Carl and the Ferris Wheel!

Keith and I both love the Ferris Wheel. It has been my favorite ride since I was a kid. Since Keith and I have been together, when we have the opportunity to ride the Ferris Wheel we take advantage. “I love seeing the view of the town from the top,” Keith said when we took a ride last weekend during the Pawnee Prairie Days.

When we think of Ferris wheels, we think of our friend Carl Davis because Carl is a welder that builds them!

If you are an antique tractor collector, you may know that Carl is an antique tractor collector, however you might not know his Ferris wheel story.

Carl’s Story

“I went to grade school, junior high and high school in Jacksonville. I graduated in 1979. I have two older brothers and a twin sister. And my younger sister just turned 60.”

Carl Davis works at Eli Bridge Company in Jacksonville, Illinois.  Carl said that he has worked there for 30 years since May 31^st.  At Eli Bridge, he does a wide array of duties. ” I’m a welder, a part cutter, and I do multiple jobs.

He got started from a suggestion from a friend. “Years ago, I was working for JO Harris. They worked on farm machinery, and a friend of mine worked at Eli Bridge, and he said there were some openings. He said they needed a maintenance man.  I thought I wouldn’t mind that.  Working for them, they had retirement and stuff.  I put in an application, and that was about the first of May, it took a bit, but I knew some guys that worked there they pushed for me and helped me out.”

It wasn’t long before he moved up. “After about six or eight months they learned I knew how to weld.  In the meantime, the foreman I was good friends with said, ‘how about I take you under my wing and teach you how to weld right’ then I moved over there.”

Details

Besides knowing how to weld, Carl said he has had specific training because of the safety requirements of the ride. He has four distinctive welding certifications.  They test the wheels at the shop too. “No one rides until we load test it.  We put 660 lbs. in each seat. No one would ever weigh that much.  We test them severely overloaded. When we stop, we stop with it straight up to make sure the brakes hold. They always hold, then we take a joystick press forward and make sure it will move to load from a dead stop.”

Today Carl love’s seeing Ferris wheels at carnivals, and often recognizes them. When he gets a chance, he gets a photo taken in front of them!

Eli Brige Company

The company story Carl said goes back to the Chicago World’s fair in 1893. “The company originated in Roodhouse, Illinois because they were building bridges, that’s why the name is Eli Bridge.”

William Sullivan attended the World’s Fair and was mesmerized by the Ferris wheel there. “A draftsman he drew pictures of it, then he came back and went into the shop saying it would be neat to make a smaller version to take places and let everybody ride on it.”

They have been building Ferris wheels ever since.

Ferris Wheel details

Keith is fascinated by the fact that he heard back that a lot of Ferris wheels were powered by Allis Chalmers motors back when. Carl explained, “The Ferris Wheels were powered by a 128 cu. in, AC motor. That would be like a C or B motor I’m not sure which one.”

At the Eli Bridge Company, they also build the scrambler and Carl said, “The scrambler had a 138-cu. in. motor also made by AC. There are still a few Ferris wheels with AC motors, but I don’t know where they are.”

The Ferris wheel he saw at Prairie Days in Pawnee, Illinois Carl said is the Hi-5-2 that stands 45 feet tall and has 12 seats. “We still make it the wheel has a 45′ diameter.”

Besides the Hi-5-2 Ferris wheel at Pawnee they also had what Carl called, “The Kitty Wheel” that is 15′ tall. with six or seven seats. One of my favorites is the adult and kiddie scrambler, we build both. The kiddie scrambler is not very big. I like making any of them.”

The Centennial Wheel like at Chicago’s Navy Pier Carl said, are not the same as a Ferris wheel. “They are foreign made, and they are not really Ferris wheels.”

Carl explained that the wheels he builds are Ferris wheels because when you come over the top there is only sky above you and you are out in the open. However, the big wheels have the rider in an enclosed gondola car.

Set up and take down of the Ferris wheel and servicing them

“Carnival companies like Conners Family Amusements that set up at Pawnee, those guys have set it up multiple times and within two and a half, to three hours will have it set up and running.  Tear down takes about the same length of time three hours up, and three hours down.  It takes three to four guys to put it up, and each with their own job.”

Carl explained the complicated way the Ferris wheel is set up, but it was beyond my comprehension!

While he works in the shop building, Carl has also traveled to set up and work on Ferris wheels. “I have traveled with another guy and put a Ferris wheel up in Pensacola, and Fort Walton Beach, Florida. I have been four places in California, to Fargo, North Dakota, New York, North Carolina, and I have been to Boise Idaho, and Chandler, Arizona. I have been all over the country putting them up.”

Carl loves what he does

“I love getting to make things.  I take a raw piece of steel that comes in on truck we cut it, drill and sandblast it, then take all the pieces and put them together. As soon as its together we run it and take it apart and ship to the customer.  I get to go and help put it up,” Carl said. “I love seeing the end product from where it started.”

Carl the collector

“I have been collecting David Bradley probably at least 25 years. One year me, my friend Dale and a bunch from Prairieland in Jacksonville went to Aumann Auction’s sale at the Christian County fairgrounds in Taylorville. There I saw my first David Bradley, and I bought one that had 5 attachments for $45.00 I still have that tractor.”

Besides David Bradley, Carl has been collecting John Deere Garden tractors and tractors for 32- 33 years. “I have a 52 JD A, cyclone, one of the last ones built, a 53 Super M and a 57 420 JDU. A friend of mine bought it at a state of Illinois auction. It was painted orange for the state of Illinois. I still have the ID tag for that tractor. It was originally used to pull a roller to keep the runway flat for his Piper Cub airplane.”

Carl is a collector, builder, and Ferris wheel expert. He is a fascinating guy with an interesting job. Who do you know that has an amazing career like Carl?