The Star
Manufacturer: Star Gas Engine Co., New York
Year: circa 1904
Horsepower: 5
Serial number: 950
Bore: 5-1/2-inch
Stroke: 10-inch
Cycle: 4-stroke
The Star Gas Engine Co. was known as a high
quality builder. Their engines had an East Coast look and lines
similar to White & Middleton and Backus engines.
Star was one of the early engine builders using a shelf-mounted
cylinder with high-pedestal bearing blocks. Early engines used a
hot tube: This engine has an igniter to ignite the fuel charge and
a vertical flyball governor.
This engine ran a machine shop in Barbertown, N.J., and was used
to support World War II, producing parts for the government. Butch
Johnson of Baptistown, N.J., removed it from service in 1974. This
Star is on loan to the Coolspring Power Museum from the collection
of Preston Foster.
What Wendel says:
“Star horizontal engines were built in several sizes ranging
from 1 to 25 HP. As with the vertical style, production of each
size probably never exceeded a few hundred units at best, although
at least one Star horizontal engine is still known to
exist.
“Star’s horizontal series used either a flyball governor or
a pendulum governor at various times, and employed an angular slot
on the intake valve seat, thus giving it the dual role of gas valve
and intake valve. By placing the hot tube on the cylinder itself,
the cylinder head could be removed without disturbing any of the
engine attachments.
“The desire of individuals to collect and restore these and
other early engines has preserved an important part of our
industrial past.”
Contact the Coolspring Power Museum at: P.O. Box 19,
Coolspring, PA 15730; (814) 849-6883; coolspring@penn.com
www.coolspringpowermuseum.com
