REFLECTIONS

By C. H. Wendel
Published on August 1, 1988
1 / 9
23/8/23A
23/8/23A
2 / 9
23/8/21
23/8/21
3 / 9
23/8/22
23/8/22
4 / 9
23/8/23C
23/8/23C
5 / 9
23/8/23B
23/8/23B
6 / 9
23/8/23D
23/8/23D
7 / 9
23/5/24A
23/5/24A
8 / 9
23/5/1
23/5/1
9 / 9
23/5/24B
23/5/24B

23/8/21Can anyone identify the engine in the
photo? It uses a Wico B-1 magneto. The prefix ‘VW’ is ahead
of every casting number, but there is no other identification on
the engine. Ray Rylander, 805 E. San Rafael St., Colorado
Springs, Colorado 80903.

23/8/22Raymond Aakjar, Sharon Station Road,
Sharon, Connecticut 06069 sends this photo of a small two-cycle
engine of unknown make. The lever on the side of the engine
controls the spark.

A. We think it very possibly might have been
used for railway handcar duty, but can’t tell you the
maker.

23/8/23 See the four photos of some garden
tractors I have acquired. 23A is a Walsh Standard. Can anyone tell
me the year made, proper colors, etc. The next photo 23/8/23B, is a
Simar Rototiller made in Geneva, Switzerland and 23/8/23C is a
Gravely one-wheel garden tractor. The final one, 23/8/23D is the
chassis of an unknown make. Manuel E. Castro, P.O. Box 364, Santa
Margarita, California 93453.

23/8/24 Q. David K. Vaughan, 1736 Missouri
Street, Costa Mesa, California 92626 has a collection of old
outboard motors, and would like to hear from clubs, literature
collectors, and other enthusiasts in this regard.

A. We know that there are some clubs, etc.
involved with outboard motors, and hope that some of their members
will be in touch.

READERS WRITE

Johnson UtilimotorThanks to Arthur DeKalb, Van Alstyne
Drive, Pulaski, New York 13142 for sending us some photocopy
material on the Johnson Utilimotors. Art has a large amount of this
material, and will be glad to help interested parties. Of course we
assume those interested will be kind enough to reimburse those
supplying photocopies and information for the copying cost and the
postage!!

23/5/1 Groton Manufacturing Company See the
photo from a very old picture postcard. It illustrates the shop
interior of the Road Roller Plant of Groton Manufacturing
Company, Groton, New York. Bruce Hall, Route 90, Box 95, King
Ferry, New York 13081.

Caterpillar Serial Numbers

Several people sent in additional Caterpillar serial number
information. An abridged listing is shown herewith:

  Model

Serial No. Identification

Year Started

Year Ended

Gas or Diesel

10 Ton

15001, 34001

1925

1925

Gas

5 Ton

19001, 40001, 43001

1925

1926

Gas

2 Ton

25003, 70001

1925

1928

Gas

Ten

PT1

1928

1933

Gas

Fifteen

PV1

1929

1933

Gas

Fifteen

7C1

1932

1933

Gas

Fifteen (H.C.)

1D1

1932

1933

Gas

Twenty

8C1

1932

1934

Gas

Twenty

PL1

1927

1933

Gas

Twenty Two

3F1, 1J1

1934

1939

Gas

Twenty Five

3C1

1931

1933

Gas

Twenty Eight

4F1

1933

1935

Gas

Thirty

S1001, PS1

1925

1932

Gas

R4 (Thirty)

6G1

1935

1944

Gas

Thirty Five

5C1

1932

1934

Gas

Thirty Five Ds1

6E1

1933

1934

Dsl

Forty

5G1

1934

1936

Gas

Diesel Forty

3G1

1934

1936

Dsl

Fifty

5A1

1931

1937

Gas

Diesel Fifty

1E1

1933

1936

Dsl

Sixty

101A, PA1

1925

1931

Gas

Sixty Five

2D1

1932

1933

Gas

Sixty Five Ds1

1C1

1931

1932

Dsl

Seventy

8D1

1933

1937

Gas

Seventy Diesel

3E1

1933

1933

Dsl

Seventy Five Dsl

2E1

1933

1935

Dsl

R-3

5E2501

1934

1935

Gas

R-2

5E3501

1934

1937

Gas

R-2

6J1, 4J1

1938

1942

Gas

R-5

4H501,3Rl,5E3001

1934

1940

Gas

D4 (RD4)

4G1, 2T1, 7J1, 5T1

1936

1947

Dsl

June GEM Opening comments

Dr. Bob Seeley, RR3, Box 176, Warrensburg, Missouri 64093,
offers some timely advice for our new collectors:

One aspect regarding collecting and restoring old machinery is
cost for our budding engineers. I encourage them to look for
engines that are not especially high on the collectors list. For
instance, the last engine that I obtained cost $15 at a country
auction. It was a Briggs & Stratton engine dating to around
1925. The B & S Company is also very helpful in supplying
information on their early engines. The Wisconsin engines are more
competitive and the company has a charge for their manuals.

The young collector should concentrate on those pieces of
machinery that are not high priced. Obtaining an engine merely for
parts has an advantage. Alerting the local salvage yards can be
useful. I believe many or most of our restoration organizations
have spent too much time in restoring the past rather than
encouraging the value of the present and the future.

GEM readers might also be interested in knowing that First Class
letters to Canada now cost 30?, but letters to Mexico are 25?. So
far I have found no explanation for the higher rate to Canada.

23/5/22 NOT a Cushman!Boy oh boy! Did we get
mail on this one! We incorrectly identified the subject engine as
being built by Cushman, when in fact it now appears that this
engine is actually a Hercules-built model of 1?-2 HP. Designated as
the Model 15JK, it was built in 1930 and 1931 and sold by
Sears-Roebuck. This engine was finished in brick red with the usual
Economy ‘butterfly’ or ‘propeller’ decal atop the
water hopper.

Major distinguishing features of the Hercules and Cushman
looka-likes are:

Hercules (built 1930-1931):

1. Carburetor atop the head (cast iron carburetor).

2.  Magneto about mid-side.

3. Main bearings are bronze bushings.

4.  Flywheels are press fit and taper keyed.

5.  Painted brick red.

6. Decal on top of hopper, toward the front.

Cushman (built in the later 1930’s):

1. Carburetor on side of head (carb of brass or pot
metal).

2.  Magneto at rear of engine.

3.  Main bearings are roller bearings.

4.  Flywheels held on by large nut.

5.  Painted yellow, blue or red.

6.  Decal not on top of hopper.

The Model JK followed the earlier XK (1928-29), and it
superseded the E, EK, F, FW, H, and other models. The ‘E’
in the serial number did not stand for ‘Economy,’ it was
simply a model designator.

The engine of 23/5/22 is the Model 25JK, 2?-3? HP model built in
1931. Apparently this was the last year Hercules built engines for
the farm trade.

23/5/23 and 23/5/26

Dave Babcock, 3491 E. Deckerville Road, Cass City, Michigan
48726, sent us some information on the Cushman-Hercules affair
noted above, and also notes that the engine of 23/5/23 was built by
John Lauson Company, with most being sold as ‘Alpha’
DeLaval, John Lauson, or Lansing (when used in a cement mixer of
that name).

The engine of 23/5/26 is positively a 14 HP Buckeye trencher
engine, with Dave noting that Buckeye built most of their own
engines.

Aermotor Windmill Address:Back in January 1988 GEM, a
reader asked for information on the Aermotor windmills. Gene
Petross, RR5, Box 35AB, Cleburne, Texas 76031, gives us the
address: Aermotor Windmill Corporation, Box 5110, San Angelo, Texas
76902; (915) 658-2795.

23/5/24 Johnson UtilimotorIn response to the
letter from Jim Paquette, I wish to submit the following:

These engines were manufactured by Johnson Motor Company, the
same people that built Johnson outboard motors.

The patent plate shows 1,390,376; 1,279,750; and 1,300,637.

Photo 23/5/24A shows a Johnson with a cast iron flywheel, brass
housing behind flywheel to house the mag coils, brass cap for cast
iron gas tank and a kick-start pedal.

Photo 23/5/24B illustrates a Johnson with an aluminum flywheel
similar to Maytag twin. Also has aluminum gas cap for cast iron gas
tank, and a kick start pedal that is different from the other
engine shown. This engine also has a bracket attached to the base
that supports a ball bearing for the crankshaft. Submitted by
Ernest Werner, RR 2, Box 256, Millstadt, Illinois 62260.

Also concerning the Johnson Utilimotor, we received a
substantial amount of historical data from Mr. Duane M. Reynolds,
11 Maple Ave., Homer, New York 13077. An outline of his research is
as follows:

The Johnson brothers built their first engine at Terre Haute,
Indiana in 1903. Their interest was primarily in marine engines,
and all were of two-cycle design.

In 1914 they built their first air-cooled engine of two-cylinder
opposed design. It was used on the Johnson Motor Wheel, and greatly
resembled the Maytag Twin.

Johnson got into the magneto business through their 1918 buyout
of Quick Action Ignition Company. This is the same firm that
provided the Wright brothers with a magneto for their famous plane
at Kitty Hawk.

The Lawn Boy lawn mower built today by OMC is a direct
descendant of the Johnson Utilimotor.

We could add more here, especially since there were several
excellent letters on the matter of the Johnson motors. Thanks to
everyone who submitted materials!

23/6/6 Farmall AV ModelsSeveral letters came in
regarding this query. Here’s a boiled down version:

The BN was a narrow tread version of the Farmall B. While the B
had a tread adjustment range of 64 to 92 inches, the BN had treads
from 56 to 84 inches. About the only major difference was the
longer rear axle housing and the longer axle shafts. The AV tractor
was a high clearance version of the Farmall A tractor.

23/8/10 M-M UTU TractorsSeveral letters were
received on this matter, so we have taken the liberty of combining
the salient portions of each:

M-M tractors have the s/n tag on the transmission case, and it
also gives the model. The model EE and RE engines were used in the
R and ZT tractors. The EE in the R was 165 cubic inches, and the RE
in the ZT was 185.8 cubic inches. This same basic engine was
increased to 206 cubic inches and used in the ZA model.

The first M-M tractor in Prairie Gold was the Z of 1936. It also
had red wheels. Early R and Z tractors had a red pin stripe on the
bottom of the hood louvers. The front wheel hubs were all Prairie
Gold, as they were painted with the tractor.

On tractors with steel rear rims, the hubs could be red or
Prairie Gold. The old Z tractors with cast wheels were all red, and
all others with cast rear wheels had Prairie Gold hubs.

Decals for the M-M tractors have been made up by several
enthusiasts:

Dan Shima, 409 Sheridan Dr., Eldridge, Iowa 52748.Jack Maple,,
RR 1, Box 154, Rushville, Indiana 46173.Kenneth Funfsinn, RR 2,
Mendota, Illinois 61342.Lester Wenzel, 519 Third St. NW, New
Richmond, Minn. 56072.

For a serial number listing of M-M contact:

Dale Mercer, RR 2, Box 205, Pendleton, Indiana 46064.

For detailed and timely information on M-M contact:

The Prairie Gold Rush, RR 1, Walnut, Illinois 61376.The M-M
Corresponder, RR 1, Box 153, Vail, Iowa 51465.

Further correspondence on M-M indicates that for late 1948
models, all of 1949, 1950, and 1951, the year built is in the
fourth and fifth digit of the serial number. Thus 011490020 is a
1949 tractor.

Central Tractor Farm and Family Center at Des Moines, Iowa can
supply the proper paint colors, and there are probably others too.
White Farm Equipment has the proper colors at this writing.

Another correspondent gives us a White part number 207002234 for
the Prairie Gold, or DuPont Dulux 020. The red for the wheels is
equivalent to Ditzler Acrylic 70385, and the demountable rear rims
should be silver in color. On some of the last UTU models the front
and rear hubs were painted Prairie Gold, along with the tractor-the
red wheels being mounted later.

MODELMAKER’S CORNER

No correspondence this month.

A CLOSING WORD

In perusing a January, 1912 issue of Machinery magazine we note
that one of their readers suggests ordinary shellac as a thread
sealer for air and gas pipe joints. It is said to have the
advantage of breaking loose with relative ease should it be
necessary to disassemble the lines at a later time.

One further comment on shellac- it was, and is used to protect
cork carburetor floats from gasoline. Remember however, that if you
use fuels containing alcohol there is a distinct possibility of
problems. Alcohol is the solvent generally used with shellac, and
of course if it is in the fuel, it will tend to soften the shellac,
and you will probably have a heavy float. One possible solution
might be to recoat floats of this type with an epoxy compound that
is completely impervious to all fuels.

Did you know? Most of us are quite familiar with the Stover
engines built at Freeport, Illinois. What is often overlooked
however, is the fact that D. C. Stover was a prolific inventor in
many different fields. For instance, the ordinary back-pedal brake
found on bicycles the world over was patented by D. C. Stover and
W. A. Hance nearly a century ago under Patent No. 418,142 of
December 24, 1889.


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