SOME OF MY BUYS

By Staff
Published on November 1, 1971
1 / 7
Courtesy of Allan Hein, 8229 Bronco Lane San Antonio, Texas 78227.
Courtesy of Allan Hein, 8229 Bronco Lane San Antonio, Texas 78227.
2 / 7
Courtesy of Allan Hein, 8229 Bronco Lane, San Antonio, Texas 78227.
Courtesy of Allan Hein, 8229 Bronco Lane, San Antonio, Texas 78227.
3 / 7
Courtesy of Allan Hein, 8229 Bronco Lane, San Antonio, Texas 78227.
Courtesy of Allan Hein, 8229 Bronco Lane, San Antonio, Texas 78227.
4 / 7
Courtesy of Richard D. Hamp, 1772 Conrad Avenue, San Joe, California 95121.
Courtesy of Richard D. Hamp, 1772 Conrad Avenue, San Joe, California 95121.
5 / 7
Courtesy of Allan Hein, 8229 Bronco Lane, San Antonio, Texas 78227.
Courtesy of Allan Hein, 8229 Bronco Lane, San Antonio, Texas 78227.
6 / 7
Courtesy of C. R. Johnson, 411 W. Moseley St., Freeport, Illinois 61032
Courtesy of C. R. Johnson, 411 W. Moseley St., Freeport, Illinois 61032
7 / 7
Courtesy of Roger L. Eshelman, Box 63, College Springs, Iowa 51637.
Courtesy of Roger L. Eshelman, Box 63, College Springs, Iowa 51637.

8229 Bronco Lane, San Antonio, Texas 78227

I have been reading GEM for about 4 years and have decided that
it is about time that I wrote a story of my own.

It all started the summer of 1967 when I was given a 1? HP
Stover by my then future father-in-law. I worked most of the summer
in my spare time painting and restoring it. This led to many miles
of engine hunting in four surrounding states.

In August 1967 I went on a vacation to South Dakota where I
found my second engine. It was a 3 HP verticle International. After
getting it home I had about 5 days to get it running before the 2nd
annual Cedar Valley Engine Show. I did get it running in time for
the show.

At this time I was beginning my second year at Clinton Community
College at Clinton, Iowa. I searched the surrounding area, but only
bought 2 or 3 engines. I then transferred to Stout State University
at Menomonie, Wisconsin. While in Wisconsin I bought several
engines and tried to buy a lot more. The first engine I bought was
a 1? HP Wolverine built by Field and Brundage.

One engine that I think is very rare is a Miami, built by
Middletown Machine Co., Middletown, Ohio, which I bought near
Menomonie. I originally thought it was a Woodpecker because of the
picture of a woodpecker on page 13 of Nov.-Dec. 1968 issue of GEM.
It is very similar to that engine except that the exhaust valve is
placed on the side of the engine and operated directly by a push
rod instead of using a rocker arm. There are a number of things
that are unique about the engine. 1. The main and rod bearings are
oiled instead of greased. 2. This engine has 5 spoked flywheels. 3.
The carburetor is gravity fed and the gas tank is mounted on the
water hopper above the carburetor.

A 6 Hp. Famous International Engine. 

The brass plate on the side reads:

Serial No. 6836 Type K Middletown Machine Company

There is no HP rating but I figure it to be about 5 HP

On each side of the Miami’s water hopper was a decal. It was
not very readable but I thought the letters were M–I–A–M–I. A
few weeks later as I was paging through Reuben Michelson’s
reference pamphlet I happened to look under Miami and there was
such an engine built by the Middletown Machine Co.

So it apparently is a Miami. Does anyone else have one I would
appreciate hearing from anyone who has information on this engine
or the company. This engine was in very good shape. It was running
even before we unloaded it after we got it home.

The next couple of engines I bought were a 5 HP and 7 HP
Economy. Both these engines were in great shape and just had to be
cleaned and painted.. The 7 HP I brought home in March, 1970 in a
U-Haul trailer. My wife and I started home for a weekend with the
engine. We had just gotten started when it began to snow. By the
time we had travelled 10 miles I could hardly see and with the
trailer on behind the car, it wanted to slide which was a little
treacherous on some of those Wisconsin hills. Anyway it got so bad
that we gave up and went back to Menomonie until the next
morning.

I had these two engines running at the Cedar Valley Engine Show
September 5, 6, 7, 1970. I also have a 1? HP Economy that I am in
the process of restoring.

Last January I acquired a 1? HP John Deere with a spark plug and
buzz coil ignition. It was in bad shape, but with the help of Lyle
Rasmussen of Riceville, Iowa, who had a few extra parts, I was able
to get most of the missing parts. The only part I need is the
contact point that is clamped to the push rod. I would appreciate
it if anyone could help me with this.

The latest engine I have found is a 6 HP International Famous,
cooperatively owned by my father-in-law, Eldon Hung-erford and
Lawrence Schmidt both of Osage, Iowa and me. This engine was also
found near Menonomie, Wis. Although it had set outside for quite a
few years, it is in very good shape. It loaded very easily, but on
the way home we got stranded in Dexter, Minnesota because of a snow
storm.

The two top pictures are some of the engines of the collection
of Hungerford, Schmidt and Hein. At bottom is the Miami Engine.

This engine will be running this year at the Cedar Valley Engine
Show along with many others from the collection of Huneerford,
Schmidt and Hein. The show grounds are located 7 miles west of
Charles City or 16 miles south of Osage. Due to my present location
in San Antonio, Texas as a member of United States Air Force, I do
not know the exact dates of this year’s show. I believe that
the show will be on or around Labor Day weekend.

I graduated from college this past January and in February I
enlisted in the Air Force. I am now stationed at Lackland Air Force
Base, San Antonio, Texas. My home town is Osage, Iowa and that is
where my collection is located. It is scattered between 3 places,
my dad, Edwin Hein; my father-in-law, Eldon Hungerlord; and my good
friend, Lawrence Schmidt.

I am in need of some parts for a 1? HP Hercules. I need a head
assembly, rocker arm, magneto, ignitor and flywheels.

I also need a carburetor for a 3 HP vertical International.

I enjoy GEM very much, but I wish it would come more often. Keep
up the good work.

Here is an engine which was given to me by a neighbor. The brass
tag reads as follows: The Battery Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Engine No. 1001, 1 H.P. at 370 R.P.M. The bore of this engine is
3-?’.’.. On the gas tank in raised lettering is printed
Associated Manufacturers, Waterloo, Iowa. The engine has many of
the characteristics of the Associated line of engines. I was
wondering if any other G.E.M. readers have similar engines, and
could someone tell me more about it. I now have a Webster mag for
it, but I need the trip lever which bolte onto the push rod.

A Gray Engine, 1 hp made by the Gray Motor Company of Detroit,
Michigan. I purchased this engine from a man that brought it from
the state of Connecticut. I had my eye on this engine for a long
time, when he finally decided to give it up.

Pictured is a 2? hp Dempster engine. It is rather interesting as
it is a left hand engine and has an auxiliary exhaust port. Both
exhaust ports exhaust through the muffler. The connecting rod is
oiled by a drip oiler.

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