Regarding Flint & Walling, Gas Engine Magazine
August/September 2006.
Here are more names found on nameplates that could be hiding an
Alamo engine: Blue Line, Dairy King, Duplex Mfg. Co.,
Duplex-Superior, G.F. Avery & Sons, Hoosier, Lunt Moss Co.,
Magnolia, Monarch Gas Engine Co., Moody, R.M. Wade & Co., Royal
and Victor.
I found this on a website
(www.angelfire.com/ny/buzzcoil/page21.html) about Alamo engines.
Notice the Hoosier is listed as an approved agent. These serial
numbers would indicate that Flint & Walling used them until
1913.
Jim Zook’s engine (page 12) is marked “Hoosier/Flint &
Walling” and has serial no. 12523-1.
According to the Alamo Mfg. Co., pre “Alamo Blue Line” 1 to 120
HP engines made from 1900 to 1913 have serial no. 1 to serial no.
13,769. Many engines of this period were vertical engines.
In regard to nametags and serial numbers, all Alamo engines left
the Alamo Engine Co. foundry with a serial number stamped on the
front of the water hopper for the smaller size engines, or stamped
on the cylinder head for the larger size engines. These serial
numbers were awarded consecutively from no. 1 on the first engine
to no. 116,000 (plus or minus) on the last Alamo engine built, and
this independently of the engine’s horsepower rating or of the
destined approved agent. It was the agent’s responsibility to put
the brass nameplate on the engine. This nametag would show the
agent’s company name, the engine’s rated horsepower and RPM and
also the serial number that would simply duplicate the serial
number already present on the engine.
One slight variation about the serial number on the nameplate is
found on Alamo-built engines sold by the Rock Island Plow Co., as
this agent was also selling other companies’ engines, and in order
to prevent possible confusion, they simply added the letter “A” for
Alamo, in front of the serial number on the nametag.
The plot thickens in this mystery: I have now seen a complete
decal. It is a beautiful decal in color, it has a redish metalflake
backround with gold trim and lettering. The most important thing is
that it says “Reg. U.S. Pat. Off.” My thought is that you don’t
patent a decal you patent the product. This would lead one to
believe that Flint & Walling did indeed make their own
engine.
The engine this decal is on is the finest “original” engine that
I have seen. It appears to have always been inside, has plenty of
good paint and the crankshaft guard, and is mounted on the original
flat board with complete battery box, just like the glass negative
picture from 1915. The serial no. is 2712-K, so I still have some
bragging rights about my engine being the oldest, with serial no.
1857-K.
Earle Franklin
Flint & Walling Inc.
hoss@ligtel.com