Watts Campbell important News

reggie_obe · Sep 12, 2019

sandiapaul said:
Update!

We are now the Watts Campbell Preservation Society

Watts Campbell - Home
Paul

The website no longer exists either.

sandiapaul · Sep 14, 2019

Website is long gone. The person that was working on this seems to have disappeared. Very little info on the situation now except some hush hush rumors. I talked with Chad a few months ago and indeed some things have been scrapped.

The whole thing makes me sick

reggie_obe · Sep 16, 2019

What happened to the person mentioned in a previous post, Chuck Taylor? He hasn't posted anything on PM since 2015, but he was signed in as recently as: Last Activity 05-17-2019 10:39 AM

CBlair · Nov 2, 2019

That is too bad, but it does make you appreciate those few industrial museums and old machinery collections that still exist. Also makes you appreciate just how hard an endeavor saving something like this is. Hope we here some better news in the future.

Charles

sandiapaul · Nov 2, 2019

RE Chuck Taylor: I have not heard from or about him in years.

sandiapaul · Nov 28, 2019

So this just came up recently, I have no info about and didn't know it was up, found by accident really.

Home | Watts Campbell Steam Engines

SIP6A · Nov 28, 2019

Sounds like from reading this post that they have given up doing anything with the building and equipment and the “museum” is just going to be on line.

Greg Johnson · Jul 17, 2020

It’s been quite a while. Any new news about Watts Campbell? I heard some machines have been scrapped.

sandiapaul · Jul 20, 2020

I'm out of the loop now, I did hear things have been scrapped as well, but only third or fourth hand. Google st view shows that the engine that had been stored outside in pieces is now gone. Probably scrapped.

SIP6A · Apr 22, 2021

Latest Google earth photo doesn't look good for Watts Campbell. A significant portion of the roof has fallen in and there is a hydraulic excavator working in the building.

Greg Johnson · Apr 22, 2021

I was sent a couple of photos taken inside the Watts Campbell building recently (within the last 6-8 months). The excavator was inside and busy cleaning out all the wonderful history. What a shame it could not have been saved as an important piece of our industrial heritage. I was asked to not share the photos but someday permission may be obtained to post them here. A very sad ending to a historic foundry and machine shop. Fortunately some of their steam engines do survive in museums.

SIP6A · Apr 22, 2021

I'm planning a trip to New York this summer and will check it out and post some photos.

wrenchguy · May 26, 2021

I have a tiny tidbit about a W-C engine at PSCO. Steelton Pa. Its on a list of scrapped engines from the rolling mill dated 1917.
Click to enlarge.

caprottivalvegear · Sep 14, 2022

I have news from Conrad Milster, former chief engineer of Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. He told me that Chad Watts has now died, I believe he said of a heart attack. He couldn't comment on the state of the building though, but going off of the comments above I'm guessing nothing exists of it now. I did ask him about the disassembled Corliss on the bed of a planer, it came out of a New Jersey or PA prison and Chad wanted to restore it but never got around to it.

So as much as I hate to say it, I think the end of Watts Campbell has arrived.

Douglas

sandiapaul · Sep 14, 2022

Chad passed quite a ways back now, over a year or more. I don't think "nothing exists" as of now but I spoke with someone in the spring who said things were deteriorating more and more. They also said that the disassembled engine that was outside(you used to be able to see it on google street view) was now gone and he didn't know where it was. The whole thing is a sad affair.

caprottivalvegear · Sep 14, 2022

sandiapaul said:
Chad passed quite a ways back now, over a year or more. I don't think "nothing exists" as of now but I spoke with someone in the spring who said things were deteriorating more and more. They also said that the disassembled engine that was outside(you used to be able to see it on google street view) was now gone and he didn't know where it was. The whole thing is a sad affair.

Ah i wasn't aware it was that long ago, not sure Conrad was either.

Greg Johnson · Sep 14, 2022

Here is how the big planer looked a year or two ago....very sad.

Greg Johnson · Sep 14, 2022

Here is another photo taken at the same time I presume. A lot of history has been lost there.

caprottivalvegear · Sep 14, 2022

Indeed, its incredibly sad to see. I wonder if at least someone could go in there and get the plates off the machines. Any takers?

rivett608 · Sep 15, 2022

That would be nice but since they are big and brass the scrappers may have already gotten them. Scrappers love brass.

Watts Campbell important News

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