ESCANABA - What is 1,512 cubic feet in size, weighs 80 tons, and recently moved to its permanent home in Escanaba?
The answer is: a huge marine diesel engine which is now permanently displayed at the Steam and Gas Engine Village at the U.P. State Fairgrounds.
With the help of two large cranes, the Fairbanks-Morse diesel engine was moved Jan. 14 from a temporary location at the village to its final resting place - a concrete base north of the blacksmith shop.
The U.P. Steam and Gas Engine Association received the engine as a donation from Basic Marine and Basic Towing two years ago, according to Robert Willis, club vice president.
"At that time, it was temporarily placed in the Steam and Gas Engine Village until a suitable place could be found for a concrete base to be constructed as a permanent display," Willis explained.
On the morning of the big move, the monstrous engine was lifted by two cranes, courtesy of Roy Ness Contracting and Northern Machine and Engineering. Basic Marine and Basic Towing personnel also assisted at the scene.
"Thanks to their generosity and know-how, the engine was loaded on a flatbed truck and moved to its permanent location, a base composed of approximately 20 cubic yards of reinforced concrete," said Willis.
Moving the Fairbanks-Morse engine was no easy task, and was completed in just little more than three hours, he said. The new exhibit weighs 80 tons and measures 24 feet long, nine feet tall, and seven feet wide.
The U.P. Steam and Gas Engine Association plans to clean and paint the engine and build a protective roof over the display. The organization also plans to restore the engine to operating condition. In its heyday, the engine produced 3,000 horsepower at 200 revolutions per minute.
"This amazing engine will be a wonderful addition to the Steam and Gas Engine Village for the U.P. State Fair and the U.P. Steam and Gas Engine Association shows," Willis noted. "Its size and uniqueness will undoubtedly attract viewers of all ages for many years to come."
The U.P. Steam and Gas Engine Association was founded in 1976 as a non-profit corporation dedicated to the preservation, restoration and enjoyment of early steam engines, gasoline engines, tractors, and other equipment, explained Club President Skip Dufour.
The association participates in many events in the region and sponsors an annual exposition of early agriculture equipment on Labor Day weekend at the fairgrounds in Escanaba. Big Ole's Pioneer Days in July is another opportunity to visit the Steam and Gas Engine Village.
