History group reassembles 1914 engine

The Tod Engine Foundation on Tuesday finished the reassembly of its 1914 William Tod Co. rolling-mill steam engine. It took two of Grim’s Cranes, above, to lift the 50-ton-plus crankshaft. Bill Grim, left, and Dick Macek help to coordinate the lift. Rick Rowlands and Larry Beviviano, at right, watch from above as the giant crankshaft slides into place. The fit is tight, below, as the crankshaft is placed on top of the engine and 75-ton, 20-foot-diameter flywheel. Inches mean a lot as Macek tells Grim how precise the fit is. The massive 260-ton-plus engine was built in downtown Youngstown, one of hundreds of such rolling-mill engines built locally by the William Tod Co. — but the only one that still exists, according to the foundation. Over the summer, the foundation will construct a 3,800-square-foot building at the Tod Engine Heritage Park on Hubbard Road to house this historic engine. The new building will be a close approximation of a steel mill building. A fund- raising drive has gathered more than $30,000 toward the goal, but at least that amount remains to be raised for the building and engine restoration.