JUST LOVE THESE OLD ENGINE

By Staff
Published on August 1, 2000
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442 CT Highway 39 Worcester, New York 12197

I got hooked on antique engines about three years ago. The first
one I ever saw was about six years ago, when my brother Ryan had
picked up one from a guy my husband, Bill Brooker, was drilling a
well for. At the time I really didn’t pay much attention to it,
but the sound it made was unique. Then my dad, Norman Ives, started
collecting engines in 1996. To date, I think he has around thirty
of them. Every day he is out in his shop tinkering on one or
another or making carts for them. I swear he has paid more
attention to those engines than he ever did one of his eight
kids.

I have never seen someone change as he has since getting into
the engine hobby. He was always quiet and never said a word to
anyone, but now, watch out if you ask him about his engines, you
had better be prepared for a long discussion. I have to admit
though, after listening to him and many others who talk of old
engines, one learns a lot.

In 1998 my husband and I started going to engine shows and
joined Papa’s Antique Engine Club-my father and mother were
already members. This is when I started getting really enthused,
and I believe my husband wished I had never laid eyes on an engine.
Don’t get me wrong, he loves these ol’ engines too, and has
an interest in restoring them.

This past winter my husband restored at least six engines, a
Ford 9N tractor, and a scale model of a Rumely OilPull. All of
these engines and tractors can be seen at our website, which I
made, to let others see what we have gotten ourselves into. The
address is www.hitnmiss.net, and I have started a Yahoo Club for
Papa’s Antique Engine Club, which can be viewed from our
website.

I somehow got elected to be the auctioneer for Papa’s
Antique Engine Club Show’s auctions. That is most interesting,
as I have never been an auctioneer. My feelings for engine shows
and the people you meet at the shows is expressed in a poem on our
web page. One will never meet nicer people.

I made my poor husband drive from New York to North Dakota to
pick up an engine I bought. When we arrived there, I showed the man
I bought the engine from my photo album and he said to me, ‘I
have just what you need.’ He took us out to his shop and showed
me a 1? HP John Deere. He knew I’d be interested, because of
all the John Deere things I had in my photo album. Needless to say,
that was my third engine, and it came home with us. We did this
3,800-mile drive in 80 hours, and man, our backsides were a bit
sore!

The engine we went to get was my second engine, a 1 HP Titan Jr.
I wanted the Jr. because my first engine, which I had made my
husband drive to North Carolina for, was a 1 HP IHC Titan. I
thought it would be neat to have the Jr. to go along with it. Both
of the engines have mags and my husband restored them
beautifully.

My fourth engine took me awhile to find. It is a 1926 1? HP
Galloway Handy Andy I found in Ohio. At least that was a little
closer to home to pick up. My husband painted it, and I like it so
much that it sits in my living room, right next to the TV. Any time
I watch TV, my engine is right there to see. I had my husband bring
in the Titans, and they are next to my computer. I see them a lot
more often since I am at the computer all day.

My fifth engine I had shipped to me and my husband said,
‘Thank goodness, I don’t have to go get it.’ It is a
1916, 1? HP Rawleigh that I got from Free-port, Illinois, the town
it was manufactured in. Rawleigh-Schryer Company was formed in
approximately 1912. Then in 1915 Schryer left the company so W. T.
Rawleigh stayed in the engine business under Rawleigh Mfg. Company.
A disastrous fire in 1916 wiped out the engine factory, and that
ended production of the Rawleigh engines. This engine is mostly all
original, and I plan on keeping it that way. My father made me a
cart out of cherry and soon this engine, too, will be added into
our household. Where exactly, I have no idea, but I know I have my
work cut out for me to make room for it. Possibly I could ask my
husband to build onto the house so I have room for my engines- at
least he would not have to go very far to do this job for me. After
he reads this, I will know his answer, as I am going to ask him
directly.

He also does not know about the sixth engine I am working on
buying. It is a 2? HP Galloway located in Pennsylvania. Yikes,
nothing like killing two birds with one stone. Hopefully he
won’t fly off the handle too bad. If he does, there’ll be
no changes to our web site. If you see the new engines added,
you’ll know he’s still behind me 100%.

He has a lot of fun at the shows, as he has a 3 HP Jaeger that
he has do smoke rings. He will be showing his Rumely OilPull this
year, which means he has to leave home his 1931 Model A pickup,
since there is not enough room on the trailer for everything. Maybe
he will make me leave all my engines in the house instead of taking
them to shows. He also shows a 1 HP Mogul, 1? HP Stover, and 2 HP
Fuller & Johnson. He bought me a neat 110 JD modified tractor
for Christmas one year and we show that, too. He has a 40 HP
Bovaird & Seyfang that is one sharp and loud engine. Someday
maybe we will get this engine to a show, but that means leaving
everything else home. I admit it would be easier to bring just one
engine, but I guess I never do things the easy way.

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