Tod Engine

William Tod Company

34" x 68" x 60"
Rolling Mill Steam Engine

The centerpiece of the Youngstown Steel Heritage Museum is the 1914 "Tod Engine", built in downtown Youngstown for the Brier Hill Steel Company and used until 1979 at the Youngstown Sheet & Tube Brier Hill Works. As a stationary steam engine is powered six 24" rolling mill stands making sheet bar until the early 1930s and then after conversion to a round mill, making round bars until mid 1979.

Using 150 psi saturated steam, the engine developed 4,000 horsepower at approx. 75 rpm. The steam was used twice, first in the 34" high pressure cylinder and then in the 68" low pressure cylinder before being exhausted into a condenser. One of many steel industry rolling mill engines that were built for use in the US, only two now remain.

We dismantled the Tod Engine in 1996-97 and moved it to our site over several years culminating with the setting of the crankshaft in 2007. The engine was cosmetically restored in 2014 and starting in 2023 is now under restoration to operation. The goal is to operate the Tod on steam using two of our Porter locomotives as the steam source.

Rebuilding the Piston Valves

January 22, 2026 10:33 AM | Rick Rowlands (Administrator)

As part of the operational restoration of the Tod Engine we determined thatr the piston valves were excessively worn and needed reboring. We retained the services of Dimitru Iures at IMS Machine Shop in Boardman to rebore both steam and exhaust valve cages using a Climax portable boring machine. All four cages cleaned up well, the ring grooves on the valves were squared up and new rings were made to the new sizes.
2014 Cosmetic Restoration

January 20, 2026 9:21 AM | Rick Rowlands (Administrator)

The Tod Engine was first operated on February 14, 1914 and in commemoration of the 100th anniversary a concerted effort was made to cosmetically restore the engine for our annual September open house. Over the spring and summer the engine was stripped down, repainted and reassembled including making new cylinder jacketing.

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The Tod Engine Building

January 20, 2026 8:53 AM | Rick Rowlands (Administrator)

In early 2009 we began construction of the Tod Engine Building. A 45' x 60' prefabricated steel building was ordered from Shenango Steel Buildings in West Middlesex, PA. Concrete piers were poured on 6' x 6' x 12" footer pads to spread the weight of the structure to the soil.

The steelwork was erected using an Insley K-12 crawler crane. Runways were added for an 1893 Morgan overhead crane that had been donated by Eddie Kane Steel Co.

The Morgan crane in position on its runways and corrugated sheeting in place.

Although we constructed the building in 2009, it wasn't until 2012 that we had the resources to complete the end walls.
Reassembly of the Tod Engine

January 20, 2026 8:41 AM | Rick Rowlands (Administrator)

In July, 2008 the final assembly of the Tod Engine took place. The 105,000 lb. crankshaft was set into its bearings and flywheel halves bolted to the hub.

Each flywheel half weighs 60,000 lbs. The entire flywheel is held in place with 24 bolts and four shrink links.

A much younger Rick Rowlands standing next to a mostly reassembled Tod Engine in 2008. The next challenge, constructing a building to house the engine.
Moving the Tod Engine Part 2

January 19, 2026 2:09 PM | Rick Rowlands (Administrator)
Moving the Tod Engine to YSH

January 19, 2026 2:00 PM | Rick Rowlands (Administrator)

We stored the Tod Engine in the plate mill at Brier Hill for 9 years until we had a site ready to reassemble it at. Over a period of time we moved the parts to Hubbard Road. Here the LP bedplate is being loaded by Grim's Crane Service.

The LP bedplate leaving the cavernous warehouse bay in the Brier Hill plate mill.

Backing the LP bedplate into position on the concrete pad.

Half of the flywheel was placed in the pit on this day.

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The Tod Engine at Brier Hill

January 19, 2026 1:52 PM | Rick Rowlands (Administrator)

In 1995 we discovered the Tod Engine at the former Youngstown Sheet & Tube Brier Hill Works, then North Star Steel Ohio. Starting on Sept. 20, 1996 we began dismantling the engine, ultimately having it removed by June of the next year. This was the last of the Youngstown rolling mill engines and only one of two that would be preserved out of the entire American steel industry.

The engine powered a 24" six stand merchant mill making tube rounds for the Campbell Works seamless tube mills. Started in February, 1914 the engine ran until the end of 1979.

DJ Rotigel, Arnie Fero, Matt Picaro, Craig Prucha and Rick Rowlands removing flywheel nuts in the winter of 1996.

Rick Rowlands and Craig Prucha after successfully removing one of the connecting rod nuts.

The partially dismantled Tod Engine in the spring of 1997.