1915 J. I. Case Steam Engine 65 hp

"Image of the 1915 J. I. Case Steam Engine 65 hp inside the Ag Museum."

The agricultural giant back in the late 19th and early 20th centuries was the steam engine. As a typical general-purpose tractor, the Case 65 horsepower steamer was adaptable for almost any heavy-duty farming operation. Steam engines were originally brought out to the Midwest to break up the sod and turn virgin prairie into fertile farming ground. It easily handled a six to eight bottom plow. Steam engines also powered many a threshing crew and were capable of operating the largest threshing machine of the time – the Case 40x62.

The steam engine was rated a 65 belt horsepower and 40 drawbar horsepower. It had a maximum speed of 2.4 miles per hour. Its weight without water is 20,600 pounds.

Case engines came in different sizes, including 30 hp, 40 hp, 50 hp, 60 hp, 65 hp, 75 hp, 80 hp, 110 hp and 150 hp. Horsepower is defined as a unit of measurement that signifies the rate at which work is taking place. One horsepower is equivalent to the power needed to lift 33,000 pounds one foot in one minute.

The Agricultural Heritage Museum's 65 hp Case was manufactured in 1915, serial number 33043. It spent its working life north of Watertown. It features optional equipment purchased with the original engine including contractor's fuel bunkers and a fully-jacketed (northern) boiler.

The museum staff restored the engine between October 1982 and June 1983. The restoration has been ranked by the J. I. Case Company as one of the three finest restorations in the country.

Photos of moving the 1915 Case Steam Traction Engine into the museum in 1982.

Two men moving a section of a steam engine tractor into the building. This section has two red wheels attached. There is also a women walking through the side of the photo.
Moving Case Steam Traction Engine front wheels into the museum.
A group of men moving the steam block of the steam engine tractor into the museum. The walls and floors are gray and the doorway they are moving it through has a section of curved windows at the top.
Moving Case Steam Traction Engine in the museum.
Moving the steam engine into the museum. The walls and floors are gray and the steam engine tractor is black. there are four men around the front of the tractor that are using items to slide the engine in.
Plywood laid down to protect floor.
Moving the steam engine into the museum. There is plywood laid beneath the engine to prevent the floor from damage. The front wheels are taken off the engine so it can fit through the doorway. The tractor is black with red wheels. A group of men are helping move the tractor through the door.
Case Steam Engine moving into its new home.
A group of men are reattaching the front wheels on the steam engine. The tractor is black and the wheels are red. There are three men working on the tractor.
Moving Case Steam Traction Engine in the museum and getting the front wheels back under the engine.