By the time this copy is in your hands (mid-June we hope) a few
shows will have already come and gone, and many more will be close
at hand. This is always our favorite time of year for many reasons,
one of which is to see the new and rare engines that always seem to
come out of hiding and back into view.
As noted in an earlier issue, this August ye olde Reflector will
miss the Mt. Pleasant show for the first time in many years.
Hopefully, we will be able to gather a group of interested folks
for the Great Dorset Rally in England. Although it is somewhat like
the Mt. Pleasant show with its many steam engines, the Dorset also
features many other things such as tractors, gas engines, and a
host of other items. Thus, we thought that we should make this
sojourn at least once in our life, just to see this exhibit. Since
we don’t plan to miss the Mt. Pleasant show in future years,
this could probably be billed as a once-in-a-lifetime trip for ye
olde Reflector.
We have talked with many of our friends in England and in
Europe. All of them tell us it is the most fantastic show they
could ever imagine, and we are told that it attracts in excess of
200,000 people each year. See our ad in this issue, or contact us
at: C. H. Wendel Dorset Tour, Box 257, Amana, IA 52203-0257 or
email us at: reflctr9@netins.net
To date we have not heard from anyone regarding the recent photo
of the Royal engine from Smith & Sons. Could it be that none of
these engines are left? They look to be a most interesting design,
and we would hope that at least one of them still exists.
We begin this month with:
34/7/1 Unidentified Engine Q. I have a 1? HP
engine with the tag, ‘United Pump & Power Co., New York,
Chicago, Pittsburgh’ with s/n B19308. The engine appears to be
identical to a Bates & Edmonds Bulldog but there is no
lettering on the hopper. It has a Sumter Satan magneto, and main
bearing caps have oil wick lubrication. The colors are dark maroon
and black with silver on the head, and white striping. Can anyone
provide any information on this engine? Richard A. Webber, 1737
Mimosa Ct., Bowling Green, KY 42103.
34/7/2 Jaeger Portable Mixer Q. I am
restoring a Jaeger Portable Mixer, No. 4L, Model B12H, with a
Jaeger gas engine, 3F Horsepower, s/n 273461. I would like the
paint colors for the mixer and the engine. Can anyone be of help?
Also the year built? Roman M. Miller, 5426 C Rd.68, Millersburg, OH
44654.
34/7/3 Big Snow Plows Recently ye olde
Reflector commented that it must have been quite a sight to see
those gigantic steam-powered snow plows used on the railroads.
Well, Bob Lytle, 1679 Broken Rock Rd., Cottonwood, AZ 86326 writes
that one of these gigantic rotary plows is still used on the line
from Chama, New Mexico, to Cortez, Colorado. It is used to keep the
track clear for the freight and tourist trains that run out of
Chama. It can eat its way through 15-foot snowdrifts.
34/7/4 Galloway Engine Q. See the photo of
my 7 HP Galloway engine, s/n 40914.The hopper style shown here
doesn’t appear in any of my reprint catalogs. If the square
hopper was introduced in 1916, when was this design introduced?
Kevin T. Weaverling, R2, Box 227, Hedgesville, WV 25427.
A. We would guess your engine to be of about
1918-1920s vintage. Galloway of course changed the design from time
to time, especially after Galloway left the firm (or was told to
leave by the new owners).
34/7/5 Foos Jr. Engine Q. I was just given a
Foos Jr. 1? HP engine, s/n 51127 and would like to know more about
it; its age and the correct color scheme. Would also like to know
where I might find any manuals on this engine. Any help would be
appreciated. David Davis, 575 Industry Rd., Buena Vista, PA 15018.
Email: DavidofPA@webtv.net
34/7/6 Thank You! John Beaty, 5901 Arlington
Rd., Clinton, OH 44216 writes in part: In the September 1998 issue
of GEM I asked for the identity of an air cooled engine with the
stamping ‘ABN’ on the badly worn nameplate. I would like to
thank the following folks for their generous response:
Howard Martin, Clovis, California Jason Robertson, Whitewater,
Wisconsin
Harold Rossow, Weston, Idaho Arthur Southwell, Arcadia, Florida
Alexander Thomson, Woodbury, Conn.
It sure is nice to know there are still generous folks out
there! Thanks very much!
Recently another reader commented that it would be nice if those
folks getting a response to a query would send back a stamp, a
thank you note, or even an envelope. Others have commented that
some folks do not acknowledge their response, and so it makes it
more difficult to find the answers all of us are looking for.
Kindly do your part to help our great fraternity. We can all learn
from each other, and hopefully we here at GEM can provide a forum
for this to happen.
34/7/7 Low Tension Coils The item in 34/5/19
(May 1999 GEM) prompted me to look to cordless tool batteries as a
solution to the continuing battery problem. I have tried using a
battery from my cordless drill to run an engine for a whole day,
with no noticeable discharge. Cordless tools come with batteries
ranging from 9 to 18 volts. Although I haven’t tried an 18 volt
battery on a gas engine, I doubt whether even that much voltage
would have an adverse effect on a low tension coil. Fred M.
Serfass, 5 Seneca Ct., Douglassville, PA 19518.
34/7/8 Tillsoil Tractor Thanks to R. Lionel
Sinkinson, 661 – 19st Brandon MB, R7B 1K6 Canada for sending
information on the Tillsoil tractor. It was announced in 1920 by
Canadian Tillsoil Farm Motors Ltd., at Montreal, Quebec. Rated at
18 drawbar and 30 belt horsepower, it used a two cylinder engine
with a 7 x 8 inch bore and stroke. Unfortunately, the photocopies
won’t stand any more copying, so we aren’t able to show you
a picture of the tractor. It is an interesting piece, and certainly
one that we had not heard of previously.
34/7/9 Cunningham Garden Tractor Q. I need
information on a Cunningham garden tractor made in Rochester, New
York. It is a Model CA, s/n 2624 with 4.00 x 18 tires and full disk
wheels. Any information would be most helpful. Bob Stevens, 1654
Route 11, Marathon, NY 13803.
34/7/10 Information Needed Q. See photo
10A of a 2 HP Thompson & Sons air cooled engine. It is missing
some of the valve mechanism and the timing gear. I would like to
find more information on this engine to make the missing parts.
Also, 10B shows a 4 HP Petter engine. It is English made, and
runs nice. Would like to talk to anyone having one of these engines
or who has literature for same. Cleo Phillrick, 110W. Purdee, Enid,
OK 73701.
34/7/11 Frick Sawmills Q. I am looking for
information on Frick sawmills. I have two of these mills. Any
information would be appreciated. Are they now considered antiques?
Harold E. McClanahan, c/o Miss Georgia Correll, 1676 Old Piney
Road, Maryville, TN 37803.
34/7/12 Sterling-Petrel Engine Q. I recently
purchased a six-cylinder Sterling-Petrel engine, and wonder if it
was a marine engine. It has flat heads cast in pairs, has dual
spark ignition, seven main bearings and aluminum pistons with a 5?
inch bore. Any information on this engine would be greatly
appreciated. Andy Veenstra, RR, Ssherkston, ONT L0S 1R0 Canada.
34/7/13 Is It A Model? Q. See the photos
of a small engine I bought at an auction several years ago.
‘Peerless’ is cast on the side of the cylinder. Was it a
salesman’s sample or a child’s toy? Any information would
be appreciated. Mike Boell, 18466 SE Foster Rd., Boring, OR 97009.
Email: mike_boell@beavton .k12.or.us
A. Your tiny steam engine was likely meant for
useful work such as operating a sewing machine or some other small
machine. These engines are now quite rare, especially with the
original mountings, such as yours.
34/7/14 Fairbanks-Morse Engine Q. I have a
Fairbanks-Morse engine as pictured on page 158 of American Gas
Engines. It is a vertical with a cast brass plate. The last patent
is 477295 of June 21, 1892. Would like to correspond with someone
having one of these, as there are some missing parts. Also, there
are traces of red paint. Was this the correct color? Kenneth M.
Weaver, 8415 Planktown N. Rd., Shiloh, OH 44878-8981.
A. We can’t tell you much about your
engine, but on the very early ones, the serial number, and
oftentimes, the date it was built is stamped on the end of the
crankshaft. We have occasionally heard that some of the very early
F-M engines were indeed red.
34/7/15 Waterloo Gasoline Engine Q. I am in
need of any information on this engine, especially any that will
help me identify the parts I need. I include 2 pictures and a
pencil rubbing of the tag which reads:
THE WATERLOO GASOLINE ENGINE CO
NO.-H.P.6 WATERLOO, IOWA PATENTED AUG.7, 1900.DEC.3, 1901. OCT.
7, 1902. AUG 6. 1907.
OTHER PATENTS PENDING SOLD BY P.J. DOWNES COMPANY GENERAL AGENTS
FOR THE NORTHWEST MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA
The number appears to have never been stamped in the tag. Specs
are 3′ flywheels, 3′ rim 2′ crankshaft diameter,
5?’ bore; the connecting rod is approximately 22′ long from
the center of one hole to the center of the other hole. It has 6
bolt holes for the head. The rod has 5? cast in it and the bearing
caps have either 6 or 9 cast on them depending on which way you
look at them. Lawrence Hacker, 150 Jackson St., Jackson, MN 56143.
(507) 847-3523.
A. The pictures Mr. Hacker sent us came via
e-mail, and don’t reproduce as well as the originals might
have, but we were unable to get replacements by press time, so we
hope they will be readable enough to anyone who might help him!
A Closing Word
We always look forward to your letters every month, probably as
much as you look forward to getting your copy of GEM every month.
We always learn new things, and that’s what makes life so
fascinating.
Ye olde Reflector was always fascinated by almost anything
mechanical or electrical as a kid. At about 10 or 12 years I
decided to take some old telephone batteries apart to see what was
inside. Well, some of that old black electrolyte got on Maw’s
rug somehow or other, and there was hell to pay for that childhood
idea. Oh yes, and that engine powered cart steered by the crudest
tiller system ever and an old 1? HP Fairbanks-Engine bolted to the
back with a belt system running down to one back wheel. Another big
idea that didn’t turn out too hot. Of course any bearings were
made of wood … the thought of robbing some off the threshing
machine was quickly dismissed after looking ahead to the probable
consequences of such an activity … ah yes, those good old
days.
Probably the worst one was ending up with several chemicals
which, according to a very old science book, could be mixed to make
a poor grade of black powder. To make a long story short, this
writer final stirred up some of this stuff, then lugged the whole
business out behind the grove and set it off. It blew a hole about
a foot and a half into the ground which we hurriedly filled in and
leveled out with a piece of tree branch once the dust settled. This
is the first revelation of that story, but then that was close to
50 years ago, so there’s no harm in telling it now.
Well, we could go on and on with silly stories of crazy and
rather dumb things, but then so could all of us. We will see you
next month.
