By the time this issue is in your hands, the annual flurry of
shows, swap meets, and other activities will be in full swing. This
year, as those of the past, will probably see some nicely restored
engines, along with some rarities that were thought to be extinct.
Phone calls and letters to our office indicate that a number of
rarities have been located, including a White-Blakeslee vertical
model as illustrated on page 59 of American Gas
Engines.
Many requests come into our office regarding the Witte gas and
diesel engines. By following up on various leads, we got in touch
with Steven N. Sobat, U.S. Steel Corporation Public Affairs,
Houston, Texas. Within a few days a response was received from
Thomas G. Johnston, Ass’t. Plant Mgr. of Oilwell’s
McAlester Works, McAlester, Oklahoma. It reads in part:
The Witte Engine Works, established in 1870, was purchased by
OILWELL Supply Co., a division of U. S. Steel Corporation, now
known as OILWELL Division in June, 1944. At this time the diesel
engine line was sold to the Witte Engine Company which was later
purchased by Lister Diesel, Olathe, Kansas. Gas engine production
was transferred to the Garland, Texas plant of OILWELL in 1967.
Production of the OILWELL gas engines was transferred to the
McAlester, Oklahoma plant in May, 1983. All Witte and OILWELL
documents accumulated over the years have been transferred to this
plant for reference and for safekeeping.
OILWELL personnel have made a practice of answering any and all
inquiries received about the engines. We will continue this
practice on a no-charge basis.
We do ask, whenever possible, that people seeking information
include a photograph of the engine(s) in question with each engine
identified try the serial number. This will aid us in
tracking, to some extent, the engine’s movement since being
produced.
All correspondence should be directed to:
Mrs. Nelda J. Busby, OILWELL Division P.O. Box 1328 McAlester,
OK 74502
There you have it folks here is the source of original
information on the Witte engines.
The Reflector also is happy to report that in conversations with
the remaining management personnel at the Allis-Chalmers Harvey
Works, we have learned that the company still has excellent stocks
of some Buda and early A-C engine parts. The company also is aware
of several stocking dealers around the country who still have large
stocks of these parts as well. Since it would appear that
Allis-Chalmers might maintain a limited support group, at least for
the time being, this might provide the opportunity to obtain
certain parts for early A-C and/or Buda engines. Kindly address
your inquiries to:
Allis-Chalmers Engine Division Box 1563 Harvey, IL 60426
Wherever possible, the A-C people will try to be of help.
Service information can often be obtained, but detailed research is
very limited, due to the company’s very small staff.
A large number of interesting letters have come in during the
past month, with one of the most fascinating coming from Mr. Glenn
F. Harvey, 2421 Coley Forest PL, Raleigh, NC 27612. With Mr.
Harvey’s Letter, see the four adjacent photos of a unique
diesel engine:
21/7/1
‘These little two-wheeled tractors, connected to trailers of
various designs, but always with a driver’s seat, are either
the second or third most common mode of transportation in China.
Bicycles are still the most popular means of transportation;
horse-carts are about tied with the little diesel tractor-trailers
shown here, and motor trucks come in at a distant fourth place.
‘These tractors are still manufactured by the Beijing
(Peking) Engine Works and possibly other engine works in China. The
new models are similar to the old ones. The new ones are styled
with a simple hood and some are equipped with electric lights. I
saw some traveling down the highway about 15-20 mph. They, like the
cars and trucks that are manufactured in China, are probably of
pre-World War Two vintage.
‘These little tractors fascinated me on a recent trip to
Beijing and Shanghai. Finally, I asked my translator to stop the
car so I could take these photos. I explained to him that I had a
couple of tractors that are fifty-plus years old, but it is a
hobby. He and my other Chinese hosts just couldn’t comprehend
this!’
21/7/2 Q. The book, American Gas
Engines does not show the Fitz-Henry Guptill equipment. This
firm at Cambridge, MA built a 3-piston fire pump, operated by a
one-cylinder engine with a chain drive. The old Massachusetts
Forest Fire Service adopted this as its standard pump and they are
still widely scattered through New England. Many of them are still
in backup service by fire departments. Somewhere there is a service
and parts manual, plus an instruction manual. Despite my fire
background I have been unable to locate one, and hope one of the
GEM readers might have a manual or other information. This is a
very nice show engine as it uses extensive brass and when painted
fire engine red and the brass is polished, they are quite a
showpiece. When it comes to pumping water, this unit doesn’t
know when to quit. Philip C. Whitney, 303 Fisher Road, Fitchburg,
MA 01420. (P.S. On 21/5/27: Try Jacobson as a start. If it’s
Jacobson, the name is probably inside the flywheel.)
21/7/3 QWe have a 2 HP Turner-Simplicity
engine, but it is different from the ones on page 516 of American
Gas Engines in that: 1) It does not have the fancy flywheels,, 2)
the oiler goes through the water hopper, 3) the governor weights
fit between the flywheel spokes, and 4) the flywheel hub is not of
the split design. The engine uses a 41/8 x 5
inch bore and stroke, with 2 HP stamped on the hopper, plus s/n
Y5012. It uses a Webster 303K4 magneto. Would like more information
on this engine: year color, etc. and would like to correspond with
anyone having one of these engines. Jim Walker, 1303 Woodburn Road,
Laurinburg, NC 28352.
A. The Webster Master Manual lists the 303K4
bracket as fitting the 2, 3, and 4 HP Simplicity engines, so we
assume the 2 HP model was a re-rated version of either the 2 or 3
HP size, but we have no further information to offer.
21/7/4 Q I am restoring several old Sears
Motorgo inboard marine engines and note that Sears catalogs for
1915 and 1917 list the finish as ‘three coats of battleship
gray gloss enamel.’ Could you offer an opinion of a modern
color match equivalent to battleship gray? Robert O. Knutson, Box
243, Austin, MN 55912.
A. Researching the paint chips indicates that
some differences are evident as to the exact shade for
‘battleship gray.’ We would guess though that
Sherwin-Williams JK-3981 of F1A 1067 would be pretty close.
21/7/5 Q We plan to restore a 1 HP
Rawleigh-Schryer engine (see photo.) In American Gas Engines
it most resembles the Rawleigh in the upper left-hand comer of page
408. However, our engine has no pipes at the base as shown on page
408. Could anyone help with the original color of this engine,
along with its age. Are any reprint manuals available? Ray Wickham,
Dumont, IA 50625.
A. Per page 408 of American Gas Engines, it
would appear the Rawleigh-Schryer was built between 1909 and 1915
only. From the illustrations we have seen, the Rawleigh engines
were finished in brown, comparable to DuPont Dulux 93-036,
and topped off with blue striping similar to Sherwin-Williams
JK-3973.s
21/7/6
From England comes this letter from Nigel McBurney,
‘Woodside,’ Petersfield Rd., Monkwood, Airesford,
Hampshire: ‘I have recently restored a Fairbanks-Morse 1 HP
‘Jack-of-All-Trades’. The colour is redthis is the most
common colour for these engines in the U.K. The tank is 15′
dia. x 35′ high.
‘This engine, s/n 26595 has both hot tube and electric
ignitionI can only date the engine as built between 1901 and 1906.
The only feature which indicates that it could be 1901-2 is that
there are only two stiffening ribs on the crankcase ‘door’,
all the others I have seen have three ribs. The blowlamp should run
on gasoline, and is pressurized by mounting it 6 feet from the
ground.’ (This photo is small in this issue, since there is no
color in this issue, but it will be reproduced larger in the August
issue when color space is available.)
21/7/7
Kent S. Rue, 4128-6th St., N.E., Columbia Heights, MN 55421
writes: ‘My grandfather, Edward Rue, manufactured ‘RUE’
washing machines in Minnesota from 1904 until the early 1930’s.
Models included hand, electric, and gas engine powered. The gas
engine model was powered by a Cushman gas engine, at least during
1926-27. The gas engine washer is a missing link in research on my
grandfather’s company, so any leads or information on one of
these machines would be greatly appreciated. I would like to
display the complete RUE line of washers at the shows, and
subsequently hope to write a complete article on Rue Manufacturing
for GEM.
21/7/8
See two photos of a Leader engine and pump as built by
Leader Iron Works, Decatur, Illinois. This one is a 1 HP, s/n
16266. It uses a 3 x 5 inch bore and stroke. The engine had laid in
a small stream for some years, so the connecting rod was rusted in
two, and it had a large hole in the cylinder wall. After installing
new sleeves and many hours of patient work the engine is now
restored and running. Would like to hear from any other owners of
Leader engines or anyone with information on same. Robert Fultz, RR
2, Box 332, Clarksburg, WV 26301.
21/7/9 QAndrew K. Mackey, 26 Mott Pl, Rockaway
Boro, NJ 07866 sends us some photos and diagrams of an L.C.B. Co.
marine engine; it uses a 23/8 x 2 inch bore
and stroke. The engine has a number of unusual features. For
instance, the speed can be controlled by three different methods1)
moving the ignition timer lever (it also reverses the engine), 2)
from idle to high idle with a screw-type throttle built into the
carburetor, and 3) absolute top speed is governed by an ignition
interrupt similar to that used by Eiseman on the Maytag 82 and 92
engines. Flywheel body is solid brass with magnet riveted inside
the rim. NO gaskets are used on the engine everything is a machined
fit. Can anyone identify this engine?
A. We looked through various files trying to
get some clues to the L.C.B. Co. logo, but no luck so far.
Curiously, the metal-to-metal assembly without the use of gaskets
is typically German design K.H.D. at Cologne has used it
extensively in the Deutz engines and tractors.
