Cool T-Rex

Montville, CT  2020

Happy Easter

Montville, CT

Not exactly my idea of an Easter egg.  Happy Easter to all who celebrate.  With Easter comes the hope of some nice spring weather, after a long winter in Connecticut.

Smoke Stack

Montville, CT

Wagon Wheel

Montville, CT

Rocking Chair and Barber's Pole

Montville, CT

The Houston, Stanwood and Gamble Co Stationary Steam Engine

Montville, CT

I could find very little information by searching on the web for the Houston, Stanwood and Gamble Co.  It has been rare when I can't even find a mention in Wikepedia when I search for a company, place, building or artifact.  The best I can figure out is that the company existed back in the late 1880's  and made stationary steam engines like the one shown here.  They made a lot of them in their short history for use in such places as saw mills, primarily throughout the south.  The Gamble in their name has some relation to the huge Proctor and Gamble Co.  Searching for company turns up many images, and references to people who collect old steam engines.  I'm not sure what became of the company.

While photographing this engine I was approached by a gentleman who offered a little history of the engine and asked if I was a collector or "steam engine buff".  I said no, I was just intrigued by the engine and enjoyed photographing it.  He then offered to pose with the engine for a fee of $25.00, or 3 pictures for $60.00.  I politely declined.  I think he might have been the owner of the antique mall in the background.   

Frick Eclipse "Portable" Steam Engine

Montville, CT

Over the last year and a half or so, I've been watching the construction of a new antiques mall located in Montville, CT, right next to the Nature's Art attraction, home of the T-Rex which has been featured prominently in this blog.  Now the mall is complete and is decorated outside with a couple of antique engines, including this Frick Eclipse Steam Engine.  The Frick Co was founded in 1873 by George Frick who developed a small steam engine suitable for use on a farm.  For their time, the engine pictured here was considered to be "portable" in that it could be pulled by horses to any location which needed power.  The Frick Co also produced steam tractors.  Soon the company found out that their steam engines were ideally suited to drive ammonia compressors,  which were needed by the refrigeration industry.  They eventually became a company known for their refrigeration units.  Today the company survives as a part of the larger Johnson Controls Co, still making large refrigeration units.  I'm pretty sure their modern compressors don't rely on steam power.

Thomas G Faria Corp.

Montville, CT

It's nice to see some of the old mills and manufacturing sites still in use.  I found this site during on one of my travels and after a little bit of research discovered that this company started out making tachometers and now provide a whole line of analog and digital gauges for both the marine and automotive industry.

Water Tower

Montville, CT

Ho, Ho, Ho.....

Montville, CT

I don't think he'll be coming down anyone's chimney.