the western rivers engine room cyclopedium by alan l. bates

[John Ruy]

Hello All,

 

I am

trying to find a copy of “the western rivers engine room cyclopedium by alan l. bates”. 
 

If you have a copy of this book and are willing to part with it, I would like to purchase it. 
 

Please let me know via PM. 
 

Thanks

John Ruy

[grsjax]

There is one on Amazon for $85.

[John Ruy]

5 hours ago, grsjax said:

There is one on Amazon for $85.

That one is currently unavailable. I did find a copy of The Steamboat Cyclopedium on eBay for 20.00. I had just missed the Engine Room Cyclopedium from that same seller. 
 

Any other source of detail on 1870s Steamboat Engine Rooms would be helpful. 

[Cathead]

@Roger Pellett has elsewhere mentioned a small museum along the Ohio River that sells copies of Bates' books, but for the life of me I can't remember its name or location. Maybe mentioning his name here will get his attention and he can remind us.

[Roger Pellett]

Howard Steamboat Museum, Jeffersonville, Indiana

[kurtvd19]

It is the Howard Steamboat Museum in Jeffersonville, IN.   (812) 283-3728

They usually have both books in stock for under $20 each (its been a bit so they might have raised the prices)

[John Ruy]

Yes… Thanks guys, I emailed them this morning. Seems Capt Bates left his books to the museum and they are making copies in spiral bindings for sale. 
 

The book        $25.00
Tax (Indiana 7%)    $  1.75
Shipping (USPS)    $  8.55
Total due HSM    $35.30
 

I am calling this afternoon to order it. 
 

Thanks for your help…

Edited December 29, 2021 by John Ruy

[John Ruy]

If you guys have any information specifically related to the Robert E Lee engineroom, I would love to have any leads. I plan to build the Steamboat with a viewable engineroom  and would like make it as accurate as possible for 1870. 
 

Thanks again for the lead on the museum. Cheers 

[John Ruy]

Talked to the museum curator today and have a copy of Engineroom Cyclopedium on the way. Travis said he makes up 3 copies of the engineroom and steamboat Cyclopediums every year, they are copies of Alan Baits book with a spiral binding to allow for better layout. They have two copies left of each, if anyone wants them. Give the a call and they can mail them out for the costs listed above. 
 

[kurtvd19]

Shortly before Alan died he talked to myself and two other individuals about working together to update both books.  Unfortunately I am the youngster in the group and by far the junior when it comes to actual knowledge on the subjects.  Neither of the others wanted to get tied up in such a project and I just do not have the knowledge to do the job.  I have the publishing and distribution contact - the NRG - but alas I don't see that there will ever be an update done. 

 

I know that by making the existence of the books better known and being able to get them published we would sell a lot more than 3 copies a year! 

[Cathead]

I wonder if Model Expo would be interested in selling the books. They stock other references and also happen to make the most accurate steamboat model kit out there (Chaperon). It’d be a great cross-promotion to have the books listed with that kit on their website and in their catalog.

[John Ruy]

I asked Travis (curator at Howard Steamboat Museum) about any information they may have specifically on the building of The Robert E Lee, it was originally built in the Jeffersonville shipyard. Travis told me that all of the shipyard information had been given to the Lilly Library at Indiana University in Bloomington, IN. I will be contacting them to try to get information regarding the Robert E Lee’s construction, specifically engine room details. I’ll give it a shot anyway, if not I have got lot of pieces to put together a reasonable facsimile. 😆