Regarding Bob Payne’s letter in the June/July 2008 issue of
Gas Engine Magazine questioning the date of my
Fairbanks-Morse Special Electric, Fairbanks-Morse built several
hundred Model T’s as early as 1897. How old is this engine? Without
a serial number we can’t know. Even with the number there is no
actual and true list for these engines although several lists
exist. If the basic engine was built a hundred years ago,
carburation was changed in the 1910s and again in the ’40s, the
crankshaft re-reversed, and ignition replaced in 2005, who knows
and who cares? I do know the complete line of ownership from its
first farm in Kansas to its warm cozy home in Oklahoma.
Look at the video and rejoice that the old plugger is running
again at its rated speed and horsepower.
John Hamilton,
Waxahachie,
Texas
Watch the video of John’s engine on the YouTube Gas
Engine Magazine Engine Video Index, which can be found at
www.gasenginemagazine.com.