THE CliShay PROJECT
The Original CliShay
Chapter 9
The journey took us from Pratt back to the Comfort Inn in Ottowa,KS. (We didn’t unpack) I’m not going to say the drive was boring, but mundane things like a grain silo became photo worthy.
The fuel tank holds 23 gallons. The gas stations are far between in parts of Kansas. There was an exciting few minutes while watching for anything that looked like a gas station. We almost didn’t make it!
In the middle of nowhere was a roundabout. The only nearby structures were barns!
We made it to our destination in Indianapolis without incident. Traffic was predictible. Don, Rick Weber and Dave unload the CliShay from the van at Rick’s.
Rick and Don wheel the CliShay into Rick’s shop. The cart was made by a member of Cinder Sniffers during the early days of the original CliShay. The cart is adjustable and breaks down for easy transport and included a small bridge section used to load the CliShay into vehicles.
Rick’s shop is well equipped. Here the CliShay spent the next few weeks while Rick went over it. The original boiler had been replaced. Somewhere along the line the boiler ran dry and was in need of repair. Rather than repair it, a new boiler was made by the builder, Bob Maynard before it was shipped to Pratt.
Steve Brehm said he didn’t think his father ever ran the CliShay. Steve and his family didn’t ride his father’s other trains much. After the van was emptied, there were only a few small cinders on the floor that had fallen out of the firebox. If the engine had been operated in Pratt, we would have probably had more cinders and coal on the floor.
The CliShay’s final homecoming getting close, and the CliShay Fest is getting closer as well. September 28-29 2024 is the CliShay Fest. This 2 day gathering is for CliShays, Geared and Side Rod Engines. For more information see CliShay Fest on the Cindersniffers.org page
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