Recycling and Recirculating
I would like to offer a suggestion to readers regarding
disposal/recycling of their back issues.
A friend of mine who does volunteer work noted the local nursing
home did not offer much reading material and asked if I had
anything that might appeal to folks in their 70s, 80s and 90s. I
bundled up a year’s worth of GEM and other antique/car
magazines thinking these might be of passing interest to some. What
an underestimation I made of the residents’ enthusiasm for your
publication! They nearly fought over any issue left unattended, and
all copies quickly became dog-eared and worn. Men and women alike
reminisced about the old trucks, tractors, engines and equipment
they used to use.
My suggestion for readers is to consider sharing their back
issues of GEM with the appreciative folks at their local nursing
homes. And, if they spend a little extra time with the residents
during the magazine drop-off, they’ll learn more about a past
era than we could ever recapture in print and pictures today.
So, make space in your home, make a new friend or two at the
nursing home, and make many folks’ day by gifting your GEMs to
some good people who will truly appreciate your thoughtfulness.
John Sudlow, 6301 E. 1550 N. Road Oakwood, IL 61858
Reflections:
Regarding the following queries in C.H. Wendel’s
‘Reflections'( See GEM February 2002)
37/2/1: The unidentified marine engine appears to be a Caille,
possibly the Liberty Drive model.
37/2/2: Friend engine serial number DXA1100. This serial number
looks like it may be missing one digit. DXA engines were the
largest of the old single flywheel gasoline engines Friend
Manufacturing used on its ‘motor-pump’ found on sprayers
(see GEM, November 1994 ‘Design Evolution of the Friend
Engine,’ page 10, and December 1995 ‘Friend’s Unique
Domed Engines,’ page 24, which has a color photo of my DXA on
page 28 to the far right of the photo).
The DXA engine was a 6 HP upgrade of the DX engine rated at 5 HP
and came out sometime in the late 1920s, by which time Friend was
up into five digit serial numbers. The appearance of the pump is
also a later type Friend pump. The last of the DXA series was made
in March 1939. Correct color is a bright silver. The best paint
I’ve found so far is PPG Delstar acrylic enamel tinting base
#DMR 436 with 20 parts per quart of DXR 495 sprayed at low pressure
or brushed on, which looks good, too. Remember, everyone – a man
cannot have too many Friends!
Dave Dickinson, 6190 Keller Ave. Newfane, MY 14108
friendengine@wzrd.com
Lufkin-Cooper-Bessemer
Several readers wrote in response to Alton Garver’s query to
C.H. Wendel about a Lufkin-Cooper-Bessemer engine (see GEM,
February 2002).
Duane Hildebrand, 366 East County Rd., Drums, PA 18222, sent us
a photocopy of a match-book cover he has featuring advertising for
Lufkin engines, and Tony Suykerbuyk, 78 East M20, Hesperia, MI
49421, called in to say that two Lufkin engines he found in
Michigan are currently for sale.
Tony says both engines were built sometime between 1940 to 1943
and carry 33 HP ratings. Lufkin engines were clearly designed for
oil field service, and Tony says both of the engines he found were
so employed, pumping oil and running on natural gas. Tony says both
engines were in use up until 1995.
The matchbook cover Duane found claims Lufkin made two-cylinder,
two-cycle gas engines ranging in size from 20 to 60 HP. The cover
also claims Lufkin ‘Pioneered and developed gear reduction
units for oil field pumping and has placed more in service than all
other makes combined.’ Given how little seems to be known about
the company this claim seems to be mere hyperbole, but perhaps
we’ll learn more as time goes by.
Send letters to: Gas Engine Magazine, 1503 SW 42nd St.,
Topeka, KS 66609-1265, or e-mail: rbackus@ogdenpubs.com
