CAMA Kent Connecticut

WELCOME!

This is the official site of the Connecticut Antique Machinery Association (CAMA)
located in Kent, CT

Please bookmark this site and return often for updates

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CAMA Home Page Directory
Click on the Highlighted Link of Interest

The Latest News From CAMA

What is CAMA?

How Do I Find CAMA?

Calendar of Events (Shows and Festivals)

Admission Fees/Group Programs

When is CAMA Open to the Public?

How Do I Become a Member of CAMA?

Photo Essays About CAMA Events

CAMA YouTube Videos

CAMA Photo Album

Volunteering at CAMA

History and Future of CAMA

Items for Sale

Searching the World

Links to Other Sites of Interest

Contact CAMA
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The Latest News from CAMA
(latest update on 5/1/12)

Come to our Spring Power-Up this Saturday, May 5, 2012!!!

Click here for the 2012 Spring Power-Up Page

(Click here for a page describing our Annual Meeting)

(Click here for a new For Sale Item - NOS Fairbanks Morse Windmill)

(Click here for a new YouTube video - Rival #296 Apple Corer/Peeler)

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The 27th Annual CAMA Fall Festival was a big success. The weather co-operated for the most part, although lower field parking was, at times, an adventure. Although the flooding had subsided from previous heavy rains, the ground was still soft and wet and high traffic areas needed repair as the weekend progressed.
parking field

This was the parking lot field just weeks before the 2011 Fall Festival!
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2011 - A Record for Wild Weather

As a matter of fact, 2011 is a year that we will all remember for it's variety and severity of weather events. It featured the snowiest winter on record, a tropical storm, torrential rains, and a freak Halloween snowstorm that paralyzed the state. CAMA faired well throughout this onslaught and here are some photos from the year at CAMA in review.


January 4-5, 2011, a snow and wind storm takes the roof sections off of the gondolas.	January 7-8, 2011, a new storm adds to the snow totals.

January 11-12, 2011, CAMA gets dumped on with 18" of new snow	A week later, another 18" of snow, and the Dynahoe was pressed into service to clear the roads.

A wall of ice forms on the Mining Museum, and we fear roof damage from ice dams and loads	Feb. 5, 2011, rain on the snow forces us to clear the Diebold Hall roof of snow.

August 28, 2011, TS Irene, 10" of rain and gale force winds topple trees and flood the grounds.	The parking lot (lower field is completely covered with flood water from Irene).

Halloween 2011 freak snowstorm with the leaves still on the trees	The power was out in Kent for most of a week due to downed branches.

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Early Steam Engine on Long Term Loan to CAMA

CAMA has received an early steam engine from the New York Hall of Science museum in Flushing-Queens, NY. Conrad Milster had restored the engine for that museum many years ago, and hooked us up with the staff. We agreed to take this early engine on long term loan as the NY museum had no intentions of using it as a display in the forseeable future. We will run this engine on steam in our Industrial Hall at the Spring Power-Up. Although the engine is not marked, Conrad believes it to be an Ames engine, from the 1850-1870 era. If so that would make it the oldest engine in our display.

Below are a few photos of the engine during removal and transport to CT. Ray deZara, Jim Anderson, and Jim Daly made the trip to NY to pick up the engine and return it to Kent.


Ray deZara, Jim Daly and Jim Anderson arriving at the museum.	The steam engine on the loading dock.

Jim Daly secures the engine for travel.	Heading to Kent crossing the Throgg's Neck Bridge

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CAMA Now Officially Owns Hawaii Railway #5

The purchase of Hawaii Railway #5 was completed just prior to the end of the 2010 calendar year. The former owner had stipulated a 2010 transfer of ownership. This happened way too early in terms of our fund-raising campaign as we had only collected $65,000 of the $140,000 asking price at the time of the transfer of ownership. In order to complete the sale on time, the Board of Directors was forced to borrow from many of our ongoing project funds to come up with the remaining cash.

As a result, CAMA has put a temporary halt to funding any new capital projects until the borrowed money can be replaced. Projects that were actively underway at the time of the sale (such as the sawmill and the new display cases for the Mining Museum) are being budgeted on an as-needed basis so we are not late on our bills. We have just enough money left to pay our recurring utility bills and that is about it. Thankfully, this is dues time, so as membership dues are being paid, the infusion of cash is giving us a little breathing room. Also, members are asked on their dues renewal letter to donate a little extra towards supporting their favorite area(s) of interest, and donations to date have been very generous. Further donations earmarked for the Hawaii #5 have put us over the halfway threshold with less than $69,000 still to be collected.

The Board of Directors thanks everyone who has donated to our various project funds. Some members and friends have indeed responded multiple times to help us with the #5 purchase. CAMA is hopeful, now with the extraordinary land and locomotive purchases behind us, that we will once again be able to expand our attention to the variety of antique machines that make us so unique.

8/24/10 A Story about the History of Hawaii Railway #5 here


	CAMA-Owned Hawaii Railway Co. Locomotive #5

If you would like to make a donation to the Hawaii Railway #5 fund, send it to

Connecticut Antique Machinery Association
P.O. Box 425
Kent, CT 06757-0425

Remember that CAMA is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization and all donations are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by IRS regulations. Because of our non-profit status, we are also eligible if your company offers a matching gift program. To maybe help you decide if you want to donate, enjoy the following video and take a ride on #5!

YouTube Video - Take a Ride on Hawaii Railway Co. #5

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What is CAMA?

The Connecticut Antique Machinery Association is a non-profit museum dedicated to the preservation, restoration and demonstration of antique machinery from our rich industrial and agricultural past. CAMA is an all-volunteer organization.

Our main focus is to educate the general public as to early industrial and agricultural methods. Our museum currently has eight main areas of focus with exhibits relating to each area. Click on each heading below to link to a page describing each area. CAMA is a living museum meaning that most of our exhibits are operable. See our Calendar of Events to find out when live demonstrations are available.

(Click on photo or title of interest to link to new page)

	The Industrial Hall of Steam Power - Industrial Steam Engines	In our Industrial Hall, we house a large collection of stationary steam engines. Most of these engines are operable and they run three or four times a year at events listed on our calendar. They can also be steamed up by special advance request for a nominal charge. One of our finest examples of industrial steam is the late 1800's Noble T. Greene engine with an impressive 12 foot diameter flywheel. This engine was used for many years to power the Tiffany & Pickett Company wood products mill in Winsted, CT.
	3 Foot Gauge Railroad - featuring Hawaii Railway Co. #5	Live steam and operating deisel locomotives. Railroads were the revolution in transportation that were vital to the Industrial Revolution. Before paved roads, railroads were the preferred method of moving raw materials, finished goods and people. CAMA's operating 3 foot gauge railroad pays homage to this important mode of transportation which fueled America's ascendancy to lead the world in industry. Hawaii Railway Co. #5, a 1925 Baldwin steam locomotive, was used in the sugar cane fields of Hawaii to move cane to the processing mill. A variety of other locomotives and rolling stock fill out this exhibit area.
	Diebold Agricultural Hall - Farm Equipment and Mechanical Implements	We have a diverse collection of tractors, all predating 1950. These include gasoline, dual fuel, and steam powered contrivences dating back to the late 1800's. In addition, we have a large collection of farm-related implements.
	Large Internal Combustion Engines	CAMA has an extensive collection of large internal combustion engines. These engines vary in complexity from relatively simple "hit and miss" single cylinder engines up to a giant 5 cylinder Wolverine diesel, built in Bridgeport, CT and standing 10 feet tall. Engines span the early years of internal combustion from the time when this mode of power was replacing steam as the power source of choice.
	Small Internal Combustion Engines	One of CAMA's newest exhibits is the Small Engine Shop located in the Diebold Agricultural Hall. This exhibit houses a wide variety of small gasoline engines that were very common in the early part of the last century. Dozens of different engines are on permanent display in a space reminescent of a small town repair shop.
	The Connecticut Museum of Mining & Mineral Science	Connecticut's importance to the development of industry in the United States can be traced back to its abundant natural resources. Even before the discovery of iron in Pennsylvania, Connecticut was one of the main producers of this strategically critical metal. The Litchfield Hills are dotted with the ghosts of our early iron industry, and the Mining Museum chronicles it's ascendancy. Also here, is one of the most extensive collections of Connecticut minerals on display in the state. Plan to visit this newly enlarged and improved exhibit space.
	The Cream Hill Agricultural School	Founded in 1845 by Dr. Samuel Gold and his son Theodore in Cornwall, CT, this school is one of the earliest schools dedicated to the teaching of scientific agriculture in the United States. Theodore S. Gold, after the death of his father in 1869, closed the Cream Hill Agricultural School. Theodore later became involved as a trustee and served on the subcommittee entrusted with the organization of the Storrs Agricultural School which eventually became the University of Connecticut.
	Road Construction and Earth Moving Equipment	Road rollers, both steam and internal combustion. Cranes, shovels and backhoes. Road graders and pile drivers. Well drilling and bulldozing. CAMA displays a broad variety of construction and earth moving equipment, many pieces which are still in use on a regular basis at our site in Kent, CT.
	Blacksmith Shop and Blacksmith Education Center	CAMA has a fully functional blacksmith shop with a full large collection of both antique and vintage "tools of the trade". The shop was dedicated in September of 2008 by the late George C. Lay. George donated much of his tool collection to CAMA, and this is currently on display. George also donated monetarily to the construction costs for this important new living exhibit. A proper linking page will follow.
	American #1 Sawmill Exhibit	CAMA's latest exhibit, finished during the winter of 2011, is the American #1 sawmill exhibit. Housed in an open-sided shelter, this antique American #1 sawmill is powered by a McCormick-Deering gasoline engine. Demonstrations of the sawmill occur during our shows or by special appointment. The sawmill is at the heart of a growing collection of wood handling and finishing machinery, including a large planer, drag-saws and a two station wood-splitter.

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How Do I Find CAMA?

The Connecticut Antique Machinery Association is located in Kent, CT on U.S. Rt. 7 less than a mile north of the center of town. Kent is located in the scenic Litchfield Hills in the Northwest portion of the state. As you head north on Rt. 7 out of town, CAMA is on the left or west side of the road.

CAMA is located directly adjacent and to the north of the Sloane-Stanley Museum near historic Kent Furnace. We share a common driveway.

For a map to help you find CAMA, click here (we thank MapQuest for this helpful service)

GPS co-ordinates: 41^o 44.385 N, 73^o 28.095 W.

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Calendar of Events

Upcoming CAMA Events

Saturday May 5, 2012 - 8th Annual Spring Power-Up - confirmed dates of the 2012 edition of CAMA's spring show event (Click here for link to 2012 Spring Power-Up page)

Sunday May 6, 2012 - CAMA Annual Meeting - election of board members and open house for CAMA members only (Click here for the Annual Meeting page)

Saturday June 9, 2012 - Rock and Mineral Swap and Sale - sponsored by the CT Museum of Mining and Mineral Science and the Danbury Mineralogical Society

Friday, Saturday and Sunday September 28, 29, 30, 2012 - CAMA's famous Fall Festival. (watch here for a show page in the upcoming months)

ALL EVENTS ARE RAIN OR SHINE

During the Spring Power-Up, Annual Meeting and Fall Festival, all machinery exhibits are operating unless weather or mechanical conditions prevent their use.

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Admission Fees/Group Programs

(During Regular Hours of Operation)

Admission fee by donation for adults and children (special event fees may be different). The small admission donation helps to offset the considerable cost of maintaining and powering our museum.

Individuals and families are welcome anytime during normal hours of operation. Please arrive at least an hour before closing time to assure sufficient time to see all of our exhibits.

Groups are welcome. We ask that groups intending to visit our museum first contact us so we can properly plan for your visit. If we know your interests beforehand, we can make your visit more enjoyable with special programs and demonstrations. For groups of 6 or more, please give us a minimum of 2 weeks advanced notice.

Special programs are available for school groups and programs can be arranged to include coordinated visits to the Sloane-Stanley Museum. Contact CAMA for more information.

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When is CAMA Open to the Public?

10 AM to 4 PM.

Wednesday through Sunday (closed Monday and Tuesday)

May through the end of October.

Or, by special appointment.

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How do I Become a Member of CAMA?

We invite you to become a member of the Connecticut Antique Machinery Association. The $20 membership fee covers your immediate family. Life membership is a one-time charge of $300.

On a sheet of paper, list your name, address, and phone number, optionally list your special interests and mail it with a check for $20 (made out to CAMA) to: Connecticut Antique Machinery Association, P.O. Box 425, Kent, CT 06757.

Membership entitles you to:

Receiving our semi-annual newsletter by mail and all other special mailings and event information.
Free admission to our spring Power-Up, annual meeting and steam-up/gas-up events (with valid membership card).
Free admission to our Annual Fall Festival (with valid membership card).

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Photo Essays About CAMA Events

Date	Area of Interest	Description	Other Notes
7/13/04	Narrow Gauge Railroad	CAMA Extends it's Railroad Track towards the South	John Hanlon of the Housatonic Railroad donates worker's time, equipment and material
7/15/04	Narrow Gauge Railroad	Additional photos of CAMA's railroad extension	Construction of an at-grade railroad crossing across our entrance driveway
7/18/04	Narrow Gauge Railroad	Taking the Plymouth across our new crossing	The railroad crew tries out the new crossing for the first time

9/11/04	Narrow Gauge Railroad	Tionesta Valley Railroad Caboose #111 - Page 1	A brief history of the Tionesta Valley Railroad and early photos of TVRR #111
9/11/04	Narrow Gauge Railroad	Tionesta Valley Railroad Caboose #111 - Page 2	Moving TVRR Caboose #111 from Pennsylvania to Connecticut
9/11/04	Narrow Gauge Railroad	Tionesta Valley Railroad Caboose #111 - Page 3	Restoration Process Part I - Chassis
9/11/04	Narrow Gauge Railroad	Tionesta Valley Railroad Caboose #111 - Page 4	Restoration Process Part II - Floor and joining original cabin to new chassis
9/11/04	Narrow Gauge Railroad	Tionesta Valley Railroad Caboose #111 - Page 5	Restoration Process Part III - Cabin frame restoration and exterior siding and roof
9/11/04	Narrow Gauge Railroad	Tionesta Valley Railroad Caboose #111 - Page 6	Restoration Process Part IV - Initial painting
TBD	Narrow Gauge Railroad	Tionesta Valley Railroad Caboose #111 - Page 7	Restoration Process Part V - Cupola repair and installation, painting, lettering, iron work
TBD	Narrow Gauge Railroad	Tionesta Valley Railroad Caboose #111 - Page 8	Restoration Process Part VI - Interior work, doors, windows, rubberized roofing - Final chapter

9/16/04	Small Internal Combustion	Small Engine Shop Exhibit	Addition to the interior of the Diebold Agricultural Hall

9/28/04	Shows/Events	Sights at the 2004 Fall Festival - Page 1	Fall Festival sights - photos courtesy of Jim Anderson
9/28/04	Shows/Events	Sights at the 2004 Fall Festival - Page 2	More Fall Festival sights - photos courtesy of Jim Anderson
9/28/04	Shows/Events	Sights at the 2004 Fall Festival - Page 3	More Fall Festival sights - photos courtesy of Mike Piersa

2/8/05	Shows/Events	CAMA booth at the Amherst Railway Society Show	Photos of our booth in W. Springfield, MA on the Big "E" fairgrounds (Jan. 29/30, 2005)

2/8/05	Industrial Hall/Steam	Progress Report on the Industrial Hall Expansion	Photos of construction phase of the Industrial Hall expansion
3/6/06	Industrial Hall/Steam	Update on the Industrial Hall Expansion	More photos in the later stages of the expansion process

3/6/06	Mining Museum	Museum of Mining and Mineral Science Expansion	Part one show early phases of construction of a major addition to the Mining Museum
3/21/06	Mining Museum	Mining Museum Expansion Project Update	Interior construction work on the Mining Museum addition

5/4/06	Industrial Hall/Steam	Restoration of the Hubbard Steam Motorcycle - Page 1	Pre- and post-restoration photos of this one of a kind steam motorcycle (NEW photos)
9/1/06	Industrial Hall/Steam	Restoration of the Hubbard Steam Motorcycle - Page 2	Interior photos of the Hubbard steam engine (NEW photos)

1/16/07	Industrial Hall/Steam	Retrieval of the Nagle-Corliss Steam Engine - Page 1	Photos of the engine on site in the Lafayette Paper Mill prior to removal
1/16/07	Industrial Hall/Steam	Retrieval of the Nagle-Corliss Steam Engine - Page 2	Preparing the Nagle-Corliss steam engine for removal from the mill
1/17/07	Industrial Hall/Steam	Retrieval of the Nagle-Corliss Steam Engine - Page 3	Picking the engine for transport back to Kent
1/17/07	Industrial Hall/Steam	Retrieval of the Nagle-Corliss Steam Engine - Page 4	Delivering the engine to Kent
7/29/08	Industrial Hall/Steam	Installation of the Nagle-Corliss Steam Engine - Page 5	Preparing the foundation for the Nagle-Corliss in our Industrial Hall
7/29/08	Industrial Hall/Steam	Installation of the Nagle-Corliss Steam Engine - Page 6	Installing the Nagle-Corliss steam engine base in the Industrial Hall
8/11/08	Industrial Hall/Steam	Installation of the Nagle-Corliss Steam Engine - Page 7	Installing the flywheel and crankshaft. Completing basic installation

7/30/08	Industrial Hall/Steam	Restoration of the C.H. Brown Steam Engine	A story about the C.H. Brown engine
8/17/09	Industrial Hall/Steam	Restoration of the C.H. Brown Steam Engine - Part 2	Conrad Milster works on the C.H. Brown

11/23/07	Blacksmith Shop	Construction begins on CAMA's Blacksmith Shop	Groundbreaking and framing of our new blacksmith shop

12/10/07	Blacksmith Shop	Construction Update - Blacksmith Shop - Page 2

1/30/09	Fall Festival	2008 Fall Festival Highlights	See photos of CAMA's first 3 day Fall Festival

8/17/09	Agricultural/Steam	Restoration of a 1902 Frick Traction Engine	A story about reviving a recent donation.

8/24/10	Narrow Gauge Railroad	A History of Hawaii Railway #5	Including a brief history of the Baldwin Locomotive Works and the Hawaii Railway Company

TBD - To be determined (under construction)

DATE and SOURCE	Area of Interest	Description	Other Notes
3/12/2009 - Clockmaker1999 (Jim Anderson)	Agricultural/General Interest	1919 Dodge Brothers Depot Hack Running	First run at the 2008 Fall Festival, this early Dodge was added to the CAMA collection.
3/12/2009 - Clockmaker1999 (Jim Anderson)	Industrial Hall/Steam	Hubbard Steamcycle Running	With a bad boiler, CAMA runs the Hubbard Steamcycle on compressed air in the Industrial Hall
9/3/2009 - vaughanvideo	Fall Festival	2001 Fall Festival Tractor Parade	Vaughan did this fine compilation of antique tractors and machinery at a past Fall Festival
9/18/2009 - Clockmaker1999 (Jim Anderson)	Industrial Hall/Steam	C.H. Brown Steam Engine Under Steam	For the first time in ~70 years the C.H. Brown steam engine is restored and run under steam
9/18/2009 - Clockmaker1999 (Jim Anderson)	Agricultural/Steam	Frick Traction Engine Steam Test	After retubing, the Frick Traction engine is steamed up to test the safety relief valve
10/7/2009 - Clockmaker1999 (Jim Anderson)	Narrow Gauge Railroad	Take a Ride on Hawaii #5!	Video of a tender ride on 1925 Baldwin narrow gauge steam locomotive (2009 Fall Festival)
10/8/2009 - Clockmaker1999 (Jim Anderson)	Agricultural/Steam	First Run of the Frick Traction Engine	Video of the 1902 Frick traction engine running at the 2009 Fall Festival
10/30/2009 - vaughanvideo	Mining Museum	Tour of the mining museum	Video of the CT Museum of Mining and Mineral Science during the 2007 Fall Festival
5/7/2010 - Clockmaker1999 (Jim Anderson)	Agricultural/General Interest	Running an Ottawa drag saw	A newly donated Ottawa drag saw is run after many years in storage
5/24/2010 - vaughanvideo	Narrow Gauge Railroad	2001 Steam up of Hawaii #5 in Kent	A video originally done in 2001. Very instructive.
1/24/12 - 1clockmaker1999 (Jim Anderson	Cream Hill Agr. School	Demo of Rival #296 Apple Corer/Peeler	An amazing antique mechanical device peels and cores apples in one operation.

Listing Date	Item Number (click for info)	Description
1/19/12	Fairbanks Morse Windmill (still in original shipping crate	Click here

Listing Date	Inquiry Number	Description of Inquiry
7/18/04	I0001	A CAMA member is restoring a Ruston & Hornsby Ltd Size 7X, Class HRE Airless Injection Oil Engine (40 BHP at 300 rpm). Upon disassembly, the cylinder head was found to be in very poor condition with numerous cracks. The inquirer is searching for a replacement cylinder head. He would appreciate any information that would point him to finding a replacement cylinder head for this engine. This engine was built in Lincoln, England.
6/30/05	I0002 FOUND!	CAMA is looking for a Corliss valve steam engine for it's collection. We would preferably like a "smaller" engine of less than 100HP. We would prefer a donation, however, if the right engine was offered at a reasonable cost, or, we could work out a trade than that would also work.
6/30/05	I0003	CAMA is looking for a set of 3 foot gauge arch-bar trucks for our Tionesta Valley caboose restoration.
6/30/05	I0004	CAMA is looking for a steam assist steering pump for a vertical-boiler Buffalo-Springfield steam roller.

Website	Description
Town of Kent, Connecticut	this is the official town website
Kent, CT Chamber of Commerce	lots of information about thing to do and places to visit while in Kent
Connecticut Bound Tourism Website	a general information website about tourist-related attractions found in the State of Connecticut
We Go Places dot com	a tourist related information website
You Belong in Connecticut Website	doing business, working, learning, living, playing and visiting Connecticut
Litchfield Hills Travel Guide	a listing of travel and vacation information for the Litchfield Hills region of Connecticut

Agricultural Sites dot net	the web's largest agriculture and outdoor world link directory
MuseumStuff.com	a nationwide listing of museums of all sorts
The Sloane-Stanley Museum - Kent, CT.	adjacent to CAMA, a collection of early American tools and implements donated by Eric Sloane, a prominent area artist, writer, and collector
International Stationary Steam Engine Society	information and rosters of stationary steam engine collections
Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington Railway Museum	in Alna, Maine. An excellent 2 foot gauge railroad museum
The Danbury Mineralogical Society	a group dedicated to Western Connecticut geology, mineralology
Society for Industrial Archaeology	Southern New England Chapter. A group dedicated to keeping alive New England's legacy as a pioneer in the Industrial Revolution

Moore's Sawmill	A friend of CAMA, Listen to the song of a sawmill. In Bloomfield, CT

For:	Click on This Link
Fall Festival exhibitor information	FallFestivalInfo@ctamachinery.com
Fall Festival spectator information	FallFestivalInfo@ctamachinery.com
Special groups and programs	GroupPrograms@ctamachinery.com
Membership information	Membership@ctamachinery.com
All other inquiries and general information	CAMAInfo@ctamachinery.com