The steam hoist that went to Rough and Tumble did not need to be refurbished. The quarry took good care of it, and the remains of the engine house protected it from the weather. There was some rust in the bearings, but this was cleaned off by hand during the move. The bearing surfaces are not perfect, but as long as they are kept oiled they are adequate for demonstration purposes where the hoist operates without a load.
The other moving parts were also cleaned of dirt and then well oiled or greased. A jack was then set against the gears and the engine was manually turned over to make sure everything was free moving. The only actual repair was replacing a rubber gasket between the steam chest and the piping. This was accomplished by using scissors to cut a stock piece of rubber and then punching holes in it so the gasket would fit over the bolts holding down the pipe. The repair took a matter of minutes.
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After lowering the pipe and bolting it down, the steam valve was opened and the engine ran.
The last steam hoist operated under steam in December of 1980 when the quarry that it served closed. The only access to the quarry, which was about 750 feet deep at that time, required the use of the steam hoists.
Steam hoists at an adjacent quarry were last operated under steam in the late 1960s. Another part of the same hole remained in operation using electric hoists, but the water pump was in the part of the quarry serviced by the steam hoists. Occasionally throughout the 1970s, when the pump needed to be serviced, a steam hoist was operated to reach it. However, the boilers were out of service so a portable air compressor was brought in and connected to the steam line.
The hoists that the new quarry currently operates are electric. However, these started life as steam hoists at least 80 years ago. The steam equipment was removed and an electric motor substituted. Except for the trolley style controller, the hoists work just like the steam powered ones. The steam engine reversing levers are even there, though not connected to anything.