1950’s Oklahoma Jack Rod Line

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Jon3830

Sharpshooter
Supporting Member
Special Hen Supporter
Joined
Sep 9, 2005
Messages
2,567
Reaction score
683
Location
Sapulpa
Any pictures?
ingress_20140508_173510_2.jpg
 

Kid Glock

Sharpshooter
Special Hen
Joined
Sep 2, 2005
Messages
1,962
Reaction score
682
Location
NE Okla.
I remember when they were in use around here and in fact had a can of "Jack Post Grease".
Years ago (1980's), I relieved pumped for a guy that still had the power house and several jacks still in use near Mason, Iron Post and Gypsy area. Pretty ingenious operation including the horizontal wheel to change direction of rod lines, etc.
ETA:
Little off topic but back around this same time, the company (small independent) I worked for which had quite a few old standard derricks over the pump jacks that had become too dangerous to pull rod and tubing over, so we got the task to "throw" them. After trying several different ways, on the side, on the corner, etc. we got fairly decent at it. Was pretty exciting to watch the derricks topple over and the crown blocks go flying through the brush.
Thread hijack over...
 
Last edited:

Snattlerake

Conservitum Americum
Special Hen
Joined
Jan 19, 2019
Messages
20,444
Reaction score
31,722
Location
OKC
I've watched a few of this guy's videos on his YT channel and he certainly has the ties to the old school ways. I liked that he backed out at the end so the listener could hear the sounds of the past. The only thing missing is the sound of the hit-or-miss engine in the central power house and the eccentric as it pulled multiple rod lines. That hook-up to the electric standard pumping unit for the rod pull was certainly a bit of "Okie-engineering" if I ever saw it.
Like this old Arrow? These used to sing me to sleep at night in the summer.

As a teenager, we used to go ridin pumpjacks

 

Snattlerake

Conservitum Americum
Special Hen
Joined
Jan 19, 2019
Messages
20,444
Reaction score
31,722
Location
OKC
The sound of an old power house has put me to sleep many a night. It’s one of my most indelible memories.
Those old powers were usually big 1 cylinder engines fueled by natural gas taken from the wells they were pumping. Chug chug chug
I remember running out of gas one night with a date in my truck. Yeah, I actually ran out of gas. Anyway, we stole some "drip gas" from a well to get us to town. Jesus H Christ that stuff was like a nitro funny car.
 

Poke78

Sharpshooter
Supporting Member
Special Hen Supporter
Joined
Aug 8, 2008
Messages
2,801
Reaction score
1,060
Location
Sand Springs
Like this old Arrow? These used to sing me to sleep at night in the summer.

As a teenager, we used to go ridin pumpjacks


For my first 18 years, I could hear those engines every day and night. In the latter part of my career, I got to be associated with several people from the Arrow plant in Tulsa and to see the engines assembled there. The deepest sounds, though, came from the big Ajax engines running the salt water injection secondary recovery system.

Since my dad was a pumper, he constantly told me to keep clear of the pumping units. If he had ever heard of me riding the walking beam, I probably would have qualified for the Darwin Award at his hand.
 

GeneW

Sharpshooter
Supporting Member
Special Hen Supporter
Joined
Jan 20, 2013
Messages
1,129
Reaction score
1,784
Location
OKC
That's certainly a possibility. Another I thought of was around Burkburnett TX, just north of Wichita Falls.
I think so. One of his videos you hear jet airplanes nearby, and that makes me think of Shepherd AFB trainers. There was another video, I can't recall just what he said, but it made me think he was somewhat near the Red River and Oklahoma.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom