One Lunger Rhapsody
Some see old gas engines as just big toys,
To them it’s a lot of smoke and noise.
You often hear them talk and say,
What are they good for anyway?
So you explain and show what they’ll do,
They may not understand and shake their head at you.
But you know cause you’ve got the bug,
You love to hear em go ‘chug, chug, chug.’
This noise to others is music to you,
A One Lunger Rhapsody is what I’m referring to.
Each has a distinctive call,
The trained ear surely likes em all.
It sure is music to the ears,
To hear em run after many idle years.
The steady cadence of a throttle-governor,
Or the unsteady beat of it’s hit and miss brother.
Those old hunks of iron sound a message so clear,
For all kinds of boys young and old in years.
They used to sound over meadow and farm,
Now you don’t hear em down by the barn,
But you often hear their bark,
In some guy’s garage or down at the park.
Large crowds gather when they hear the sound,
It’s stack music they make as their flywheels go round.
A well-tuned engine sings a pretty song,
That some guys can listen to all day long.
Those big engines hit a slow steady beat,
While the little ones speed a melody oh so sweet.
What’s a Gas Engine Made Of?
They started with some iron
And heated it to a glow,
Then poured it in a mold
A long time ago.
An engine block and flywheels
And various castings,
emerged from that old foundry,
But they were not the last things.
A skilled machinist next plied his trade
With steady experienced hands, he got everything made.
He turned the crankshaft
And cuts the gears,
And machined the parts
To make it run for years.
There’s piston and valves
And bolts and springs,
It’s iron so true
If you strike it she rings.
“What’s a gas engine made of” you say?
It’s ingenuity and blood and sweat all the way.
Such a simple machine
Built so long ago,
In an age of missiles
What a joy to see em go.
They came in all sizes
And were satisfactory,
To run a farm or power a factory.
There were many colors
To please the eye,
But this did not determine
The one to buy.
You bought it to do
The grinding or pumping,
Or many other jobs that
Always kept em jumping.
They were made to do Just about any task.
So when someone again may ask,
What’s a gas engine made of?
It’s even more than I’ve stated above.
Yes, it’s iron and babbit
And porcelain and wood,
Since 1872 they came like a flood.
From little back shops
Or large corporation,
These iron monsters came
To cover the nation.
And so they were made of all things fine,
Yes built well enough to last till our time.
So when they are taken from farm or town,
And restored as original it only comes down,
To just a shot of gas and a little bit of oil,
A few turns of the crank, and she’s ready to toil.