In response to Bill Gingerich’s letter about the 2 hp Bessemer Gaso-Kero he bought (February/March 2017), reader Steve DeCosta sent in photos of his 4 hp Bessemer Gaso-Kero. “I bought it from a guy awhile back, about two years ago,” Steve says, adding, “It runs real good and it’s all original. I did a little work to it. I had to clean it and get it to spark, but I straightened it out and it runs real good now. I like to collect and go to shows. I’m a retired mechanic and welder; I’ve been collecting 10 years. The Bessemer was a pretty complete engine. Its serial number is 12833, but I’m not sure of the year. It’s rated 4 hp at 650rpm and the flywheels are 18 inches with a 2-inch face. The muffler is from an International, a Famous. It just had a straight pipe on it. It starts in a heartbeat, and you can reverse it while it’s running; you pull the lever and it all but stops, and then goes the other way. I did have to do some work on the governor, but I didn’t touch anything but fuel and sparks, just a couple little things to get it running, and it runs good. The drip oiler has two lines; one feeds the rod bearings and the other the cylinder, and there are grease cups on the crank. It drips to lubricate, it doesn’t atomize the oil with the gas. It runs straight gas and has a fuel pump that pumps with vacuum.”
Steve DeCosta, Auburn, Pennsylvania
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