Ford_6L_E350
Senior Member
When on the road I try to stop and see some local color everyday. Beats the boredom of flying across the interstate.
So, crossing Pennsylvania I spied 'Drake's Well' on the map. Just north of Oil City in Titusville is the site of the first oil well in the world. If you want to visit here I would advise you to avoid Pennsylvania Highway 8. That was the cause of a near disaster:
viewtopic.php?f=39&t=7480
On to the good stuff:
[photo:279w0i0n]16764[/photo:279w0i0n]
[photo:279w0i0n]16765[/photo:279w0i0n]
Drake's original drilled hole is in that reproduction building.
[photo:279w0i0n]16766[/photo:279w0i0n]
Some of the boards are more than 24" wide!
[photo:279w0i0n]16773[/photo:279w0i0n]
This little steam engine power the well that pulls oil out of Drake's first well. Drake got 40 barrels a day from his well - about what I burned going to Newfoundland and back.
[photo:279w0i0n]16771[/photo:279w0i0n]
This larger steam engine powers drivers for ~10 wells
[photo:279w0i0n]16772[/photo:279w0i0n]
The larger steam engine is fitted with a 'Barker'. We heard it from the time we parked and wondered what it was until we read this sign.
[photo:279w0i0n]16767[/photo:279w0i0n]
The lower wheel drives the upper eccentrically which pulls the iron rods that power many wells
[photo:279w0i0n]16768[/photo:279w0i0n]
These iron rods can power 1-4 wells
[photo:279w0i0n]16769[/photo:279w0i0n]
Another well driver. The triangle and the iron posts are just supports for an iron swivel
[photo:279w0i0n]16770[/photo:279w0i0n]
Here the driver rod crosses a road. Both the 4x4 pivot at the bottom to transmit power.
The museum had just opened and wasn't really set up yet. The AC worked and the movie about Drake, oil and history was there. Next year it should be quite a bit more.
Mike
So, crossing Pennsylvania I spied 'Drake's Well' on the map. Just north of Oil City in Titusville is the site of the first oil well in the world. If you want to visit here I would advise you to avoid Pennsylvania Highway 8. That was the cause of a near disaster:
viewtopic.php?f=39&t=7480
On to the good stuff:
[photo:279w0i0n]16764[/photo:279w0i0n]
[photo:279w0i0n]16765[/photo:279w0i0n]
Drake's original drilled hole is in that reproduction building.
[photo:279w0i0n]16766[/photo:279w0i0n]
Some of the boards are more than 24" wide!
[photo:279w0i0n]16773[/photo:279w0i0n]
This little steam engine power the well that pulls oil out of Drake's first well. Drake got 40 barrels a day from his well - about what I burned going to Newfoundland and back.
[photo:279w0i0n]16771[/photo:279w0i0n]
This larger steam engine powers drivers for ~10 wells
[photo:279w0i0n]16772[/photo:279w0i0n]
The larger steam engine is fitted with a 'Barker'. We heard it from the time we parked and wondered what it was until we read this sign.
[photo:279w0i0n]16767[/photo:279w0i0n]
The lower wheel drives the upper eccentrically which pulls the iron rods that power many wells
[photo:279w0i0n]16768[/photo:279w0i0n]
These iron rods can power 1-4 wells
[photo:279w0i0n]16769[/photo:279w0i0n]
Another well driver. The triangle and the iron posts are just supports for an iron swivel
[photo:279w0i0n]16770[/photo:279w0i0n]
Here the driver rod crosses a road. Both the 4x4 pivot at the bottom to transmit power.
The museum had just opened and wasn't really set up yet. The AC worked and the movie about Drake, oil and history was there. Next year it should be quite a bit more.
Mike
