Ed Krogull collects old engines. Like the rest of us, he’s not crazy, just an old engine “nut.” That is, he’s a fanatic when it comes to old iron. Wives might not see the distinction at all, but we know the difference, I think.
Ed bought his first engine in 1985, the same year his son Nick was born. Over the years he has bought and sold many engines and he still has his first engine, although he had to buy it back once. With all this engine exposure, it was only natural for Nick to become an engine nut, too. I don’t know if this dedication is caused by heredity, environment or some type of antibiotic resistant disease.
Ed lives near a little town called Waddams Grove, Ill. Waddams has a feed store, a handful of houses and the old Illinois Central Railroad that whistles through town, but doesn’t stop. The corncob factory burned down, the cheese factory shut down and the chicken farm on top of the hill went away. The town does have a real steep hill with a 90-degree turn at the bottom that has produced some pretty spectacular crashes.
Ed’s Stovers
Oh, by the way, since we’re supposed to be talking about Stovers, Ed has some fine Stover engines. Among them is a nice little 1910 2 HP Stover Type YA upright that he bought from the Leland Hauser auction in 2003.
The late Leland Hauser was a real Stover collector. He had so many engines that it took two auctions to sell them all. You can still see photos of the Stover auction on Steve Barr’s website at the following: http://www.oldengine.org/members/sbarr/AuctionReports/freeport2003.htm.
If you don’t have a computer, have your grandkids look it up for you or go to the library and have the nice lady look it up for you.
Ed and the Ideal grinder
Ed picked up a very interesting Stover Ideal Duplex #0 feed grinder. Built in 1893, the mill is a work of art, and Ed has restored it to perfection and preserved its colorful decal. He also restored the 2 HP Stover YA, and shares ownership of the engine with his son Nick. Nick and Ed have paired the grinder and engine into a beautiful display. Together, they hit many engine shows and their display is always a crowd pleaser. The photos tell the story.
Stover registry
The Stover registry just keeps getting larger with just less than 1,400 engines identified and registered. The most recent version will be on the GEM website soon at www.gasengine
magazine.com/stover-registry. If you want to know the day and to whom your Stover engine was shipped, please send the serial number, your name and general location to the address below.
Until next time, keep your plugs dry and your igniters oiled.
Contact Joe Maurer at 797 S. Silberman Rd., Pearl City, IL 61062 • (815) 443-2223 • toadhill@aeroinc.net.
