My wife Linda and I got up to see the recreated turbine windmill today, there in southeastern PA. The owner, Jay McGinnis, runs a business that makes or restores period ceiling fans & their line shafts. His house has plenty of them, along with a nice collection of stationary engine models. Here’s Jay and Linda in his sun room. It’s 3 stories, with fans at each level!
In is porch room he has a couple models (1:12?) of his big windmills on the property, made by a local Amish young man.
Here’s his “horizontal” windmill, which we’d come to see. “Horizontal” is the generic term for wind-driven wheels laid horizontally (and therefore having a vertical axis), including Southwick’s Turbine, which this is an adaptation of.
Unfortunately, the power to the mill wasn’t working, and his motorized shutters wouldn’t open. Jay was quite surprised and annoyed, saying the (after much effort) something must have chewed up a cable. Anyway, he’ll get it working in a few days. It was great to see it though, nonetheless.
So we moved on to the big’un, the 1900 Aermotor. Has 16’ dia. blades, and there’s only one other one in existence. The wood tower is new, but all the working parts and steel tower inside are all original. He bought it as an unopened kit, that had never been put together!
When we went inside, he cranked a cable making the tail turn perpendicular to the fan, and all the machinery started working. Really cool to see (and hear) that! His web site has lots of pics of the construction of this mill.
If any of y’all want to go, just drop him a line (or have me do it) to request a visit and make sure his turbine’s working. And if the timing works out, I’d like to tag along and see it work myself.
