By the time this copy is in your hands, ye old Reflector and his
group of 36 should be somewhere in Australia or New Zealand. The
enthusiasm for vintage engines and tractors in those two countries
is amazing. We hope to see some rare and unusual items along our
way!
We’re also quite happy to be completed with our Handbook of
Antique Tools & Machinery to be published late this year by
Krause Publications at Iola, Wisconsin. Here’s a book we’ve
wanted to do for a long time now, but it was a lot harder to
assemble than we anticipated. Everything from adzes to wrenches
will be included.
With hopes of retiring in another year or so, we also would like
to revive the Power in the Past series we began thirty years ago.
We have lots of material on Witte engines, and would like to
compile a book specifically on this company. We also have some
engines that are begging to be restored, and hope to get that done,
along with plans of doing some model work. (We’ve had a couple
casting sets on the shelf for perhaps twenty years now, so maybe it
is time we get started).
Nearly every issue of GEM we see an engine that is entirely new
to us … back twenty years ago we were of the opinion that most
all the engines had been bought up by collectors. We were certainly
wrong about that!
We begin this issue with:
36/4/1 Help Needed John Dudley, R. 1, Box 576,
Hood, VA 22723 had a 1915 Coldwell lawn mower, Model H, powered by
a 1 HP engine. John would like to know who actually built the
engine, the production period, etc.
With this same letter, Ralph Davis, Box 2, Macfarlin, WV 26148
writes that he has an Ideal Lawn Mower and would like to know when
it was built, plus any other operating information on this
machine.
If you can help either of these gentlemen, please contact
them.
36/4/2 DeLaval EngineQ.
Donald D. Abbey, 3403 Saint Louis, Wichita, KS 67203-5138 has an
engine with solid flywheels and ‘DeLaval’ on the nameplate.
He would like further information on this engine.
A. We can tell you that the engine was actually
manufactured by Lauson, but we have no literature at all on the
Alpha DeLaval engines.
36/4/3 Farmall Cub Hi-LiftQ.
Does anyone know if International Harvester ever made a front Hi
Lift for a Farmall Club? If they did, I would like to hear from
anyone knowing the where abouts of one. Ben Kinsinger, 686
Kinsinger Rd., Meyersdale, PA 15552
36/4/4 LeRoi Engine See the photos of my
two-cylinder LeRoi engine, s/n 48937. It had been sitting in a cow
pasture for some years, and is stuck, but looks to be complete. I
would appreciate some help from anyone having a manual or parts
list for this engine, along with the proper color scheme. Any help
will be appreciated. Marvin Tayloe, 461 Sappington Bridge Road,
Sullivan, MO 63080
36/4/5 Black Swan Robert O. Bergstrom, 30
Tecumseh Rd., White Swan, WA 98952 has a Black Swan generator set
made at Waseca, Minnesota. It is 4 horsepower and has a 40 volt, 35
ampere generator. Mr. Bergstrom would like to know when it was
built, as well as the cooling system that was used. If you can
supply any information on the Black Swan, please contact him at the
above address.
36/4/6 Fairbanks-Morse Q. Richard Strauss, 5819
Holiday Drive, Allentown, PA 18104 tells us he just acquired a 2 HP
dishpan Fairbanks s/n 656995 and would like to know when it was
built and the proper color.
A. Your engine was made in 1925. We have DuPont
RS910 listed as a comparable red for this engine.
36/4/7 Fairbanks-Morse Q. I have a
Fairbanks-Morse Type T vertical engine with a two-cylinder water
pump. I need help with the serial number. It is 24UK22 and does not
match the serial number lists. The man I got it from said he bought
it new in 1907. The engine and pump are on a common base, with the
engine being hit-and-miss. If anyone can be of help I would
appreciate hearing from them. Ed Mikovsky PO Box 6, Lake Harbor, FL
33459.
36/4/8 Engine in Quebec See the photo of a
[steam] engine located in the town of Saint Jovite northeast of
Montreal. It is at the entry of a large lumber facility. It is a
large engine and appears to be in excellent condition. Perhaps some
of the GEM readers have seen this engine and can supply more
history of it. Curtis D. Meade, Bay 1, Box 13, 518 Industrial Ave.,
Boynton Beach, FL 33426.
A Closing Word
This time the column is a bit shorter than usual due to printing
schedules and ye olde Reflector’s imminent departure for
Australia. Next month, Linda will be at the helm while we play
‘down under.’ We’ll try not to get kidnapped by any
kangaroos!
