Box 125 Jerome, Arizona 86331
The Verde Valley Old Engine Club held its 4th annual show at the
Ghost Town Campground adjacent to the Gold King Mine Museum,
Jerome, Arizona. So many exhibiting members came from so many
western states, it was obvious our club name was both too long and
too constrictive. After a short discussion, the new name
‘Arizona Flywheelers’ was decided upon. It covers both a
much broader geographic area as well as any machine with a flywheel
or pulley.
Visitors to the show were treated to a variety of gas engine
powered machines such as grain mills, water pumps, sawmill, rock
crushers, and buzz saw.
James Blair from Tuscon dazzled everyone with his beautifuly
restored big old Rider-Erickson hot air engine. Also from the
Tuscon area came Charles Van Meter with an eye-opening exhibit of
alternative energy encompassing both wind and solar power in
practical application.
Also present were the ‘Three Musketeers’ from Prescott,
Arizona- Pat, Kieth, and Rich. They always show up with a nice
exhibit of engines but more important is their knowledge, ability,
and willingness to roll up their sleeves and help everyone with
problems small or large.
Ralph Warnock surprised everyone with a trailer load of fine
engines towed all the way from Santee, California. Joe Beatty, from
Sandy Valley, Nevada, always arrives a day or two early with one of
his collection of rare engines. Joe is the one person every show
shouldn’t be without. He is the guy with the uncanny ability to
get running even the most obstinate of engines.
Del Donaldson, from Albuquerque, is a familiar face at shows and
auctions from the Mississippi to the west coast. He is one
‘Arizona Flywheeler’ who makes it to every one of our shows
all year long. We have 5 or 6 smaller shows during the year and Del
always shows up with some new-found New Mexico treasure.
Graydon Gaudy, Cottonwood, Arizona spends the week before each
show trucking engines of all sizes and types up the mountains. For
1987, Graydon plans to bring his 40 HP Chicago Pneumatic Hot Head
semi diesel, among other things.
Bruce Rogers, the driving force behind the Utah Antique
Machinery Association, never fails to arrive with something special
from up north. For 1987 the ‘Arizona Fly wheelers’ show at
the Gold King Mine is also a scheduled show for the ‘Utah
Antique Machinery Association.’ Bruce says the boys from Salt
Lake will come down to the Arizona show in force.
The star performer of the 1986 show was the 80 HP
Fairbanks-Morse type R gas engine mounted on an iron wheel set of
trucks with a 17 foot wheel base. Every half hour this three
cylinder ignitor-fired monster was shut down and restarted to give
everyone a chance to see the automatic air start system work. The
noise coming from the three stacks upon start up brings people
running from blocks away.
The 1987 show promises to be even more exciting. This year the
80 HP Type R will be playing second fiddle to our newly acquired
225 HP three cylinder Chicago Pneumatic gas engine of more than ten
thousand cubic inches. Both of these spectacular examples of early
engineering will be started every half hour all day, May 2-3,
1987.