RR #I, Box 165, Windsor, VT. 05089.
This summer, my good friend Ed stopped by my place after
attending an auction which he had gone to in order to bid on an old
parts engine. As the story was told to me, the auctioneer was just
about to bang the last blow of the gavel when my friend Ed spoke up
and said ‘What about the parts engine which was
advertised?’ Of course he had waited all day for the engine to
go on the block and he didn’t intend to go away without having
a chance to bid. By now, the crowd had started for home. To make a
long story short, Ed turned out to be the only bidder on the engine
and, to say the least, he got a good buy. What he got turned out to
be a complete 4 horse Witte. He’ll do a real nice job restoring
it and showing it off next summer.
Would you believe, at the same auction, my friend, Ed, had a guy
back up next to him and offer to sell him another engine?
Ed allowed that he had already bought all of the goodies, which
he could carry in his truck, but told the gentleman he would tell
his friend about the engine as soon as he arrived home.
When I heard about the engine, I called the gentleman right away
and made arrangements to meet him within the hour.
Ed and I headed out, with my pickup, and we drove up into the
hills of Woodstock (I guess), and even with the most perfect
directions which were given to me over the phone, I was so anxious
to get there that we missed some turns, and there were many.
Anyhow, we found the place and there it was still setting on the
back of the gentleman’s truck.
At first, I wasn’t impressed. We talked. It was cold out and
I was not dressed for the hills, since we left in such a hurry. The
more I looked at it and thought about it, I felt I should have it.
After agreeing on the price, all three of us began transferring to
my truck the 10 HP Fairbanks Morse diesel twin cylinder
‘V’, Model 45A3 ?S, 1200 RPM engine (C. H. Wendel book,
American Gas Engines Since 1876, Page 166). I was told this engine
was used to run a ferris wheel at one time. I hope someone will see
this picture and can help me obtain some literature on this engine
as I know very little about diesel engines.
