You could say that Cliff Dawson’s engine has been on a permanent vacation. That’s not to say his 2 HP Nelson Bros. engine hasn’t been working. It’s just that the engine, tagged “Ontario Wind Engine & Pump Co.,” spent its service days pumping water in a tourist area of Ontario, Canada, and now spends its days keeping Dawson company at gas engine shows.
“It used to be on an island in Lake Muskoka, Ontario,” says Cliff. “I’ve owned it for 27 years now and I’ve done absolutely nothing to it except put on a new gas tank and put a cart under it.” He also notes that he was supposed to get the original pump but never did.
With just one turn of the flywheel, Cliff demonstrates how easy the engine turns over after all these years. It’s marked with serial number 11916 but Cliff has never been able to pinpoint an actual date of production.
Contact Cliff Dawson at 3 Daniel Dr., Bracebridge, ON, Canada P1L 1B1
