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What is the Tod McDonald Rolling Mill?

Youngstown Steel Heritage has embarked on a once in a lifetime project to create a working steam driven demonstration rolling mill at our facility.  In 1997 we got our start by preserving the mighty Tod Engine, a stationary steam engine that once drove a 24" merchant mill at the Youngstown Sheet & Tube Brier Hill Works.  In 2024 we acquired components of the 14" shape mill from the former McDonald Steel and am now drafting plans to install the mill adjacent to the Tod Engine.  

When complete, we envision a series of operating days where the Tod Engine is operated on steam, turning the rolls to form steel bars into various sizes and shapes to demonstrate the steel rolling process.  It is extremely rare for any rolling mills to be preserved and practically unheard of to actually have one in operating order, so this project truly is something unique.  
 



  • Reassembly of the Mill at YSH

    January 19, 2026 1:34 PM | Rick Rowlands (Administrator)


    In late 2024 we poured a concrete foundation for the rolling mill on the south side of the Tod Engine building. In our design a driveshaft from the Tod Engine will pass through the wall into the bevel gearbox, turn 90 degrees through the support bearing then to the pinion stand and two mill stands.  Eventually an addition will be built on this side of the Tod building to house the rolling mill and the wall opened up between the rolling mill and the engine room. All of this will be operational when the Tod Engine operates. 


    The J&L Narrow Gauge Railroad was used to move the components to the new foundation and the Grove 14 ton crane, also from McDonald Steel was used to set everything in place. 



  • Removing the 14" Rolling Mill from McDonald Steel

    January 19, 2026 1:00 PM | Rick Rowlands (Administrator)


    The heart of the Tod McDonald Rolling Mill is the mill stands.  We saved five stands from McDonald Steel including No. 6 and 7 in this photo.  In these, a pair of 14" dia. rolls would squeeze and deform 2,000 degree steel into different shapes depending on how grooves called passes in the rolls were configured. 


    The power from the drive motor was transmitted to the mill stands via a driveshaft to this pinion stand that took one power input and turned it into three outputs.  The pinion stand is in the middle with stands 6 and 7 on the left and a driveshaft bearing on the right. 


    The power was transmitted through this bevel gearbox to stands 6 and 7.  


    Removing the bevel gearbox base casting was the most difficult part.  It was firmly grouted in, covered with a century's worth of mill grease and weighed 28,000 lbs., twice the rated capacity of the overhead crane that we needed to lift it with!  But good old DC Morgan cranes are incredibly strong and made this last big lift with relative ease.   Here we are using a mini excavator to break the grout out from around the base casting. 

    The two driveshafts that we also acquired are on the right. 




Youngstown Steel Heritage Foundation  is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. 

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