Youngstown Steel Heritage

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Youngstown Steel Heritage Youngstown Steel Heritage is a non profit organization that operates the J&L Narrow Gauge Railroad in

We would like to take this opportunity to thank our sponsor Bill Brandenstein of Steel City Fueling Systems for another ...
10/14/2026

We would like to take this opportunity to thank our sponsor Bill Brandenstein of Steel City Fueling Systems for another donation of diesel fuel to Youngstown Steel Heritage. Thanks to Bill's generosity we were able to fill the Hyster forklift, Grove crane and 70 ton diesel locomotive with some fuel to spare!

Steel City Fueling Systems, Inc. is certified to perform fueling system installation, modification and removal activities in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio. They specialize in the installation and maintenance of fueling systems for emergency generators at hospitals, data centers, airports, telecommunication facilities, coal mines, educational and correctional institutions, and mission critical operation centers.

https://www.steelcityfueling.com/

10/13/2026

This twin tandem compound reversing engine was built by Mackintosh Hemphill for the Pittsburgh Crucible Steel Co. in Midland, PA in 1913.

10/12/2026

Cloudy days...

What a View! We will have this vantage point open for visitors next year.
10/11/2026

What a View! We will have this vantage point open for visitors next year.

Tod Engine is out of service for more restoration work and upgrades to the electric motor drive. There is a long list of...
10/11/2026

Tod Engine is out of service for more restoration work and upgrades to the electric motor drive. There is a long list of work still to do including grouting the HP bedplate, installing the governor and HP eccentrics and installing different drive tires for more tractive effort.

We work on the engine and other projects every weekend from 10 am to 4 pm. If you would like to lend a hand please come on out!

10/10/2026

We finally have all of the Corliss valve mechanism functioning on the Tod Engine. The dash pots are set up to not trip since the valve stems are no longer connected to the valves. Not 100% accurate but good enough for demonstration purposes.

Finally the sign over the east door is up! And the new light.
10/04/2026

Finally the sign over the east door is up! And the new light.

10/04/2026

More of the motion work on the Tod Engine's LP cylinder is working. Next is to get the dash pots moving.

When we think of the bearings on the Tod Engine, the inclination is to believe that since they are supporting the massiv...
10/01/2026

When we think of the bearings on the Tod Engine, the inclination is to believe that since they are supporting the massive weight of the crankshaft and flywheel that the pressure on the bearings must be pretty high. But are they?

Lets compare to something that many of us are familiar with, a plain bearing on a railroad freight car. A freight car weighing 252,000 lbs. has eight 6 1/2" x 12" journals. Each journal is supporting 31,500 lbs. Each journal bearing has approximately 72 square inches of contact area. 31,500 divided by 72 is 437.5 psi.

The crankshaft and flywheel including connecting rods weigh 230,000 lbs. (almost the same weight as a fully loaded freight car). Each journal is thus supporting 115,000 lbs. The contact area is 840 square inches. 115,000 divided by 840 is 136.9 psi.

From this we see that the bearing pressure is three times greater for a freight car journal bearing than for the main bearings on the Tod Engine. Low bearing pressures with ample lubrication in controlled conditions all played a part in the design of these massive engines, resulting in service lives measured in decades. In our case, 65 years of service between 1914 and 1979.

Address

2261 Hubbard Road
Youngstown, OH
44505

Opening Hours

10am - 2pm

Telephone

(330) 272-4089

Website

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