Bucyrus Erie Model 22W

[Oldmechthings]

The city where I live gets the majority if its water from wells, and the growing population requires more wells. Several years ago the city let a contract to drill a well in the corner of a city park just a little more than a block from our home. I have this problem of being attracted to machinery like iron to a magnet, so I had to go investigate the ruckus. It only took one trip to become acquainted with the owner operator Robert Perry. He worked alone and enjoyed having visitors like myself come every day to check the progress and chat for a while. Not only did I make a good friend, but I received one heck of an education on well drilling.
Then I have this second problem of wanting to build a model of every kind of old machine I see. So I started looking closely at the workings of the machine. Robert could see my interest, and suggested that rather than building a model of the #36-L machine that he was using that I build a model of a Bucyrus Erie #22-W, because he claimed they were the most popular well drilling machines in the world. Robert loaned me some operators manuals and parts books, and furnished me a key to his yard over in Spanish Fork City where he stored his fleet which included three 22-W machines, so that I could go measure and photograph as needed.
About 10 months later, the model was finished. That may sound quick, but you need to know that back then I did not limit myself to 8 hours a day or 5 days per week.

Right and left side views as it looks today.

Here is a view showing it erected in the driveway right after it was completed.

And another closeup looking down into the workings. The model has all the parts and functions of a full size machine. The only difference is that it is equipped with a variable speed electric motor rather than a gasoline engine. It will do everything the full size one will do. It would probably even drill a well, except the drill stem is so light it would be pretty slow going.

Oh, I need to tell you that when building the model I made double of everything and ended up with two models, one of which was given to Robert. Here is a picture of his little rig, set up next to his much bigger Bucyrus Erie #36-L that he was using to drill the well for the city.

A few pointers on the well he drilled: He started with a 30 inch casing and went down as far as he could drive it, then kept stepping down in sizes as he needed too. They stopped just short of 800 feet. It took about two years although that had not originally planned on that much time. Provo sets in the basin of lake Bonneville. An ancient lake at least equal in size to the great lakes today. Where he was drilling was close to the mountain and the material that he was going through was mostly silty stuff that over time, had washed down off the mountain into the lake. One day as I was visiting, he pulled up a soil sample from 300 feet and when he opened the sampler there was a perfect snail shell about as big as your thumb nail, except it was as soft as drywall mud. The formation had water in it, but being so fine it did not flow very fast. About all they could pump was 500 gallons per minute. So he put a 16 inch screen down the hole and started to develop it. The screen was a stainless steel pipe with very narrow slits, that would let silt through but not course sand. He put a rubber head on his drill stem that acted like a piston. It can be seen in the picture with his model. He spent several months pumping that thing up and down in the hole pushing water out and drawing silt in, and then bailing out the silt. This produced a cavern down in the hole, which provided more surface area for water to seep from. In order to keep the cavern from collapsing in he kept dumping a special processed course sand down around the screen. Would you believe three 18 wheel semi truck loads?. When he finished the well would produce 3500 gallons per minute. Just as a point of interest, the city figures they need a capacity of one gallon per minute per household. So that well should take care of 3500 homes.
Birk

 

[Jadecy]

I love your models! Very nice and a well drilling lesson to boot.

You should be a new show on the science channel....but then I would never get anything done myself because I would always be watching you build. :big:

 

[cfellows]

Birk,

You are one amazing model maker!

Chuck

 

[Divided He ad]

Birk, that is one damn fine model you built there, and Robert is a very lucky guy!
Hats off to those of you out there Who have the talent and patients to scale something so very well. :bow: .. I will never be able to do that!

Ralph.

 

[buckhorn51]

Hello. I have no clue on what im doing using this site. However, Im feeling my way. My most fond memories are the ones I spent with my grand father and his 22-W. There use to b, in a lost photo album, a picture of me, barely walking age, holding the drilling cable just as if I knew what I was doing. Older, I would sit out on the front steps of an old cafe where all the drillers and such would be having a meal or just a hot cup of coffee, take out my box of wooden tinker toys, and in no time, have my own rig built. I remember the story being told to me later of the comments made of my model, and of one man saying, "that thing looks better than some of the real ones out there!" I must say, your model is just unbelievable, to say the very least. Im 61 now, and still, when I spot one of them, have to go check the out. Having grown up working on the rig, and believe me, it is work, its one of those things that never gets filtered out of your blood. My question to you, has the model been sold or would you considder selling it. Altho, its probably far out of my affordability, Im beyond resistance to ask. Even if not, could you possibly share more pics, comments and stories, and anything else you wd care to share about it. I have saved the pics, and appreciate and fully understand your captivation to these near extinct machines. I dont know if emails are available on here as contact info or not. If neened I would be very happy to supply it. Thank you so very much, Buckhorn. P. S. That was my grandfathers nickname, and after his passing, I quickly attched id to keep it going as long as possible. Thanks again!

 

[lazylathe]

That is NEAT!!!

Would you happen to have a video of it in action??
I am sure i am not the only one here that would like to see it swinging up tubes and doing what
it's big brothers do for a living!

Awesome work and attention to detail!!

Andrew

 

[terrywerm]

I remember watching one of those work in my front yard when I was a youngster. Our well had gone dry, and it needed to be sunk from 200' to about 350' and the job was done with one of the old B.E. machines. It was nothing short of fascinating for a young fellow of about 8 years old to watch. Naturally, I had to build one with my Erector set so that I could drill wells in my own little world.

Needless to say, the Erector set model didn't come close to what you created, Birk, and I must say that you have done an exquisite job on your models.

 

[f350ca]

I recently built a flat belt pulley for a cable tool rig. Pretty sure its a Bucyrus Erie but will have to find out the model. Its a truck mounted unit, been on a few trucks over the years, they wear out the rig doesn't. It doesn't get used much any more, the company uses rotary rigs but occasionally it gets doug out of mothballs.
The engine went on it while they were drilling a well, so I had to fabricate a new pulley to mate up to the new engine.
Greg