135 Kahn Road North Franklin, Connecticut 06254
This all started about eight or nine years ago. A second cousin
of mine told me about an engine he had in his basement.
He described the engine as having no wrist pin, being like a
steam engine using an oscillating cylinder. He also told me that he
had gotten it from a factory in Stonington, Connecticut about 30
years prior to that.
Over the years I hinted that I would like to see the
‘engine’ but I was always told that it was too hard to get
to. You see his basement was completely full up to eye level with
one or two narrow paths to get from the stairs to the door etc.
As time went on and this person got older, he realized that he
needed some help to do things. This being the case I was allowed
into the cellar! More hints about seeing ‘the engine’ but
still no response. Finally I outright asked to see it and was told
that it was right there. Right there being about two feet away but
you could not tell. You could only see empty coffee cans by the
hundred.
About six months later I said that I thought I should dig it out
so we could make it run. The response was well all right but be
careful of the plywood hanging overhead.
I don’t think the engine was a one of a kind, because when I
finished cleaning out the basement I found it in I found two more
pistons and another big end of the connecting rod.
I started moving stuff! About four hours later there it was.
Wow! A frame style open crank 2 stroke. What kind is it? Well well,
no name, numbers or markings of any kind.
I had this engine at Orange, Massachusetts and Hudson, New York
this summer. No one seems to be able to shed any light on the
subject either. Any information at all would be appreciated.
It is about 4′ bore and 4′ stroke and has a model
‘T’ carb. It will run either direction by moving the timer.
I have run it with a model ‘T’ coil. The engine has no
governor. Marine maybe? Stonington, Connecticut is very marine
oriented.
