slip through the harbor after dark. The boat was so sleek, it hardly made a ripple. Bill Ruger has owned it for 4 years now, and I don't think he's ever put it in the water.

[Autumn Daze]

Thank You Edgar, Interesting stuff these living engines. By the way I am just south west of you in Stratford.