Lentz Steam Engine

Lentz Steam Engine. . The steam engine was a unique part of the industrial history of America’s heartland. Engines, such as this one, provided the power to generate electricity and run machines in hundreds of factories and municipalities throughout the world. , This Lentz steam engine was built by the Erie City Iron Works, Erie, Pennsylvania in 1925. It provided power to generate electricity for the Municipal Light of Denver, Colorado, until it was purchased in 1946 by the American Excelsior Company of Rice Lake, Wisconsin. Once installed at American Excelsior the steam engine generated power for all the plant’s lights, and small motors, and, by the means of a line shaft, also ran all the production machinery. The boiler that produced the steam to operate the engine was fueled by wood scrap making the operation very efficient. The mill operated 20 hours a day 5 days a week, making excelsior, which was bailed and shipped by mail all over the U.S. The unit was taken out of service in 1976. This Lentz balanced poppet valve steam engine weighs 16 tons and is 19 ft. wide, and 21 ft. long. The flywheel has a diameter of 12 ft. It is a single cylinder engine with a 19 inch bore and a 21 inch stroke. It created 350 horsepower and operated at 200 RPM. , The engine has been restored meticulously by several local groups using original blueprints and plans.