Box 188, Sherburn, Minnesota 56171
Thought I would write a note and let you know what’s been
happening since I wrote the article about my dad in the Nov.-Dec.
1977 issue of GEM (actually written in May).
First off, the response to the article has been overwelming! As
of this date I’ve had over 200 letters and I’ve
‘met’ a lot of great people and wonderful new friends
through the mail. Like I say, engine people are the greatest!
Thanks again to everyone who has written, and eventually I’ll
get them all answered. I might add too, that through my ad I’ve
sold all the record books I had on hand and am having a second
batch printed.
With all the encouraging and inspiring letters I developed a
severe attack of enginitis. Here in Minnesota the ‘bug’
subsides in the winter, unless you are blessed with a heated garage
(which I’m not). Last Sunday I couldn’t resist any longer.
We had a ‘heat wave’….it got up to 0° Fahrenheit
(can’t get the hang of that new Celcius stuff, so I’ll
stick to good old Fahrenheit). It’s been around 15° – 30° below
zero most of this month – down to -75° (when you include the
windchill factor) many times. So, I donned my long unmentionables
and two layers of clothes, grabbed my fiberfill jacket and went to
work on the new 1 HP Ideal. After about an hour I realized I had to
have a few loose screws of my own to keep working with subzero
temperature tools and getting frost bitten hands everytime I had to
hang on to the engine with bare hands….then FINALLY I came to my
senses! I promptly removed the flywheels and piston, the head, and
then took the base off the trucks and did the first intelligent
thing of the day-I carried it all into the basement. Such is
life!
We managed to pick up some great new engines in 1977. A 2? HP
IHC Famous, 1? HP Galloway, 1 HP Galloway, another dish-wheeled
Fairbanks, a 1 HP Rock Island, 2? HP Sandow, an upright New Way,
the 1 HP air-cooled Ideal and a 1? HP DeLaval with vacuum pump and
generator. Enough to keep us busy for 10 years!
As for the progress on my buck-board for the Briggs/Stratton
motor wheel. I was able to purchase some original slats and one
original seat, plus the parts diagrams, so things look pretty
hopeful to me! Does anyone have a seat or any parts for a buckboard
they’d like to sell or trade? (See my want ad.) What I
can’t find, I’ll have to try and make. Wish me luck.
Now for my plea for help. I would like to find information on
paint schemes for these engines: the Sandow, Rock Island, Ideal,
New Way and DeLaval.
Another puzzle I have is the spark plug for my 2 HP Witte. An
A-25 fits, but the threads are too long, so a bushing had to be
made. Does anyone know if there ever was a spark plug that is the
right length?
By the way, Sherburn is celebrating it’s centennial this
year and as one of the festivities we would like to hold a
Threshing Bee and gas engine show. We’re just in the planning
stage as yet, so not too many details are settled, but I’ll
keep you posted. I’m in charge of lining up the engine show, so
I’d like to invite everyone to come show off some of your
collection-even if you can only bring one engine! It would be a
great time to meet all you folks that have written…..even if you
don’t show engines, come look! I’ll send more details
later.
Well, better quit! One nice fellow who wrote likened me to Helen
Hayes, a nice compliment, but I think ‘Gabby’ Hayes is
nearer the truth!
helen ‘n tish
