1916 Stanley Model 826

  I am in search of information on Mr. Fred Lewis and on his 1916 model 826 double boilered Stanley. Its serial number is 16813 and it is only one of two model 826 Stanleys ever made.

     Mr. Fred Lewis of New York owned real estate in New York, California and in later years he had a large ranch in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.  A few of his luxury cars have survived today, like our 1916 Stanley model 826 that was taken in on trade at The Clark Bros. Buick dealership in 1922 in Pomona, California.  His employees had stated that Mr. Fred Lewis's model 826 was raced at Daytona Beach, Florida. 

    The model 826 Stanley was delivered 8/26/1916 from the Stanley Steam Car Co. as a running chassis and it was set up with two boilers.  Where the second boiler was installed is where the driver usually sat.   Everything in the driver's area was moved to the rear to make room for the second boiler.  Moved to the rear by 30 inches were the steering gear, both brake cross shafts, hook up and brake pedals and even the pump pit was moved to the rear.  The car's Daytona racing career was short because it was soon sent to Mr. Fred Lewis's California Diamond Bar Ranch outside of Los Angeles.  About this time the rear boiler was removed and the model 826 was refitted as a truck to haul workers and supplies to his ranch.  Goldie Moore of La Verne, California  purchased the model 826 from the Buick dealer in 1922 and he used it in his plumbing and welding business up until 1929.  In 1961 Goldie built a depot hack body for it and that is the way that it was when I purchased it in 1998 from Goldie's son, Richard Moore.

    The model 826 is a steeled frame Mountain Wagon type with the 30 hp Stanley engine and boiler mounted on a 136" wheel base. The cross member that holds the engine support strap is notched so the engine could have a larger crank gear for higher speeds. The engine presently is geared 50 to 80.   The model 826's steel frame is still drilled for the relocation of the driver's controls to the rear and it also has the mounting holes in the frame for the second 30 hp boiler.  All these extra holes all look like they there were professionally drilled at the Stanley Factory. 
 

~ click to enlarge ~
 

The pump pit is still mounted at its relocated rear position.  To return them to their single boilered forward location the hook up levers still show where new pieces of rod have been welded back in. The firewall and doors look like they came from the Stanley factory but the aluminum body looks like a custom built body.  Brent Campbell looked at some of the early photos of this steamer's body and he thinks that it has historical significance and that it should be preserved.  The model 826's unusual aluminum flush sided two place cab is now stored in my garage.  I have mounted an authentic noncondensing 12 passenger Mountain Wagon body on the frame and I am restoring it as a correct 12 passenger Mt. Wagon.  A couple Mountain Wagon components that the model 826 still had under it are the under-frame mounted 50 gallon water tank, and its original Mt. Wagon fuel tank.  These two items wouldn't have been found on the frame when it was used as a double boilered racer.

email: rp.farrell@verizon.net

 

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June 18, 2005

Dear Dick,      Attached are photos taken today of the Mt. Wagon.  It was the first time the Mt. Wagon left the farm. We went to Gordon Sullivan's open house for the NW Steam Society.  We didn't do much steaming today because the main fuel didn't want to pump up.  We will figure that on out in due time.  It pumped up fine this morning but later it would not pump at all.  Acted like a vapor lock.  I will figure it out.   SSsssteamer
	Dear Bob,       I heard that your Mt. Wagon running gear is getting first class attention from Don Bourdon.  I hope that it comes together quickly.  We still have your old Mt. Wagon body parts here in good storage, so when you are ready for them, holler.  I will deliver.         Our steam clinic was a success in spite of the rain.  We had about 20 people coming and going during our clinic.       Our Mt. Wagon has been a lot of fun, and it looks great and runs great too.  Hear are a couple of shots of it from our Steam Clinic.   I am presently working on a windshield for it.  Notice how far the hood sits back on the frame compared to the wood framed Mt. Wagons' hoods.  Notice also the front frame horns are of ram's horn '16 design instead of the smooth flowing '15 design.  I went with the original dash because I didn't want anything less than correct for 1916. I am using the hand operated horn until I get the correct electric horn ready for it.   The cowl lamps are both electric and kerosene.  In spite of it's size, it is a pretty snappy ride!.   Your friend always, SSsssteamer
	September '05
	Dear John,     We just finished a 4 day HCCA tour with our Mt. Wagon and we wanted to share with you a couple of shots. Post them if you would like.   SSssteamer
	June '06
	Dear Friends,       I  have always been told that if something was a lot of fun, it had to be either illegal or immoral; it doesn't have to be.  Ever since we got our Mt Wagon running, it has been busy bringing smiles to faces and installing outrageous steamy memories in young minds.        I think that if more people could have this type of fun, the world could be a better place to live.       Look at the smiles on those faces.  With the little people, we often carried 14 of them and once we even counted 16 aboard.       My daughter Julie took these steamy photos.   SSsssteamer