R R #1, Site 8,Comp 27, Fort St. John, British Columia, V1J
4M6
I am a first-time writer to GEM (or any other magazine, for that
matter).
My father, Bill, has been collecting and restoring engines for
several years now, and has a very nice collection. A few years ago,
he and my uncle in California conspired to get me bitten by the
infamous ‘one cylinder engine bug.’ Boy, did I get bitten!
My first engine was a 1929 John Deere Type E 3 HP, sold to me
dirt-cheap by my uncle. Since then, I have been on the hunt for
more, as you readers can relate to. My son, Will, who was twelve
when I got the John Deere, also managed to get bitten. A good
friend of mine, Gary Triebner, of Fort St. John, gave Will his
first engine, an Iron Horse. Will has been a great help fixing up
some of these old engines, including finding a 1 HP Judson (made by
Stover) on his way from school. That engine was eventually
purchased from its owner, and is now a valued part of our
collection.
I have found GEM to be a valuable resource in finding suppliers
for parts, and information regarding our engines.
The photo pictures my father Bill (right), my son Will (center),
and me on the left, with just a small part of our collection. In
the background are my father’s 1936 John Deere AR, and Ford 8N.
Center engine is a 6 HP Fairbanks-Morse (Dad’s), and various
other engines of ours including an International Titan 1 HP, a
Stover style ‘V’ (blue) and a Judson (green), both 1 HP.
Notice the similarities? They are both made by Stover, both style
V’s, but one has a Judson tag. Also pictured from the left, a
Maytag twin, an Iron Horse (this is a military motor, there is
still some O.D. paint on it in places), and another more
conventional Iron Horse. These engines and tractors represent just
a small portion of our collection.
I have met some very interesting and knowledgeable people at
shows across the country, ranging from Chowchilla, California, to
Fort St. John, British Columbia, Canada. I am proud to be a part of
a family that has three generations actively involved in the
collection and restoration of fine antique gas engines and
tractors. Even my 17-year-old daughter, Amanda, is interested in
things old and rusty. She has her eyes on a stylized John Deere D,
and has been bugging me to go and talk to its present owner. Guess
I’ll have to do that and see if the collection grows by one
more.
Keep up the good work on a great magazine, I always look forward
to each new issue (too bad they don’t come twice a month!).
Many thanks to my father, Bill, my uncle, Brian, my good friend
Gary, and all those who have helped me in my search for engines and
parts, but most of all, thanks to my lovely wife for putting up
with my always taking off to auctions and generally abandoning her
while I am off on the trail of another elusive engine.