Reflections

By C. H. Wendel
Published on June 1, 1988
1 / 10
23/6/38
23/6/38
2 / 10
Fuller & Johnson model made from Ed Chick casting kit.
Fuller & Johnson model made from Ed Chick casting kit.
3 / 10
23/6/40
23/6/40
4 / 10
23/6/42
23/6/42
5 / 10
Corliss engine model, designed from the big engine at Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. Cylinder and flywheel are cast iron, balance is of steel.
Corliss engine model, designed from the big engine at Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. Cylinder and flywheel are cast iron, balance is of steel.
6 / 10
Corliss engine model, showing the valve side of engine. Almost entirely built of shop stock and scrap.
Corliss engine model, showing the valve side of engine. Almost entirely built of shop stock and scrap.
7 / 10
RW1
RW1
8 / 10
Associated Hired Man from Paul Breisch kit-my first project.
Associated Hired Man from Paul Breisch kit-my first project.
9 / 10
Olds model made from Paul Breisch kit
Olds model made from Paul Breisch kit
10 / 10
Front-end loader made from Ford transmission and rear end narrowed up. Uses a 12 HP Kohler engine. The rest of the loader is made from scrap. The cylinders are made from 2' I.D. seamless tubing.
Front-end loader made from Ford transmission and rear end narrowed up. Uses a 12 HP Kohler engine. The rest of the loader is made from scrap. The cylinders are made from 2' I.D. seamless tubing.

Mr. Snodgrass if you are able to help.

23/6/32 A .In this same connection, Charles B.
Kaulfers, RD 3, Box 574, Saylors-burg, PA, 18353, has recently
acquired a one-cylinder Gibson, s/n 300, and he too needs
information on same. (Isn’t it ironic that even with the
relative scarcity of these little tractors that writers several
hundred miles apart should write for restoration information in the
same issue of GEM!

23/6/33 Q.. What is the year built of the
Cushman Model 21, Type X engine, and what is the proper color?
James R. Bishop, I7050 200th St. E., Hastings, Minnesota 55O33.

A .The Cushman Model X appeared in the
1920’s, and we have always assumed they were finished in the
steel blue enamel used in the later Cushman Cub series. We have
never had a color match on this color though.

23/6/34 Q.. I have a Johnson Iron Horse engine
that is lacking the correct carburetor and governor linkage. Would
appreciate hearing from anyone having one of these so that I can
restore it to original-also need the correct color. Marty Roland,
3205 Circle Drive, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 52402.

23/6/35 Q.. Can anyone tell me the date and
proper color on a United 2HP engine. Will Associated engine parts
fit? What do the letters C-M-R mean that are cast into the side of
the cylinder on this engine? Wendell Allen, RR 3, Box 383, El
Dorado Springs, Missouri, 64744.

A .. A comparable color match is DuPont 1434
Mohawk Red. Some Associated parts will indeed fit, but confusing
the issue is the fact that Associated and United engines,
size-for-size, did not necessarily carry identical horsepower
ratings. The CMR designation on the cylinder is actually the part
number-Associated and United engines both used an alpha system of
part numbers.

23/6/36 Q.. What is the proper red color for
early Stover engines? Art Biagi, RR 2, Box 186, Centralia, Illinois
6280I.

A. DuPont Dulux 93-2564-H red.

23/6/37 Q. 1 would appreciate hearing from
anyone with information on a single-axle Federal truck tractor
built by Federal Motor Truck Company of Detroit, Michigan. The
serial number is I44I, and it has a 5-speed transmission. Jason
Jenschke, Rt 8, Box 208, Fredericksburg, Texas, 78624.

23/6/38 Q .Martin Bosselman, 974 El Camino Way,
Boulder City, Nevada, 89005, is the owner of this two-cylinder
(1918?) New Way air-cooled engine. Any information will be
appreciated.

23/6/39 Q. I recently purchased an engine
similar to the one on top left, page 53 6 of American Gas Engines.
The nameplate reads, ‘Eaton, Toronto.’ Was Eaton a Canadian
or American company? Also, I have a Lister vertical engine,
identical to the one on page 285 of American Gas Engines. Is this
engine very hard to work on as far as timing and getting parts? Are
there a lot of them around? Where might I look for a manual on the
Lister engine? Any help will be appreciated. Mike Coneau, PO Box
398, Derby, Vermont, 05829.

A. T. Eaton was a Canadian firm. The engine you
refer to was actually built by Waterloo Gasoline Engine Company,
Waterloo, Iowa. Over the years, Eaton marketed a number of
different engines under their own nameplate, including a
substantial number of Stover engines. The Lister vertical to which
you refer would not be very common, we would think. An engine like
this should be very straightforward to work on-at the very worst,
timing should be a simple matter of trial and error. After
determining the position of the piston in the cylinder, setting the
valve timing is not particularly difficult. As with the vast
majority of these vintage engines, worn, broken, or missing parts
often have to be built right in the shop.

23/6/40 Q.

B.F. Avery 1947, purchased from original owner. Notes radiator
had been removed for repair at time of photograph.

In view of the fact that perhaps three or four inquiries have
been made in the past year about the B. F. Avery garden tractor and
cultivator; may I submit the following info:

I purchased my tractor about a year ago from the original owner
who in turn purchased it new from Montgomery Ward & Co. It came
with plow, cultivator, and disc. Also a complete service manual and
parts book. It is powered with a Hercules engine, Model 2XB3,
25/8*3 inch bore and stroke. The gentleman had a truck farm since
1947, the year the little tractor was purchased. He was 103 years
old when he sold the tractor to me.

He said, ‘I had to quit truck farming because the little
tractor quit.’

If any interested readers concerning above tractor wish to read
or copy this manual, perhaps we can make the necessary
arrangements. Ted Bagosy, Box 3005, Bloomington, Illinois,
61701.

23/6/41 Q. During World War 11 when machines
and able-bodied farm help were both scarce, there appeared in one
of the farm magazines, Successful Farming I believe, a diagram for
building a hayrack which would enable one man to do the job of
loading and distributing the hay brought up by the hay loader. The
whole rig was 16 feet long but part of it was a dolly 8 feet long
which was filled first and then rolled to the front end, locked in
place, and then the rear space would be filled. It appeared to be
simple and used off-the-shelf and/or scrap components. Can 1 get
these plans somewhere? Would be glad to hear from anyone with
information on this outfit. Warren W. Wood, Gully Road, RR 1, Box
180, Woodstock, Vermont, 05091.

23/6/42 Q. I would like any information,
including the proper color for an Eli Belt-Power Baler made by
Collins Plow Company. This particular one has a hand clutch which 1
have not seen on other balers. Martin S., McKnight, Route 1, Box
39M, Mason, Tennessee, 38049.

23/6/43 Q. I have a C. S. Judson Ltd. engine
made by Stover. The nameplate is inscribed: Winnipeg, Manitoba,
Canada; 11/2HP; Speed 500; S/N K85675. Kindly advise year built,
along with the color scheme of same. Bruce Anderson, Rt 1, Box 12,
Oakland, Nebraska 68045

A. Your engine was built in September, 1916 but
we do not know if the Stover engines sold by Judson were finished
as Stover engines or whether Judson used a different scheme.

23/6/44 Q. What is the year built of an
Allis-Chalmers 20-35 tractor, s/n 36354? Also the proper color of
same. Randy Anderson, RR4, Norfolk, Nebraska 68701.

A. Are you sure that you have the tractor
serial number or the engine serial number? Our records show that
20-35 tractors ended production in 1930 with s/n 24185. The tractor
serial number is on the transmission case ahead of the gear shifter
quandrant. The engine number is on the left side of the cylinder
block. Since many of these engines were used for other industrial
purposes, the two numbers almost certainly will not match up.

23/6/45 Q. I would like to correspond with
anyone about a Tiger Tractor garden tractor, s/n 42663. It was made
in Keyser, West Virginia. Any information will be appreciated.
Calvin W. Brookover, 10907 Cleveland, Kansas City, Missouri,
64137-2105.

23/6/46 Q. I have a Minneapolis-Moline tractor,
Model EE, s/n 418971. What year is it? Also, what is year and model
of an Avery tractor, s/n 244067 with a Hercules IXB3SL engine? Carl
Shipman, RDI, Box 524, Waverly, New York 14892.

A. Our Minneapolis-Moline listings do not show
a Model EE tractor so we are of no help there. The Avery
‘A’ tractors used the following prefixes for these
respective years: 4A, 1945: 7A, 1946; 9A, 1947; 13A, 1948; 17A,
1949; and 19A, 1950. The Avery ‘V’ uses this letter in the
prefix, ranging from 1V to 6V between 1946 and 1952. The BF models
use an ‘R’ prefix 1950-52 and an eight-digit serial number
in 1953. Likewise, the ‘BG’ models of 1953-55 use an
eight-digit serial number. We can find nothing showing your tractor
with a six-digit number.

READERS WRITE

23/1/7 Oliver HGR rubber-track crawlers Oliver
did indeed build a rubber track crawler in late 1940.

My father was an Oliver dealer at this time and I saw several of
these tractors while picking up tractors at the Cleveland factory.
Although we never had one, I retained an interest through the years
and was fortunate recently to talk to a man who had one on his
farm. Seems Oliver built only about 200 or so and had some
problems. Apparently unable to solve these problems, the company
supplied conversion kits to convert these tractors back to steel
tracks. He reluctantly converted his and could not recall what
disposition was made of the rubber track components. About twelve
years ago 1 came across one in eastern Ohio. It was missing one
track completely. I took a batch of pictures of it but
unfortunately my vehicle was broken into and the camera was stolen
before I took the film out. I didn’t mind losing the camera as
it wasn’t worth much, but I sure hated losing those
pictures.

I hope someone has restored an Oliver HGR and will furnish you
with some photos for publication. Robert A. Weaver, 63 Ladnor Lane,
Carlisle, PA. 17013.

The Detroit-Caille-Bessemer connection

I wrote you a while back about my Detroit and sent a photo of
the engine and nameplate. Well I have some new info as to just who
did make the Detroit.

The Caille Perfection Motor Co. states that they only built one
horizontal model but info is that they also built a vertical model
of different H.P. in 1911.

The Bessemer Gas Engine Co. claims that they built an engine
that looks the same as the Caille.

The Detroit Engine Works claim that they built an engine that
looks the same as the Bessemer and Caille.

The Caille Company claims that they were ‘one of the
world’s largest 2-cycle engine works,’ so they could have
made the engine in question and supplied it to everyone else?

Also the chap I got my engine from had written in his notebook
‘that when ordering parts the Caille Perfection, Detroit,
Bessemer and Coltson are all the same.’ Next question, what is
the Coltson engine? Ian Matthews, 3 Kaoniki Crt., Condon,
Queensland 4815, Australia.

23/3/2 Cushman Husky Engines Cushman Husky
engine decals are available from Paul Covert, 1106 Alpine Lane,
Dothan, Alabama 36301. He also has overhaul manuals. Richard D.
Hamp, 1772 Conrad Ave., San Jose, California, 95124. (Dick also
sent along some data on magnetos that we will use as time and space
permit).

23/3/9 Hart-Parr Air Compressors In this
article you brought up the Smith compressor head for a Model A Ford
engine. I have one (engine only) with head. They had a valve in
compressor holes that went to air tank. I do not have these and
think they were simply a check valve. I hope you have information
on where I might get a copy of instructions or parts list that
would show how to hook up a tank etc. for the engine. Russ Noah,
Route 2, Box 142, Eminence, Missouri 65466.

Mr. Clark W. Colby, Special Projects &. Funding Coordinator,
Coolspring Power Museum, Cool-spring, PA, sends information on the
following four items:

23/2/13 Elvin Eyler’s ‘Oro Line’
compressor was made by the Au-To Compressor Co., Wilmington, Ohio.
Elvin can see one operating at the Coolspring Museum.

23/2/31B. G. Bernard’s engine appears to be
a 2-cycle Superior of late 1930’s vintage. This unit was
probably black or a very dark green when new. It was started using
compressed air. Rated speed was 180 rpm I think. A similar, but not
identical 2-cycle Superior engine is at the Coolspring Power
Museum.

23/2/35B Eric Kluth’s engine appears to be
a Superior 4-cycle commercial-style engine of late ’20’s to
early ’30’s vintage, maybe 20 or 30 HP (without knowing
bore and stroke). A beautiful example of this engine is displayed
at Coolspring Museum.

23/2/42 Ron Ekert’s S. M. Jones is a rare
engine and is best left as original as possible. The hot-tube style
ignition is probably the most reliable and shouldn’t be
changed. Propane will provide the safest and most satisfying means
of fueling this engine. A complete example of this interesting
single-valve engine can be savored at the Coolspring Museum.

23/4/50John Deere Green and Yellow

In regard to the true John Deere green for the unstyled
tractors. The original green was listed in DuPont charts as Deere
and Case green-main color on Deere, and trim on Case. Before the
Case-IH merger it was available through Case in quarts only. This
color was used on Deere tractors from 1923-1938. It was lightened
in color a shade which was then used until the New Generation line
of 1960. The yellow on the unstyled was darker. The best match is
X-O-Rust #X011, Stock #373-460 that I have found. It was changed to
the present yellow about 1940. Paul Klingel, RR 2, Ridgeville,
Indiana 47380.

23/4/17 Delco four-cylinder engineThe
four-cylinder Delco generator was a fully developed product that
was marketed. Three pages from a 36-page booklet entitled, ‘The
New Way to Farm Profits’ illustrates this engine. Frederick H.
Rixe, 1202 South 211th St., Catoosa, Oklahoma, 74015.

Fairmont Motor Car CompanyThe correct address
of the above is: Fairmont Railway Motors, 415 N. Main St.,
Fairmont, MN, 56031. Ph: (507) 235-3361, Attn: Dennis Lindell. The
engine is still being made by the company.

23/4/3 Conversion Tractor UnitI believe this is
a Model A Ford conversion outfit sold as Montgomery-Wards Utility
Tractor Unit of 1937. I have no idea where the attachment was made,
but the wheels were probably made by Peru Plow & Wheel Co.,
Peru, Illinois. Wayne D. Jacobs, 220 N. Water St., Pinconning,
Michigan 48650.

23/4/51 Case ‘C’ serial numbers See the
September, 1986 GEM for a Case serial number listing. Russell
Ruttan, RR 4, Box 236, Watertown, NY 13601.

Large Size Monitor engines See the photo below
(RW1) of my 11 HP Monitor engine. These engines have a complicated
make-and-break system-also, both the intake and exhaust valves are
run by one and the same push rod. In the January issue you were
wondering if any of the larger Monitor engines survived, so
here’s one. Harold Summers, RR 2, Box 102, Waverly, Illinois
62692.

23/4/38Fairbanks-Morse Eclipse engines

In regard to Pete Kubala’s comments, the parts books show
that the No. 1 Eclipse had one flywheel, and the No. 1-A had two
flywheels. Ken Robison, 20531 Black Road, Los Gatos, CA 95030.

There may have been other differences, but these are obvious
ones that might be of help in identifying the engines.

Edwards engines We received quite a little
material over the past month on Edwards engines, so it appears that
some information has survived, along with at least a few of the
engines. Since this has been pretty well covered, we’ll keep
this information on file for future use. Thanks to all of you!

Also, thanks to John Hamilton at Webster Groves, Missouri for
sending some photocopy material on the Reeves Company and their
unique odyssey in the automobile business.

Dennis Silva, Griswold, CT, kindly forwarded some excellent
photocopies of several different engines for our files. Thanks to
Dennis, and once again, both the Reflector and the folks at GEM
thank each and all of you for sending material in to us. It
certainly helps in preparation of each issue of GEM.

Then to Jim Miller, Conover, Ohio goes our appreciation for some
additional data on IHC engine production. It’s already on file
Jim!

MODEL MAKERS CORNER

Regarding MM-2 in the February, 1988 GEM, there were engines of
the Corliss appearance that were not true Corliss designs. It is
possible that someone made a model of a Corliss look alike. The
only thing that bothers me about it being a model is that the frame
seems to be a rather nice casting! Possibly it is a fabrication
that only seems to be a casting. Wish I had a closer look at it.
Jesse Livingston, Rebel Supply Co., Rt 2, Box 118, Troy, Tennessee,
38260.

Chris Klaudt, 405 Chippewa Drive, Gretna, Nebraska, 68028, sends
some pictures (this page and next) of his model engines, and notes,
‘I got into engines after my son took me to Brooks, Oregon show
about 5 years ago. Being a retired machine shop owner from Omaha,
Nebraska, I have been model building since I retired six years ago.
After going to Mt. Pleasant, Iowa and seeing the big Corliss
engine, of course I had to have one. By Christmas it was running
with compressed air. The Corliss cylinder is from blocks of cast
iron. Presently I have 3 headless Witte engines almost ready using
castings from DeBolt Machine Co., Centhicom, Maryland.’


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