Butch Andreski of Bremond, Texas, has quite a collection of antique engines, but something he wanted was missing. He had a desire for a Webster inverted. He located one about a year ago that was owned by a fellow collector in Longview, Texas. Unfortunately, the collector did not want to part with the Webster. Butch poked, prodded and pleaded for a year. Finally, with the intervention of a friend, Butch learned at his birthday party that the east Texas collector was ready to sell the Webster.
According to C.H. Wendel in American Gas Engines Since 1872 Vol. 1, the No. 3 Webster vertical had a 5-by-8-inch bore and stroke and was rated to develop 3 HP at 320 RPM. “Each 24-inch flywheel weighed 140 pounds — the bare engine scaled at 700 pounds. The 1903 Webster catalog noted that these engines required a ‘reasonably good foundation,’ and noted that ‘we do not recommend it to go on the second floor of old buildings without foundations.'” Wendel also mentions that, considering the constant downward thrust of this design, this was probably good advice.
This 3 HP Webster inverted, serial number 2624, was equipped with a hot tube ignition and no provisions for a spark plug or igniter. Since acquiring the engine, Butch has built a drop frame cart and affixed a cooling tank. He now can sit back and enjoy watching it run.
Contact Butch Andreski at (254) 746-7391 • andreski@earthlink.net
Contact Ronnie Kleypas at (254) 913-7244 • rkleypas@ctwa.com
