I have been collecting photos of steam traction engines for 51
years. However, being an old engine ‘photo junkie’ has
yielded some nice gas, kerosene and oil tractor pictures over the
years. Several of the gas tractor pictures were commonly given to
me as ‘steam engine’ pictures.
The photo below shows my grandfather Frank A. Yaeger’s first
tractor, a 30-60 Aultman & Taylor, pulling wagons of grain from
the farm to Glengarry, Mont. The engine was an early one, serial
number 47, built in 1910. Fritz Yaeger is on the tractor, grandpa
Yaeger is in the derby beside the first wagon wheel and
grandma’s cousin, Albert Russi, is beside the second wagon. The
year was about 1914.
I am not certain when Aultman & Taylor quit producing this
type of square radiator with exhaust-draft cooling stack, but I
think it was around 1916. They started installing rear fenders
around 1912. This model was equipped with Aultman &
Taylor’s ‘pneumatic starter.’
The inset photo is a side view of the pneumatic starter
compressor (with wooden handle removed) showing the intake (bottom)
and exhaust check valves and piping to the engine. At the risk of
appearing ill informed as to how the starter operated, I will
repeat what my dad repeated many times to me years ago.
The engine was turned over to where cylinder number one (of
four) was ready to fire, where a dog dropped into a detent in the
crankshaft. The magneto impulse was set, gas was poured into each
cylinder through the priming cups, the air tank was pumped up with
the pictured pump and the crankshaft dog was extracted.
Theoretically, the engine was now running!
Contact engine enthusiast Gary Yaeger at: 1120 Leisha Lane,
Kalispell, MT 59901, or e-mail: yaegerg@in-tch.com