I took my 15 HP Myrick Eclipse gas engine to
the Coolspring Power Museum Summer Exposition in Coolspring, Pa.,
on June 16, 2000, not knowing much about its history. Reason being,
I had just purchased it six days earlier from an engine dealer,
Kenny Wolf of Peru, Ind. Gas engine guru Mike Fuoco recognized the
engine immediately as one from the late Don “Red” Ball collection.
Red hailed from Wellsville, N.Y., and is responsible for the
Myrick’s restoration.
The Myrick Type O was initially located south of Allegheny,
N.Y., at Carey Hollow, where it had pumped six oil wells. When Red
located the engine in the mid-1980s, it had not been run for about
10 years, necessitating the restoration.
The engine is hopper-cooled with a bore of 8-1/2 inches and a
stroke of 12 inches. It has a Wico OC high-tension magneto at
present, but the original is believed to be an R1. The Myrick is
volume governed and is equipped with a coaxial intake and exhaust
valve assembly, similar to a Titusville Olin. The flywheels measure
48 inches in diameter with a 4-inch width. The crank-driven,
4-point McCord automatic force feed oiler is believed to be
original equipment.
This is the only one of this model known to exist at the present
time, and no serial or casting numbers are evident on the engine.
The year of manufacture is also unknown. As it left the factory,
this engine had a retail price of $650.
According to Mike, it seems the designers at Myrick Machine Co.
of Olean, N.Y., were given an open book to try many different
designs. For a small company to have this policy must have taxed
the pattern makers, foundry men and machinists to the maximum.
A special thanks to Michael Fuoco and the late Don “Red” Ball,
and all the others that helped in this project and passed on all
the information and stories about this engine.
Contact engine enthusiast John Herman at: 703 Wilson Court, Tipp
City, OH 45371; (937) 667-4124; k.koenig-herman@att.net
