1909 40 HP Foos
Company: Foos Gas Engine Co., Springfield, Ohio
Model: Type S
Horsepower: 40
Financial backing from industrialist John Foos established the Foos Gas Engine Co. in Sprinfield, Ohio, in 1887. Foos Manor, his magnificent home, can still be seen at 810 E. High St. in Springfield.
The Foos Type S engine was designed by Harry Voll circa 1894. It is easily recognized by the valve pullrods inside the frame, disc-balanced crankshaft and the continuously rotating wipe spark igniter.
This engine and another like it were used in the municipal waterworks at Lewisburg, Ohio, where they were direct-coupled to Smith-Vaile triplex pumps. They could operate on either natural gas or gasoline.
The machinery was installed in a pit beneath a small brick building that is still standing, and was removed by John Wilcox in l971. The engine had to be completely disassembled to come out of the building. It is currently on loan to Coolspring Power Museum, Coolspring, Pa., from the collection of John Wilcox.
