Model Steamboats To Chug At Cabin Fever Expo
ANTHONY K. WIKRENT
Cabin Fever Expo
YORK (York Co.) The sev
enth annual Cabin Fever Expo
opens 9 a.m. Saturday and Sun
day, January 18 and 19, at the
York County Fairgrounds Me
morial Hall East and West. This
year’s special feature is a large
indoor pond with dozens of
model steamboats hoisting
anchors and chugging away, op
erated by members of the North
American Steamboat Modeler’s
Association.
Cabin Fever Expo is an exhibi
tion devoted to all types of model
engineering, featuring live opera
tion of scale model engines, and
other types of machinery, includ
ing machine tools, tractors, air
craft, and trains.
Cabin Fever Expo has grown
rapidly to become one of the two
most popular shows in North
America for home shop machin
ists and metal working hobbyists.
Show organizers Gary and Jared
Schoenly expect this year’s event
will draw more than 6,000 at
tendees, in addition to the hun
dreds of vendors and exhibitors.
Additional space this year al
lows space for the indoor steam
boat pond. Jared, Gary’s son, is
studying mechanical engineering
at the University of Pittsburgh,
and did the necessary design cal
culations for a plastic-lined 30x50
feet pond, containing 10,000 gal
lons of water.
Construction materials and
know-how are provided by
Gary’s brother-in-law, who oper
ates a pool construction and
maintenance company.
Attendance has been recorded
from almost all 48 contiguous
states at past Cabin Fever Expos,
and this year a special tour group
representing European live
steamers is expected to attend.
About two dozen model steam
boats, ranging from one foot to
four feet in'length, will be operat
ed by members of the North
American Steamboat Modeler’s
Association (NASMA). NASMA
is group of model steamboat en
thusiasts interested in building
and operating all varieties of
nautical live steam models. Tug
boats are the most popular type
of model steamboat operated,
along with steam launches.
Modelers like launches because
there is no deck hiding the steam
power plant and auxiliary ma
chinery within the hull. The en
gine and boilers thus are dpen to
hill view, inspection and ad
miration. All the models are
radio-controlled, and run on al
cohol or “camping gas,” a small
can containing a combination of
butane and propane that can be
purchased at any sporting goods
store. The pond is large enough
for a handful of the smaller mod
els to operate simultaneously, but
may not be big enough for the
turning radius of the larger mod
els. Those will be able to run back
and forth across the pond, and
perhaps be turned around by
hand.
Steve Siegel, editor of the
NASMA newsletter, said that one
NASMA member from Lititz
plans to bring his four-foot model
of a Lake Chautauqua steam
boat, which many people have
mistaken for the real item when
viewing'photos. *
Lancaster
North American Steamboat Modelers’ Association will have dozens of model steam
boats hoisting anchors and chugging away in the indoor pond.
The pond is large enough for a handful of the smaller models to operate simulta
neously, but may not be big enough for the turning radius of the larger models. Those
will be able to run back and forth across the pond, and perhaps be turned around by
hand.
Modelers like launches because there is no deck hiding the steam power plant and
auxiliary machinery within the hull. The engine and boilers thus are open to full view, in
spection and admiration. All the models are radio-controlled, and run on alcohol or
“camping gas,” a small can containing a combination of butane and propane that can be
purchased at any sporting goods store.
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, January 11,2003-B1
(Dcsites*
The NASMA steamboaters will
be making a conceited effort to
have some of the smaller model
steamboats available for opera
tion by children and teens. Steve
also expects a hill-size 25-foot
steam launch, the Adamy 111, to
be displayed by Charlie Roth,
Gardiner, N. J. The hull is a de
sign of the Rochester Launch
Co., Rochester, N. Y. The engine
is a 10-horsepower Crescent com
pound, and the boiler is a 40
square foot vertical fire tube boil
er. This steam power plant is
about 20 years old, and was built
and previously owned by the
owner of the Crescent Engine
Co., Point Pleasant, N.J.
The propeller is 23-inches in
diameter. Because the boiler
bums either coal or wood, and
the launch will be displayed in
doors, Charlie will not be able to
“fire ‘er up.”
But that won’t be a problem
for the estimated 1,000 model op
erating engines. Compressed air
lines will be available to run those
engines normally requiring
steam. For the internal combus
tion engines, Gary and Jared
have made sure the halls will be
well ventilated.
Altogether, 400 to 500 exhibi
tors are expected at Cabin Fever
Expo. In addition to hundreds of
engines, machine tools and other
mechanical devices will be on dis
play. Displays include ail types of
model engineering: hot air en
gines, gas engines, internal com
bustion engines, machine tools,
airplanes, boats, ships, trains,
cars, and tractors.
In addition, 80 vendors will
display a wide range of goods for
sale, including complete model
engine kits, parts and compo
nents, plans, machine tools, tool
and shop accessories, equipment,
and books.
An exhibitors sale area allows
participants to sell up to six item
s. This year, Gary and Jared have
also organized an Iron Fever
Auction for Friday, January 17,
beginning at 4 p.m. Two hundred
lots have been consigned, includ
ing an Atlas Metal Shaper, a
number of different make lathes,
a few South Bends, a watchmak
er’s lathe, hot air engines, hit and
miss engines, rare machinery cat
alogs, and Buddy-L toys. Inspec
tion of items being auctioned will
be from noon to 4 p.m. on Friday.
$5 admission covers both days;
children under 12 will be ad
mitted free.
Six seminars on various as
pects of home shop machining
taught by accomplished crafts
men will be offered at various
times during the show. No addi
tional costs are charged to attend
seminars by Jerry Frisbie, Bruce
Harr, and Chuck Kuhn.
• Carburetion miniaturization
- Richard Zipper
• Lathe rebuilding and scrap
ing - Roger Grosser
• Fundamentals of CNC ma
chining - Marty Knox
• Model builder materials -
Cliff Schrock
• Model engine ignition sys
tems - Rudy Kouhoupt
• Machining techniques in
model engines
More information about Cabin
Fever Expo, directions, and a
map can be viewed at the Web
site www.cabinfeverexpo.com.
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